1949 dinner fashion

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

I'm doing a story and I got two characters go out on a date.
It's 1949, one is a WWII captain and the other is his WAC secretary he's taking out to dinner. She's wearing this:

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I don't know enough about fashion to describe the type of outfit she's wearing, type of skirt, jacket, hat. Could anyone help me with the description?

The guy is wearing:

So I hope both are wearing the appropriate clothes to the occasion.

mirandashell · Mar 27, 2012

Which country is this in?

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

mirandashell said:
Which country is this in?

Oh, sorry. United States. They are working in the Pentagon, so it would be in Washington.

mirandashell · Mar 27, 2012

Ah! I was wondering cos in Britain that outfit would have cost a heck of a lot of coupons! LOL!

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

mirandashell said:
Ah! I was wondering cos in Britain that outfit would have cost a heck of a lot of coupons! LOL!

It's after the war and they saved all their pennies (all the good stuff was rationed and they didn't go out), so they could afford it.

mirandashell · Mar 27, 2012

Just out of interest, when did rationing finish in America?

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

mirandashell said:
Just out of interest, when did rationing finish in America?

1946, from what I found.

mirandashell · Mar 27, 2012

Ah! Thank you. It didn't finish here completely until about 1952, I think.

Sorry I can't help with the names of the clothes she's wearing. And I can't see the picture of the man.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 27, 2012

Okay, that's a dress with a peplum top. The peplum is the long bit over the hips, and it looks like it was pieced on, which is not too surprising. The fashion in tops was longer in 1949, and there was still frugality in clothes. It looks like she had a crepe top, and lengthened its peplum with satin (probably rayon) and gave it a matching bow decoration. It's not a jacket because it doesn't fasten in front. It probably zips or buttons at the back.

Her skirt is a plain straight skirt, possibly with a kick-pleat in the back. It has the longer postwar length (wartime was just above the knee).

Her hat is straw, so it's spring or summer -- trees suggest spring. It's a cute turban style with a bit of a veil.

I can't tell if the handbag is leather. They tended to match the gloves. And shoes, if possible, but hers don't show in the photo.

This is a little behind the curve for 1949, but it was quite the thing for 1946-7. Given that few women would have been cutting-edge in their clothes, its date is just fine.

I can't see the photo of the man either.

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

mirandashell said:
Ah! Thank you. It didn't finish here completely until about 1952, I think.

Sorry I can't help with the names of the clothes she's wearing. And I can't see the picture of the man.

Oh, thanks. Corrected it.

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

Alessandra Kelley said:
Okay, that's a dress with a peplum top. The peplum is the long bit over the hips, and it looks like it was pieced on, which is not too surprising. The fashion in tops was longer in 1949, and there was still frugality in clothes. It looks like she had a crepe top, and lengthened its peplum with satin (probably rayon) and gave it a matching bow decoration.

Her hat is straw, so it's spring or summer -- trees suggest spring. It's a cute turban style with a bit of a veil.

I can't tell if the handbag is leather. They tended to match the gloves.

This is a little behind the curve for 1949, but it was quite the thing for 1946-7. Given that few women would have been cutting-edge in their clothes, its date is just fine.

Thanks a lot. Yeah, I figured she wouldn't be at the height of fashion and probably would recycle a dress from before. Glad to find out it is a step in the right direction.

The suit of the guy is the one on the right.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 27, 2012

The fella on the right is wearing a grey double-breasted suit with a flower in his lapel buttonhole (there only ever is one, and it's always on the left). It looks like his shirt is blue. He's got a broadly-striped tie held down with a tie clip, well-shined brown leather oxford shoes and a brown snap brim fedora.

Is that what you needed?

MaryMumsy · Mar 27, 2012

If they are both still in service, and she is his secretary, it would be inappropriate for him to take her to dinner. Even if they are both civilians working at the Pentagon, it would still be inappropriate if she is still his secretary. Fraternization rules were taken very seriously in the military in those days.

If they met when she was his secretary, and now work in different areas of the Pentagon, you could be OK.

MM

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 27, 2012

MaryMumsy said:
If they are both still in service, and she is his secretary, it would be inappropriate for him to take her to dinner. Even if they are both civilians working at the Pentagon, it would still be inappropriate if she is still his secretary. Fraternization rules were taken very seriously in the military in those days.

If they met when she was his secretary, and now work in different areas of the Pentagon, you could be OK.

MM

Were they? I've been reading a history of the White House during WWII, and there is a remarkable amount of fraternization, secretaries coming to dinner, etc.

Or does the Presidency have different rules?

MaryMumsy · Mar 27, 2012

The President does (did back then) pretty much whatever he wants. And those dinners were probably mostly group things. I interpreted this situation as a 'date'.

MM

EmmersonGrant · Mar 27, 2012

Yes, it's a date. Hmm, I'll have to shift things around. For the moment I'll keep the descriptions and hush-up about the details, 'cause I don't want to seem like I'm skirting the 50 post count.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

1949 dinner fashion

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

mirandashell

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

mirandashell

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

mirandashell

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

mirandashell

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell

EmmersonGrant

Lawful Good