1930s Vintage Fashion

1930s fashion returned to a softer, more grown-up silhouette after the boyish lines of the 1920s. The waist settled back into its natural position, hemlines dropped to mid-calf, and bias-cut construction let fabric skim and drape over the body rather than hang straight - a technique that defined the decade's famous liquid-satin evening gowns.

Our 1930s fashion pieces draw on the same details: bias-cut dresses in silk and satin, moulded shoulders with puffed or butterfly sleeves, and softly detailed necklines finished with a cowl or pussy-bow tie. It's Hollywood glamour with Depression-era practicality - elegant, but never fussy.

What did women wear in the 1930s?

1930s style was softer, more feminine and more grown-up than the boyish 1920s. Day to day, women wore:

• 1930s dresses: bias-cut day dresses, tea dresses and cocktail styles with flutter or puffed sleeves
• 1930s blouses: pussy-bow, tie-neck and wrap styles, worn tucked into high-waisted skirts
• 1930s skirts and wide-leg trousers: swirling skirts, plus the first real fashion for women in trousers, from beach pyjamas to Marlene Dietrich tailoring
• 1930s suits and jackets and coats: tailored wool, moulded shoulders and princess-line coats
• 1930s evening gowns: liquid satin and velvet, straight from the cinema screen

1930s outfits for a party or a day out

For a 1930s party, a bias-cut satin gown needs almost no styling: gloves, a clutch and waved hair will do it. For daytime, a floral or Art Deco print dress with a jacket, or a crepe blouse with a swirling skirt, gives you the same period polish and is easy to wear all day. The rule for any 1930s outfit is to keep to the natural waist, keep the hem at mid-calf and let one detail, a bow, a sleeve or a neckline, do the talking.

The bias cut, in brief

The defining technique of the decade was the bias cut: fabric cut on the diagonal so it drapes and skims the body instead of hanging straight. It is why 1930s gowns look liquid, and why the modern slip dress owes the decade so much. See our bias cut dresses to find out how good it looks in practice.

Curious why the decade is having a moment? Why is 1930s fashion popular again? has the answer, 1938: a transition year in fashion looks at winter sportswear, and our 1930s style guide covers the silhouettes, prints and icons, from Vionnet to Dietrich.