Fashion of the 30s
The 1930s marked a pivotal period in the history of fashion. The crisis of 1929 had a lasting impact on society and the fashion industry, like the others, struggled to raise its head. Far from the freedom of the Roaring Twenties, clothes became more sensible and classic but also gradually took shape the lines of an elegance that would go down in history.
A return to more classicism
Charleston dresses, boyish cuts, sequins and a revealing neckline, the day after the First World War, the atmosphere was festive. Skirts and hair were getting shorter, fashion houses were at their peak. Chanel (already!), Lanvin, Jean Patou and Rochas dressed elegant women and fashion became accessible to all thanks to the patterns that were now found in magazines and that small designers reproduced for their customers. But the upturn was short-lived. With the economic crisis of 1929 the atmosphere became gloomy and no one felt like dancing anymore.
The classicism that had marked the pre-war years made its reappearance and fashion returned to more conservatism. While the 20s valued an independent and modern woman, the 30s on the contrary would convey the image of the perfect wife...who wore a girdle designed to keep her stomach as flat as possible! During the day, the suit was simple and the skirt went back below the knee.
The lines are refined and a new form of elegance, marked by sobriety, makes its appearance. Dresses mark the waist and highlight the silhouette while the neckline passes into the back. Even during the day, women no longer take off their gloves and hats (or their turban tied around the head!). New fabrics make their appearance, notably nylon.
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The invention of leisure
With the advent of paid holidays, the French are now going on holiday and rushing to the seaside resorts of the Normandy coast or the Côte d'Azur. New outfits are appearing for playing tennis, including mini-shorts. On the beaches, the swimsuit is also undergoing a transformation. Until then, the women's swimsuit hid the body and legs before being modelled for a long time on the aesthetics of men's swimsuits.
With the 1930s, things finally changed! The swimsuit became a real fashion accessory. In elastic fabric or jersey, it revealed the back with sublime necklines and was adorned with colorful bows and ribbons. Does this remind you of anything? It is precisely in the swimsuits of the 1930s that we drew inspiration to design our Canopea swimsuits.
A retro chic fashion that is both graphic and timeless that highlights the silhouette. But our swimsuits obviously have an additional asset: 50+ sun protection thanks to the recycled Econyl ® fiber. Unfortunately, children and adults of the 30s were not so lucky!
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Hollywood's influence
It was also in the 1930s that fashion photography was born with articles by the likes of Man Ray and Christian Bérard who glorified female silhouettes in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Marie-Claire. On the other side of the Atlantic, Hollywood was in its golden age. It was the era of the first big movie stars and, little by little, the look of Hollywood actresses would influence the look of French women, particularly their hairstyle and makeup. The fashion was for permed hair that was worn in a bob or mid-length, sometimes platinum, and false eyelashes became the norm.
The Swedish actress Greta Garbo, who at the time had Hollywood at its feet, became a true icon. The French tried to copy her look and her makeup, a real revolution! The eyebrows were now very plucked then redrawn with a pencil, the eyelashes were endless and the mouth skillfully highlighted with a very bright red. Another actress, Katharine Hepburn, also made imitators with her tweed trouser suit, a more masculine but equally seductive style. The 1930s imposed a new femininity and a style that will continue to influence designers to this day.
Discover our collection of anti-UV swimsuits here .
