by The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History 1900 to the Present (pdf)
were worn under vests or waistcoats), and either wide, ending in a point,
or straight and narrow with a straight hem. Bow ties and ascots were
both alternatives to neckties, especially for formalwear. Neckties, bow ties,
and ascots were all available in a wide range of colors, including blue, lav-
ender, red, purple, and green, and in a range of floral and geometric
prints. Horizontal and diagonal stripes and polka dots were also popular
patterns. Neckwear also provided the perfect canvas for patterns: Egyptian
patterns inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, ethnic motifs
drawn from costumes in the Ballet Russe, and curve-linear art deco
patterns.
Jewelry
Men wore limited jewelry during the 1920s. Wrist watches, tiepins, and
cuff links were worn as a normal component of daily wear, whereas
matching sets of tiepins, shirt studs, and cuff links were worn for formal
occasions. Some men also wore rings.
Other Accessories
Some men carried canes or walking sticks when dressed for business or
formal activities. Handkerchiefs, pocket squares, and scarves were also
accompaniments to business and formal attire. The new sport of motoring
also required driving gloves and goggles to be donned to protect the wearer
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MEN’S FASHIONS
from dust and inclement weather. The popularity of smoking for both men
and women meant that men always carried cigarette cases and lighters.
1930S,
T H E G R E AT D E P R E S S I O N
FORMALWEAR
Silhouette
The increased informality in society, brought on by the stock market crash
of 1929 and the Great Depression, resulted in fewer formal or even semi-
formal events in America. For events and special occasions, men now of-
ten wore their best suit or rented a tuxedo rather than purchasing it.
Men’s fashions, always slow to change, showed small differences in overall
silhouette and form from before the stock market crash until after WWII.
For those who could afford new formalwear, the overall silhouette in
men’s jackets continued to broaden across the shoulders, pants remained
full through the hips and legs, and the waist was narrow.
Jackets and Vests
Double-breasted tuxedo jackets with either notched or rolled (shawl)
lapels faced in silk were preferred to single-breasted tuxedo jackets.
Lapels, whether notched or shawl, were wide and longer than in the
1920s. Double-breasted jackets featured six buttons, four of which were
functional, whereas single-breasted jackets featured only one or two but-
tons compared with three in the previous decade. Single-breasted dinner
jackets, especially white dinner jackets for summer, with shawl lapels and
a single button, were equally as popular as tuxedos for formal events. Tail-
coats made resurgence in popularity thanks to films by Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers that depicted glamorous couples sipping champagne and
waltzing untouched by the economic despair gripping the majority of the
country. Waistcoats or vests were worn for formal occasions but, perhaps
in an attempt to decrease overall costs, were transformed from full vests
to halter-style, backless vests. Additionally, men began to substitute cum-
merbunds, a wide, pleated waist sash, for vests.
Shirts
White shirts were the standard accompaniment to tuxedos and dinner
jackets. Shirts were slim fitting with soft collars (detachable collars were
no longer worn) and long fitted sleeves. The practice of pinning collar
points underneath the tie knot that had dominated the 1920s was
1930s, The Great Depression
273
discontinued. Standard spread collars and button-down collars were the
norm. Some men opted for wingtip collars for formal events in the last
years of the decade. Shirt studs were worn by some men for very formal
events.
Pants
Pants worn with tuxedo and dinner jackets were full cut through the legs
and hips, displayed a center front crease and braids on the outseam, and
ended in a cuff. The fly zipper replaced buttons. Waistlines were narrow
and accented with wide waistbands with tab front closures.
Decorative Details
Formalwear was typically black or midnight blue, except for dinner jack-
ets, which were typically white. Braids on the outseams of pants were the
extent of surface decoration.
BUSINESS WEAR
Silhouette
The three-piece suit was the standard wardrobe for businessmen in the
1930s. All three pieces, jacket, trousers, and vest, were constructed from
the same fabric. Over the course of the decade, the preference for an ath-
letic build manifested itself in broader-shouldered suits with narrow waists
and hips creating a V silhouette. The archetype of this silhouette was
dubbed the English drape suit, so called because, when the jacket was
closed, the fabric from the shoulders crossed the chest with soft drapes
flowing downward to the button stance just about the natural waistline.
Balancing out the broad shoulders of the suit were full-cut, wide trouser
legs.
Jackets and Vests
Over the course of the decade, jackets continued to grower broader across
the shoulders and chest, emphasizing an athletic build. Jacket collars and
lapels lengthened and narrowed slightly compared with the previous deca-
des. Single-breasted styles with one- or two-button closures were more
common and aligned with the prevailing English drape suit silhouette.
Jackets also featured darts for shaping the narrow waist, welt pockets with
or without flaps, and half-belts. Vests were still worn as a standard com-
ponent of business suits. Vests were fitted, either single or double
breasted, and without lapels.
