1940s Film Noir Elegance

Film noir gave 1940s evening wear its most dramatic look: strong padded shoulders, a nipped waist, a slim, low-slung skirt and colours that might have been drawn in charcoal. Our Film Noir Elegance collection recreates that mood in crepe 1940s cocktail dresses, matching tailored jackets and berets, designed in-house and made in Yorkshire.

What is film noir style?

Film noir fashion is 1940s Hollywood in black and white: plain, rich fabrics in black, navy, red or racing green, sculpted shoulders, draped sarong-style skirts and a little sparkle from a brooch or sequin. It borrowed from the tailoring of the wartime years, then turned it into something sultry.

How to wear it

• Go for the full look with a dress and matching jacket, then finish with a beret tilted over one eye.
• Keep colours deep: black, aubergine, racing green and rosewood all work.
• Add red lipstick, seamed stockings and a brooch. In the 1940s the classic lipstick was an orange-red, rather than the pillar-box red we picture today.

Our O'Hara cocktail dress is named after Dorothy O'Hara, the Paramount Studios costume designer known for flattering silhouettes with strong shoulders and slim waists; read the story of the O'Hara dress. For everyday 1940s dressing, see our 1940s dresses and tea dresses and 1940s jackets and coats, or the full 1940s style guide. Sizes run from UK 8 up to 24 on many styles.