The 1940s Tea Dress

My love affair with the tea dress has been ever present but has always come over me in waves. I feel like its be an up and down relationship - even a little toxic at times. My search for the perfect tea dress design has been relentless and I have never been fully satisfied, only abated by moments of distraction over other projects.

Why is this dress so iconic?

The tea dress as we know it probably made its first appearance in the 1920s, refined a little in the 1930s and then fully had its moment in the 1940s. Floral, flowing, demure and utterly romantic - she is the dress we feel at our most feminine.

In the 1940s, there were a lot of issues for the well dressed woman. Austerity caused fabric restrictions and limits on embellishments or decorative elements on garments created a general need to make the most of what one had. Ladies needed to wear practical and versatile styles suitable for the wartime life.

So designers and women who often made their own had to get creative and produce a dress that used minimal fabric but still looked attractive. This was when the Tea Dress really came into its own - the ultimate multi use garment that every well dressed girl had. The 1940s tea dress is also super versatile. Dressed up for formal events, layered for daywear, practical for everyday.

The key 1940s Tea Dress Design Elements:-

1. A defined natural waist
Created with a seam or shaping in at the waist and sometimes nipped in with a belt or back waist ties. Always present in the tea dress to create the hourglass shape - can sometimes be seen in empire like styles but definitely with shaping at the waist.

2. Light, often floral, printed fabric
The lightweight rayon (viscose) fabrics available at the time were often ditsy floral - busier than larger prints as they meant less wastage and were easier to patch fix. These rayon fabrics were flowing and cheaper than silk or cotton. Colours varied and weren't as drab as many believe.

3. Mid Calf length (often a little shorter in the forties)
A practical length for everyday but also satisfied fabric restriction guidelines. Hemlines did move upward during the 40s for this reason but never above the knee.

4. V, square or sweetheart neckline
There's a lot of variation here to be fair. The sweetheart shape still remains in our minds when we think of the 1940s and was in contrast to the V neck styles of the late 1930s. Necklines often quite high up and demure. You can see a lot of square neck styles in photo graphs from this time too. Jewel and high necklines also seen - I guess anything went.

5. Blouson Bodice
Many originals have a side zip and there is an iconic blouson effect at the back which helped with practical movement but also enhanced the waist. *The 'blouson' look is seriously under-rated as a flattering and slimming cut.

6. Flared skirt (not full)
This is important, the skirt was often cut in many panels to preserve fabric. The hem width wasn't wide but created enough flare for practical movement and perfect for dancing! Close to a-line.

6. Short or cap sleeves
Not only is it super practical to have a short sleeve, it also lends itself to fabric preservation and easier to layer. Noticeable in this era was clever tucks and gathers in sleeves to add extra interest and make the most of the fabric. But also a stronger shoulder is very present in 1940s tea dress styles as they create the illusion of a smaller waist...clever.

Our Favourite Tea Dresses

So the challenge for us at Foxy is how can we produce the perfect tea dress? The answer is we cant - there just isn't one style that encapsulates all these features. Over the past 10 years, we have created many versions - gored, sweetheart neckline, high tied with keyhole, V neck, shirt waist style etc. (many of you will recall the popular 'Grable' 1940s tea dress, Girl Friday or our Homefront dress). Many of these styles I tried to use CC41 guidelines where fabric and trim were concerned, to ensure an authentic style. I researched patterns, collected examples, photographs and so on. 

I'm still at it!

In our latest collection, I returned to the drawing board and created the Madison - which is something of a hybrid. Based on a late 1930s style, its a bit too fabric heavy and detailed to fully claim 1940s tea dress status, but it is closely based on a fashion plate and its certainly very different. Perhaps our most detailed dress yet - gathers, shaping, drape and little touches that you will find more and more in our newer styles.

We've also relaunched the Vera - V neck with shirring, using bias for shaping and mid length sleeves for coverage. Super flattering silhouette and a rework on a style we are asked for again and again. Personally, I think its one of our most elegant dresses - particularly the sumptuous gathers over the bustline.

To Conclude...

I don't think I will ever stop working on the tea dress - perhaps that's actually because it evolves from feedback from customers and trends in our own niche.

We would love to know what people are searching for. Please give us your comments.