1938: Women's Fashions

Hair Dressing.

The year 1938 was undoubtedly a hair-raising year in the women's fashion industry. The pun is too exact to ignore: for the most important event in the fashion world during 1938 was the advent of the 'up-swept' coiffure. The problem belonged to hair-dressers but became in fact related to the entire fashion industry. The secret of the strength of influence of the up-swept coiffure lies in the fact that it actually accented a trend already developed by the fashion industry, femininity. Women with hair brushed up and carefully curled somehow seemed more appealingly feminine than those who sought to look 'glamorous' by a long bob which was soon slurringly referred to by fashion commentators as a 'Hollywood mane.'

The fact is that the up-swept coiffure was not actually new in 1938. Aside from the fact that historically the style goes back to the Edwardian Period, it was introduced in its modern form in 1937 by Antoine, the world's leading hairdresser. Antoine is by birth a Pole (his practically forgotten and completely ignored last name is Cierplikowski), by habitat a Parisian, and by profession an International ... he sets close to 100 per cent of the important hair styles for fashionable women throughout the world. He worked with the idea, interpreted it in many ways, and what is more important, sold the idea to fashion-world-important Parisian dress designers like Schiaparelli and hat designers like Suzanne Talbot.

In spite of the up-swept coiffure being the most important development in the fashion industry in 1938, it did not appear forcefully until the year was half over. Thus it is not surprising to find that the most exciting fashions of the year came in the fall rather than the spring.

Color.

Aside from the constant stressing of the feminine theme in all fashions the only significant fashion development in spring 1938 concerned colored accessories, which (at long last!) began to come into their own. Black and navy, perennial spring accessory favorites, gave ground to color. Copper, widely known as 'Parisand' was the great spring '38 color success. Pastels, notably pink and blue, gained favor. That the trend was one worth watching was proved by the fact that as summer approached, even white, for years the popular selection for summer accessories, fell greatly behind its past performances.

Femininity Stressed.

At the beginning of 1938 women were still wearing their hair in longish bobs. The ultra-smart were going in for Antoine's sculptured coiffures which were on the up ... not in back but in front and over the ears. Clothes had already begun several years before, to increase in femininity. But the beginning of 1938 saw femininity emphasized more and more. Strictly man-tailored suits, for instance, were already on the wane, but in 1938 passed out of fashion significance entirely. 'Dressmaker' suits with soft lines and details of tucks and pleats and drapes became 'the style.' Dirndl dresses, peasant-inspired, were popular in all price ranges. Full-skirted, 'romantic' evening dresses, strapless and hoopskirted, appeared early; but were, however, to gain greatest importance in the fall.

Spring 1938 hats were essentially feminine. The most significant development in millinery was the return to popularity of an old-fashioned favorite, veils. Spring 1938 accessories, too, were essentially feminine. Handbags were large and soft and the most popular styles featured shirring, tucking and draping. Best-selling sport gloves were hand-sewn. Best-selling dress gloves repeated the dressmaker details of handbags. Embroidered backs were a glove fashion success in all price ranges. Wide belts with dressmaker detailing came into fashion prominence.

Fall hats were definitely designed for up coiffures. Fashion-conscious women who in the beginning had no idea of putting their hair up found themselves forced to chose between an up-coiffure and a new fall hat. 'Doll hats' that covered more of the forehead than the head came in for great popularity. The largest fall 1938 hats left the back of the head from crown down completely bare except for anchoring ribbon. Tower heavenward they might, but cover the back of the head they did not!

In its extreme forms, the up-swept coiffure was more practical for evening than for daytime fashions. Strapless evening gowns were popular. Hair dresses of flowers, feathers, ribbons and jewels became evening coiffure musts. Earrings and necklaces in costume jewelry came back into prominence for evening and daytime wear. Costume jewelry as a whole enjoyed the biggest season in the history of the industry.

All fashions grew more and more feminine. Daytime dresses had high soft necklines, draped bodices, full-at-the-shoulder sleeves, nipped-in waists, full and just a little shorter skirts. The 'monastic' silhouette with exaggerated front fullness was one of the important fall '38 fashions. The 'skating' skirt came into prominence. Fall accessories repeated and emphasized their femininity of spring. Muffs and muff bags became fashion firsts.

