30's & 40's

The 1930's was a decade where there were many influences from around the world. A 1930s fancy dress party therefore brings inspiration from many factors including music, film heroes and the outbreak of World War II.

For an evening 1930s costumes for women largely comprised of metallic lame material made to shimmer by the addition of sequins and glass beads. The "bias" cut was created in the 30s giving women a more feminine look. Negligees and corsets were used to emphasise the figure. Halter neck dresses were popular. Dresses were lacy. Popular material used to make the dresses were satin, crepes and chiffon.

Men often wore suits accompanied with a matching top hat and coat.

Musical icons of the decade were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They provide popular looks which may be copied at fancy dress parties. Jazz and swing were popular music styles of the time. Shirley Temple and Greto Garbo were at the height of their careers. Their images are easy to imitate.

Gandhi was fighting for India's independence from the British Empire. His style is very easy to copy. Einstein was a famous scientist of the 1930's and photographs of this great man show an individual style which may be impersonated. World War II broke out in 1939 so 1930s costumes may include a soldier, nurse or commander.

There are so many 1930s fancy dress ideas to choose from. If none of the above ideas stand out, famous films released in the 1930s were the Wizard of Oz and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Why not go along dressed as one of the characters.