Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990 - 20

acquisirion of marerial goods and illicir
liquor. i\lass producrion was able ro fulfill
desires for such new producrs as auromobiles, radios, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Adverrising doubled during
rhis decade, wirh personal pleasure and
freedom becoming prevalenr adverrising
rhemes. To some exrenr rhe legalizarion
of conrraceprives also promored rhe idea
of personal pleasure.
The new ideal image changed from a
marernal nurrurer ro sexy companion.
\'(fomen began socializing wirh rheir male
chums-drinking, smoking, dancing and
necking publicly. A slim yourhful figure
for play and pleasure was preferred.

reed ro conceal rhe now unfashionable
rradirional female form. Breasrs, hips and
waisr were conrorred inro a uniform rubelike shape.
The new look was complered by
bobbed hair and makeup. \'(fomen cur off
rheir crowning glory and, rejecring rhe
Puriranical inclinarions of rheir forefarhers, began using makeup for borh dayrime and evening.
\X!omen became known as model
consumers and were encouraged ro buy
rhings for rhe good of rhe counrry. The
fashion and cosmeric indusrries boomed.
The luxury of self-indulgence, however,
soon ended for mosr Americans.

definirely higher indenred waisrline, long
rapering hips and rhe molded busr. To
wear rhe new frocks, vou musr wear rhe
smarr new corserry.
i\!odels of rhis new ideal were accessible ro rhe masses nor only rhrough rhe
prinr media, bur also rhrough rhe movies.
The sryles of rhe srars were ofren mass
produced and sold across rhe narion. The
femininiry of rhe look was accenruared by
draping, ruffles and sofrer curlier hair.
Borh subrle and blaranr messages in
rhe media communicared rhar a woman's
idenriry came from her relarionship ro a
man. In spire of rhe Depression, women
were encouraged ro consume appropri-

Illustrations
(from left to right):
Women's dresses,
Sears Catolog, 1927;
Women's dresses,
Sears Catolog, 1934;
Co-eds in civilian
dress, 1946;
"Happy Heroine
Housewife," Hoover
vacuum cleaner ad,
1956;
Merry widows,
Warner's ad, 1956;
Mini skirt, Nalii ad,
1972;
the "Natural Look,"
Right Guard ad,
1972.

Tradirional modesry eschewed, flesh was
exposed as necklines plunged and hems
rose. For rhe firsr rime in rhe hisrory of
rhe Unired Srares women were openly
viewed as sex symbols and for rhe firsr
rime in rhe hisrory of wesrern civilizarion
women's knees were publicly exposed.
The new slender line fearured neirher
breasrs nor hips. The waisr was nor
emphasized, resulring in a you rhful, nonmarernal, sylph-like silhouerre.
'\' hile many of rhe older generarion
deplored rhe values of rhe vounger generarion, rhey, roo, were subjecred ro rhe
new ideal images. In spire of rhemselves,
rhc~' began ro srrive for yourhfulness and
rhe appropriare silhouerre. An ad for
Sun maid raisins asked, "Whar will rhe
\'ears bring you, rhe beaurv of maruriry,
or rhc unloveliness of old age?"
A ncw kind of corser was supplied ro
facilirarc rhe pursuir of a yourhful figurc.
Through local srores as well as caralogs
one could procure a conrraprioll guaran-

1990 FAll

TD&T

The 1930s:
Bacl( to Traditions
By rhe 1930s rhe yourh look had collapsed. The Depression ser in and a more
adulr rradirional image was preferred.
Social values became far more conservarive and home-cenrered. \'(fomen working
ourside rhe home were frowned upon.
.\ losr of socie~' felr srronglv rhar women
should nor be raking up jobs when men
were our of work.
The ideal became rhe genrle \'oung
marron who worked in rhe home and
emorionallv supporred her husband and
children. Clorhes became longer and
more modesr; rhe curves of rhe bodv
showed once again-a rradirional look
for American women. New figure-molding undergarments reviving rhe previousIv f]arrened chesr were inrroduced. A
Sears Roebuck catalog of rhe period
announced, "The new mode calls for a

arely ro assure rhemselves an acceprable
posirion in life. Palmolive soap ads, for
insrance, fearured caprions such as, "You
againsr rhe resr of womanhood ... ),our
beaury, your charm, your skin" and "How
are you doing in your daily beaury conresr'"
American women's rradirional
domesriciry and dependence on males
were borh ignificanrly undermined by
rhe hisrorical evenrs of rhe 1940s.

The 1940s:
Doing a Mans Job
America's four-year participarion in
World War II had a major influence on
borh rhe ideal image of women and rhe
clorhing rhar rhey wore. \Vhereas in rhe
'30s, women who worked were inflicred
wirh guilr, in rhe '40s, rhose who did nor
go our and rake up men's jobs or ar least
do volunreer work were considered unparrioric. \Vomen served in rhe milirary and

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990