New Shades.

Interest in color evidenced in the spring and summer carried through into fall. It is estimated that black, always the predominate fall color, fell in the fall of 1938 15 to 20 per cent behind its sales record of fall 1937. Wine, commonly called 'Chateau Wine,' was the most important color a fall season had ever produced. It was a success in coats, dresses, hats, shoes and accessories. 'Teal Blue' (a blue green) and Fuchsia were late fall color successes. The success of Fuchsia was far-flung in its effect for it led to the introduction of a whole new color scheme for make-up. Rouge, lipstick, nail lacquer especially toned to blend with the fashionable fuchsia shades were introduced and widely accepted late in 1938.

Though the fashion industry as a whole will remember 1938 as the year of the up-swept coiffure and the beginning of a cycle of color, there are several important developments which will be remembered by separate branches in the industry.

Shoes.

It was in the women's shoe industry that the most revolutionary changes took place. Of first importance was the use of lastexed leathers and fabrics. This idea is expected by some authorities eventually to revolutionize the entire shoe industry. Of great significance were many radical ideas introduced in shoe designs. For generations shoe designers have been content to change merely the height of the shoe, the height of the heel, the shape of the toe and heel, the amount of foot exposed. But in 1938 shoe designers left conventionalities behind. They introduced 'clogs' which raised the whole foot, toe and heel alike, as much as three inches from the ground; 'wedge' soles which did away with conventional space between heel and toe of shoe; 'platforms' which were of variable thickness and inserted between sole and body of shoe; wooden sabot-like shoes with rigid soles and turned up toes; all kinds of very fancy and unconventional heels, the most important of which seems to be the 'hooded heel.' Of all these, the platform sole was the most generally accepted. It was popular in all price ranges. 'Clogs' were accepted only in beach shoe versions.

Sudetenland a Source of Imports.

Of great importance to American importers of gloves and wood bead bags and to American manufacturers of costume jewelry was the Germanization in 1938 of the Sudeten area of Czechoslovakia. There were two good reasons why merchandise stamped 'Made in Germany' but actually the same as that formerly stamped 'Made in Czechoslovakia' was not acceptable to importers in this country. The first was, obviously, the boycott of German-made goods by the United States public. The second good reason was the fact that import duties on German goods was higher than those on Czech goods and thus the chief attraction of the goods, i.e. its low price, was destroyed.

Sudetenland was an important source to the United States for popular-priced leather gloves. It was the only available source for popular-priced fabric gloves of the 'chamoisette' or 'double-woven' type. Sharp readjustments were made which were to a large extent in favor of the American manufacturer. Limited quantities of American-made 'double-woven' fabric gloves appeared on the market. Though the readjustment was made within the industry during fall 1938, the consumer will not feel it until 1939.

Since Sudetenland was the only developed source in the world for the wood beads that go into the manufacturing of the popular-priced wood bead handbags sold in the United States, wood bead importers were forced to develop new interests or go out of business. Here again the consumer will not be affected until 1939.

Though the greater per cent of stones used in making popular priced costume jewelry came from the same area, readjustment came easier in this field than in any other. Large stocks of stones on hand and versatility of styling of the item involved accounts for this greater ease. Popular-priced rhinestones are likely to present the greatest problem.

Innovations Introduced.

Fall 1938 saw the introduction of two important patented accessories. The first to appear was Merry Hull's 'Finger-free' glove which focused attention on fourchettes and started a trend toward emphasis by use of contrasting colors on construction in gloves. The other was the 'Fa-cile' frame for handbags which worked on the spring principle and eliminated necessity for locks and clasps.

Of no significance to the hosiery industry within the year 1938 but forerunner of possible new development in that industry within the next five years, was the introduction by Du Pont of a new synthetic yarn. It is called 'Nylon' (fibre 66) and is considered practical for sheer hosiery in upper price brackets.

In summary, then, 1938 will be remembered in the American fashion world as the year of the up-swept coiffure, feminine fashions, real beginning of a cycle wherein color became important as opposed to black, 'doll hats,' fuchsia-toned cosmetics, lastexed shoes, revolutionary shoe designs, loss of Czech importations, introduction of 'Finger-free' glove and 'Fa-cile' frame and 'Nylon' yarn.