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MEN’S FASHIONS
Shirts
Button-down cotton shirts in white, cream, or colored pinstripes were
worn under business suits. Shirts featured spread collars with pointed tips
to accommodate large Windsor knots in neckties.
Pants
Trousers had wide legs with cuffs and pressed center front creases. Zippers
replaced buttons on the pant fly. Waistbands sat above the natural waist-
line with tab closures.
Decorative Details
Worsted wools and gabardines in solid navy, brown, and gray as well as
checks, plaids, and stripes were used for business suits. Decorative details
were limited to welt pockets, shoulder yokes, and half-belts on jackets
and cuffs on pants.
CASUAL WEAR
Silhouette
The popularity of sports, such as tennis, skiing, football, and swimming,
meant that the ideal silhouette for menswear in the 1930s was athletic,
featuring broad shoulders and chest with a narrow waist and hips. The
increased informality in society, combined with a decrease in disposable
income, also meant that casual wear now bore less resemblance to business
attire and more to athletic or sporting attire.
Jackets
Jackets were no longer a necessity for casual wear and were often replaced
by ca
rdigans, sweaters, or sweater vests. The Norfolk jacket and the bush
jacket, both introduced by the Prince of Wales, were the two most com-
mon types of casual jackets. The Norfolk jacket was waist length, with a
belted waistband, front and back shoulder yokes, large patch pockets with
flap closures, and extensive topstitching. The bush jacket, popularized by
the Prince’s trip to Africa in the 1930s, was similar to the Norfolk jacket
but featured short sleeves and was made from cotton rather than wool.
Other hip-length single-breasted jackets were also worn, featuring half-
belts, waist belts, shoulder yokes, or inverted pleats. Vests in matching or
contrasting fabric were still occasionally worn with jackets.
Shirts
Knit polo shirts popularized by tennis-star-turned-fashion-designer Rene
Lacoste were very popular for casual wear. Henleys and T-shirts were also
1930s, The Great Depression
275
worn for casual sporting activities. Soft-collar button-down shirts were
worn in both long- and short-sleeved styles. Cowboy or western shirts
were new alternatives to more traditional button-down shirts and featured
shoulder yokes and scalloped pocket flaps. Turtleneck, crew neck, and
V-neck sweaters and sweater vests were popular, as were cardigans. Cardi-
gan sweaters featured either wide shawl collars or were collarless.
Pants
Trousers for casual wear featured the same wide leg as business and dress
trousers. Trousers typically featured pleat fronts, center-front leg creases,
and cuffs, with a wide waistband that sat above the natural waistline to
emphasize the narrow waist.
Zippers replaced buttons on the pant fly. Knickers were replaced by
walking shorts similar to those worn by the British military, paired with
knee-high socks.
Decorative Details
Large-scale geometric patterns, checks, stripes, and plaids were popular
for pants, shirts, jackets, and sweaters. Unlike business suits, jackets, vests,
and pants for casual wear were rarely all made from the same fabric. Knit
polo shirts and western shirts came in bright colors. Polo shirts, T-shirts,
and Henleys featured contrast rib knit trim on the neck and sleeve cuff.
Cardigan sweaters more commonly featured center front zipper closures
than button closures, and often incorporated zip closure pockets. Sweaters
featured wide multicolored horizontal stripes across the chest.
OUTERWEAR
Coats
Polo coats, popularized by the British polo team in the 1920s, continued
to be fashionable throughout the 1930s. The tan camel’s hair polo coats
were slightly broader across the chest and shoulders than in the previous
decade but were still double breasted, with either a belt or half-belt.
Chesterfields and Ulsters in solid wool melton, plaid, tweed, or herring-
bone were popular and now featured zip-in wool linings. Double-breasted
styles were more popular in the first half of the decade, whereas single-
breasted styles were more common in the closing years of the 1930s. Navy
blue English guard’s coats with wide collars and lapels, inverted center
back pleat, and half-belt, and water-repellent trench coats with zip-in lin-
ers were new additions to men’s outerwear. Dark greens, browns, grays,
and navys were the dominant color palette for men’s outerwear.
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MEN’S FASHIONS
Other Garments
The increase in informality and sporting activities also increased the
demand for short jackets. Leather and wool waist-length jackets with zip-
per fronts were popular for casual events. Both leather and wool jackets
featured shoulder yokes, welt pockets, either fitted waistbands or adjusta-
ble tabs, and either snaps or buttons on the sleeves. Some jackets had
knitted waistbands and cuffs. Parkas with hoods and lumberjack or mack-
inaw jackets were also worn.
SWIMWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR
Swimwear
Swimming continued to increase in popularity throughout the 1930s
because of the continued emphasis on health and the preference for males
to have an athletic build. Swimsuits were still predominantly knitted from
wool jersey but also incorporated elastic for a more supportive fit. Swim
trunks, worn either alone or with a tank-style top or braces, were fitted
high on the waist and around the leg openings, resembling the new Jockey
briefs. Swim trunks featured belts, fly zippers, coin pockets, and internal
athletic supporters. Topstitching and side racing stripes provided decorative
elements on the trunks. Navy, blue, and black were popular color choices.
Golf
Although ski, swim, and tennis apparel became more specialized, golfers
continued to wear everyday apparel on the golf course. Button-down shirts,
ties, sweaters, sweater vests, and Norfolk jackets were paired with wide-leg
trousers or shorts. Soft crown caps with visors completed the ensemble.
Skiwear
The increased popularity of skiing was spurred on by the 1932 Olympic
Games held in Lake Placid, New York, and the opening of ski resorts,
such as Sun Valley in Idaho, that attracted movie stars and socialites. The
increased interest in skiing brought a new demand for specialty apparel
for the sport. Wool sweaters were still a key component, but new wind-
resistant and water-repellant jackets were available to provide warmth and
protection. Jackets were either hip length or waist length, with wide col-
lars and lapels, and either double breasted with buttons or with center
front zippers. Belts or adjustable tabs were added to help fit the coat
snuggly around the waist for additional warmth. Knickers, popular in the
1920s for skiing, were replaced by long pants gathered into knit ankle
cuffs providing fuller coverage of the leg.
1930s, The Great Depression
277
Tennis star Rene Lacoste (right) in a polo shirt. [AP / Wide World Photos]
Other Activewear
The tennis star Rene ‘‘Le Crocodile’’ Lacoste joined forces with a French
knitwear company in the 1930s to produce a line of tennis apparel and
sportswear featuring his namesake, the crocodile, as the line’s logo. The
lightweight, knit shirts with short sleeves and ribbed collars and cuffs fea-
tured longer shirt tails that stayed tucked in during athletic activity. These
functional shirts were paired with flannel pants and shorts on the tennis
court. White was still the only acceptable color for tennis wear.
UNDERWEAR AND INTIMATE APPAREL
Underwear
Men’s underwear was revolutionized in the 1930s with the introduction
of briefs by Jockey in 1934. The new brief was knitted from cotton, pro-
ducing a tight fit and support for athletic activity. To promote their new
product, Jockey hired athletes Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Harold ‘ Red’
Grange to promote the athletic benefits of briefs over boxers. The desire
for slim waist and athletic build also led some manufacturers to add
‘ tummy control’ panels to their briefs (Blum 1986, 111). Men’s under-
wear was further revolutionized (or scandalized) when movie star Clark
; Gable removed his shirt in the film It Happened One Night (1934) to reveal
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MEN’S FASHIONS
he was not wearing an undershirt. Undershirt sales dropped as men
believed this film was an indicator they no longer needed to wear under-
shirts (Tortora and Eubank 2005, 396). Those that did wear undershirts
opted for the more athletic tank-style shirt in ribbed knit cotton.
Sleepwear
Two-piece pajama ensembles continued to be preferred to nightshirts.
Pajama tops resembled button-down men’s shirts but with a more relaxed
fit and featured either small stand collars or convertible spread collars.
Robes and smoking jackets continued to show Asian influence with orien-
tal patterns and kimono sleeves.
HEADWEAR, HAIRSTYLES, AND COSMETICS
Headwear
Black or brown bowlers, fedoras, derbies, and homburgs were worn for
business wear and formalwear. During the summer, these hats were
replaced by straw boaters and Panama hats. Soft crown tams or golf caps
with visors in tweeds and plaids were worn for sporting activities.
Hairstyles
The hairstyle popularized by cinema stars Rudolph Valentino and Douglas
Fairbanks Jr. in the 1920s continued to serve as the standard men’s hair-
style throughout the 1930s. Hair was worn short, parted on the side or
the middle, or combed straight back. Pomade, hair creams, and hair tonic
were applied to keep hair slicked back into place. Some men used
pomades to create slight waves in their hair, similar to the marcel waves
seen in women’s hair. The majority of men were clean shaven, with either
no or very small sideburns, but some men did sport small pencil-thin
mustaches in the early part of the decade.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics for men in the 1930s were limited to hair tonics and pomades
used to create sculpted hairstyles.
FOOTWEAR AND LEGWEAR
Footwear
Oxford shoes in brown and black were standard issue for business, casual,
and formal dress. Perforations and topstitching decorated the toe, vamp,
and heel. Two-tone white and black or white and brown ‘ sporty’ oxfords
1930s, The Great Depression
279
were popular with trendy collegiates. Toes were wide and rounded in the
early part of the 1930s, tapering to an elongated point by the middle of
the decade. Moccasins or weejuns were new options for casual footwear,
