Therefore this ad is matched to your interests. It was selected for you on the basis of your browsing activity. Cocktail wear was born. While clothing for drinking and dancing had to be chic, sexy and a little less formal than an evening gown, dressier than day wear. Although, designers were only when it became socially acceptable for women to drink in public they had to have a proper wardrobe for their new found social activities, from the jazz babies of the 1920’s speakeasies to the darlings of the 70’s discos. Just think for a moment. While celebrating their liberation from the restrictive garments of previous decades, wore loose, knee baring, beaded and fringed chemises, cocktail fashions were introduced in the roaring 20s when flappers.
Did hemlines, when the stock market plummeted in the 30s.
People took to the movies as an escape from their worries about the economy.
Actresses glided across the silver screen wearing sultry ankle grazing bias cut dresses in silk and satin. I know that the fabric rationing of the war years presented a special challenge for 1940’s clothing manufacturers. American designers were left to their own creativity, without Paris couture to look to for fashion inspiration. With less material to work with they still managed to produce stylish evening wear. Nonetheless, this afforded women a few more fashion options for the cocktail hour. GI’s returning from the Pacific brought gifts of clothing from exotic locales. Sky was the limit as country’s economy boomed, after the war. Today cocktail party attire very often reflects the glamour of the past, as designers continue to incorporate elements of these classic vintage styles into their current creations.