1930s

the fashionable thirties woman emerged mature, understated, cautious and, above all, sophisticated. Her wardrobe contained specialist outfits for every occasion: day, afternoon, sport, spectator sport, informal evening, formal evening, dinner, theatre and more.
Until the middle of the decade, women's fashion moved comparatively slowly. By 1935 the look which had emerged was epitomized by the suit, either crisply tailored or more softly structured. A sleek, fitted jacket, with square, padded shoulders and a tiny waist in its proper place, was teamed with a skirt or dress in matching fabric. This outfit was considered the ultimate in elegance and chic.
The introduction of washable, easy-care luxury fabrics, such as silk, crepe-de-chine and satin, revolutionised garments of all kinds, from nightdresses to underwear to day dresses and blouses. I addition, the development of man-made fabrics, such as rayon, viscose rayon and tricot, and the improved methods of manufacturing and mass-production techniques meant that well-made and well-cut clothes became available to a wider range of women.
From 1930 evening dresses were a fashion unto themselves. Long or ankle-length, often with a short train, they were moulded onto the body like wet cloth by means of bias-cutting. As much flesh as possible was revealed: for example, halter neckline left the shoulders and most of the back exposed. As the decade progressed, evening dresses became increasingly more extravagant and varied in style, ranging from sleek and figure-hugging crepes and silk satins, to ruffled diaphanous silk-organdie dresses with puffed sleeves. to multi-layered embroidered net crinolines with tightly fitted, boned, strapless bodies.
Fur- both of the exensive and the cheap varieties- was worn extensively throughout the 1930s in th form of coats, capes,stoles, wraps, accessories and trimmings. the most popular furs were sable, mink, chinchilla, Persian lamb and silver fox, all worn both for day and evening.