Why we love a 1940s Blouse The 1940s was a decade defined by resilience, practicality and subtle elegance. This is super evident in the blouses women wore every day - the 1940s really saw the 'rise of the blouse'! Shaped by wartime restrictions yet still deeply feminine, 1940s blouses combined utility with thoughtful design details that certainly continue to influence fashion today.

We begin 2026 with our first collection inspired by the ladies-wear styles of 1938 - particularly winter sportswear and everyday styles. Caveat: this isn't a fashion history lesson, just our perspective and a hook to be creative with.... I have often heard vintage clothing sellers and other vintage fashion fans exclaim that the 1930s have never been bettered in terms of cut, design and ultra feminine. However, the decade is pretty diverse when you study it closely. The silhouette one thinks of when we imagine the 1930s is the draping, bias Vionnet styles that peaked around 1934/35.  Fashions have always been influenced by celebs of the time and in the 1930s, this was also the case with the silver screen. Although an unpopular figure now, Wallis Simpson's so called 'hard chic' style (ref vogue 1939) had an undeniable influence on fashion during the time following Edwards abdication at the end of 1936.  When we reach the late 1930s, the hemline was getting higher, shoulders strong and the overall silhouette much more simple and sophisticated. Moving towards an 'hourglass' rather than 'needle' silhouette. 1938 has always been one of my favourite years - just before the austerity period of the war kicked in yet still affected by the 'wet blanket' (quote ~ Marsha Hunt from 'The Way we wore') effect of the great depression. I love the silhouette - strong waistline, flared skirt from the hip, high necklines, mid calf hemlines and subdued colours. Shoulders are starting to get strong (though not as boxy as the 40s). Super feminine and really wearable. My favourite 'go to' fashion references are the fashion books of the time - catalogues of patterns that ladies could order since home dressmaking was prevalent at the time. This is what the average woman wore and is a clearer indication of everday styles. Butterick and McCall released these every season and my first original copy was 1938 McCall, given to me by a family members years ago. Let's talk about Vintage Sportswear...It's January, deep winter - cold and snowy (certainly for us in Yorkshire, England). At Foxy - we like to bring you styles that reflect the time of year and we certainly arent looking for a summer dress right now! A few years ago, following the success of our ladies plus fours and tailoring, we were repeatedly asked to make some late 1930s ski pants and a regular customer sent images of items she was hoping for. Whilst we werent able to satisfy her needs at the time (new styles take time to get right, then grade, source fabric and then produce) but it got me thinking. I was aware of how sports had started to influence fashion in the early 1930s due to a growing emphasis on health. The influence peaked in the late 30s ' The new sensibility was toward freedom of movement and freedom of choice, and the clothing included mix-and-match ensembles, playsuits, pants, and a variety of activewear.' (ref American Ingenuity: Sportswear 1930s-1970s). Perusing Sears catalogues from the time had several references to these 'ski pants' and I recalled one of our staff wearing her pair regularly during last January's snowfall up here. She exclaimed how warm and practical they were - yet still super femme with its cinched waist.  So the ski pant was the centre point for this collection produced in some lovely wools from a local supplier - the new ski jacket followed. (held back slightly by a fabric miscount on my part...) I also found a roll of an unsual print 'Botanica' on rayon crepe at one of my local suppliers. He'd had it a while and whilst we only had a short amount - I know Foxy folk love limited editions so I couldn't resist including it in some of our classic and favourite 1930s styles. Jitterbug - modelled on a 1938 pattern and Cora (artistic licence here - a little earlier than 1938) but it just looked too good. The Shoot We love creating the story - and this collection was originally called 'Vintage Hike'. We took to the local rural Yorkshire area armed with hot coffee and walking boots and of course fabulous model 'Darcie' and super creative photographer 'Maisie'. We had a few hours before the rain hit - it was VERY cold and wet but we soldiered on. Im so grateful to them both and the rest of our team for making it work. We sadly cant control the weather but everyone was so cheery and game. We love the result and we hope you enjoy this lovely little collection renamed 'The Quiet Fields' mainly because she isnt actually hiking...the first of our focus on a year.

Where we've been in 2025 and what's coming next... When I started House of Foxy in 2010 (ish), the vision was to recreate favourite vintage items from all eras of the last century. I believe that the 20th century gives us so much to go at as each decade has many different silhouettes to recreate - something we aren't seeing in quite the same way in modern clothing or during the previous centuries when fashion was much slower.  In business, you need to be flexible enough to follow trends and for that reason, over recent years we became known mainly for our 1940s and 1930s collections. This was what our niche became. Some staunch foxy fans will remember however, that when we started - our styles emulated the 1950s fashions as was desired at that time. 2025 was a very creative year. With over 27 new designs introduced, many limited edition styles and 10 collections - we certainly surpassed ourselves this time. One of the major benefits of having a highly skilled manufacturing unit on site is how quickly we can bring new styles from concept to production. Whilst there are still limitations to what we can do - it does mean that we can be extra creative when a collection is building. 2026 and Beyond It is my plan to represent more of the other decades in our new collections moving forward. I want to explore more of the 1920s and later decades like the 1960s and 1970s. I want House of Foxy to be vintage fashion encapsulated. As a teenager in the 90s, i was wearing vintage styles from the 70s that emulated the 1930s - affordable to me at the time. I still have many of these original items in my collection acquired from second hand shops including an Ossie Clarke top (sadly with its label removed - otherwise it would now be worth a fortune - although i would never part with it!). Without doubt my favourite decade is the 1930s, but I am also a HUGE Ossie Clarke and BIBA fan at the moment - and now that these original 1970s items are almost unaffordable (with some originals reaching the £1k price) we will be exploring emulating these styles to bring this beautiful sultry silhouette to the table. Starting with the Studio 54 dress pictured below.  This is what I want to do - recreate stunning pieces from all eras to bring our customers variety. Whilst this may concern some of our regulars - I can promise we wont be turning away from 1930s and 40s. We just want The House of Foxy to be about much more than just two decades. We just want to recreate beautiful styles that make us all feel amazing. This year, I will be breaking from tradition by producing collections that nod to a year rather than a print or a 'vibe'. Starting with 1938, each collection will be compiled around a year point and its silhouette. Each one will have a few new designs, current or revisited designs in new colours or prints and also our timeless items re-styled to demonstrate 'ways to wear'. With many customers telling me they are mixing eras and modern styles in their wearing these days - we want to bring you something inspiring. So far, we are planning 1938, 1975, 1935, 1926, 1942 and 1953. I am having so much fun with this approach and drawing upon my personal vintage garment collection (which spans 1925 to 1980) and the mountain of magazines, patterns and fashion books in my bookcase. It has only served to remind me of the enormous variety that the last century engendered. How wonderful to keep dressing up - its what gives me joy every day! And i think you're here because you feel the same. xxx Clarissa