Irresponsible Fashion

I got this 1931 McCall Quarterly catalog recently. When I was listing it in the Etsy shop today, I came across this article, and it made me smile.

“Sports frocks are somewhat uniform in style. Street dresses have many characteristics in common. But the afternoon costume is another story.

In fact, the formal day mode is varied to the point of appearing irresponsible. But there is really a chic purpose behind each of its moods.

The three models that you see on the right were created for early afternoon hours. and underemonious events. Their formality hints of the casual…in simplicity of lines…fabrics taht are not too elegant…skirts that clear the floor by about ten inches.

For later hours and more formal occasions, designs become a little more feminine, fabrics a ilttle more elegant and skirts quite a bit longer. Sleeves may be either long or short. For a change you may prefer the full-length sleeve in the same from with an ankle length skirt. This combination has a provocative new look about it. “

They go on to talk about choosing accessories: gloves long enough to wrinkle at the wrist, and purses chosen as ornamental, not utilitarian.

It’s funny to look at this with today’s eyes, as we would likely never consider these beautiful garments to be irresponsible or even anything but elegant. But then again, today’s sportswear is anything but elegant, and thinking of an afternoon dress has likely never occurred to the majority of the population. I love this insight into the psychology of fashion in the 30s. It’s one of the reasons I love studying fashion so much, and why, as Miranda Priestley so eloquently put, it’s not just a blue sweater.