Woman and Pants in the 40s

 

In the early 40s, trousers and overalls for women

 

You've probably heard this story: "Women did not wear pants until the war came and forced them to take up jobs in factories. It was a case of necessity. There was nothing very revolutionary. "

 

If we are woman we must be feminine, we do not need to wear clothes that show our feminine creativity.  The changes is more historic and economic than revolutionary. Why women must leave their homes to work in the factories the pans would be more ease to wear to adjust to the "new duty".

The pants in the female wardrobe: change of mind
 

In the case of man, however, there is a big difference in use, because the pants are not able to delineate parts dishonest [intimate part], while the woman is precisely what happens: the piece fits perfectly in their shame. The pant is also bonded to the hips and thighs, which are considered sexually attractive parts.

More relevant would be to approach this issue that took as its starting point the change in mentalities and customs, so as to better understand how a Western woman - who spent almost 20 centuries without wearing pants - joined this piece, about the pants take the place central to your wardrobe today. In this short article we will not claim to meet the challenge to develop a study on the introduction of the pants in the female wardrobe, but only point out some relevant aspects of the topic in the 40s. With this, we, however, focus on what matters to Christian modesty.

The woman and the pants in the 40s

 
One of the questions that women often do when faced with the issue of women's pants X modesty is "when did the pants started to be really made ​​for women." They are moved toward this question due to a terrible myth that has been spreading, whose authorship can not be determined, but it is basically the following: if some priests or worthy people spoke badly of the pants in the 40, 50, 60, is because "at that time there was still no pants women [sic], which is why the woman was really masculinized, generating criticism of the priests."

 

The models women's pants: an inverted modern fashion, from the first decade of the twentieth century 

 In fact, it is said that the first model of "women's trousers" was released in 1909 by Paul Poiret, known as "harem pants". [4] Before that, though - by 1890 - already has knowledge in the field of women who wore pants to ride bikes. Anyway, let's talk about the efforts of fashion since the early twentieth century - and therefore, according to their own interests - seeking to launch a "female pants." With the First World War, some women beginning were to occupy the posts of factories - something that has intensified in the War - but contrary to what one might think, models of trousers for women were launched at this time, mostly pants ride, to serve a life freer women: the woman now had "a higher dose of independence, freedom to walk around the streets alone and participate in sports. In 20 years, nobody has translated this sentiment better than the fashion designer Coco Chanel.

 

 
  More than an alleged case of need due to the work, the pants in the female wardrobe began to settle thanks to a new spirit of thinking the woman; thanks to a new conception of what a woman could do with the time that had available - festivals, tours, clubs, sports clothes ... then sought to stimulate this new lifestyle very different than we ever conceived for the woman, whose central occupation was being a mother, wife and stay-at-home. In the 20s, the Chanel pants to ride, inspired by the sailors, was adhered to by many women influenced by famous actresses. The book "Fashion of the decade: the 1930's", provides (Fashion of a decade: the 1930′s de Maria Constantino).

"Pants had been worn by the more avant-garde fashion-conscious woman in the late 1920s, but by the thirties. They were more acceptable and more Widely adopted." [Trousers were worn by women more "tuned in and aware of fashion" in the 20s, but in the 30s they were more acceptable and more greatly used.]

 In a sense, it is customary to also say that the pants in the female wardrobe was established thanks to the "feminist pressure", but we must keep in mind that this is not the feminist movement that we tend to think, with women out on the streets, plates in hand, completely pamphleteering.
  

 

Women and the use of trousers in the 40s


  It is through this whole panorama we seek to answer the initial question [when women's trousers began to emerge?], Only because we want to spread this truth: in a sense, such "women's trousers" (if we understand by this piece made ​​especially for women) have been here since women started wearing them. There were not accurate until some decades dressmaker had the idea to launch a pair of the form of the female body. It would be fair to say that the pants masculinizes not because some women in the 40 actually used the pieces of their husbands, but because the pants, a woman can not be divorced from the fact that a piece was culturally established for man. More than that: it removes the format scene ever - despite variations in size, shape, volume - was linked to the woman who would be the skirt or dress.
  

The pants for women is masculinizing by its own design

It is quite common to find, among the texts of bishops, priests and pious people of the twentieth century [especially until the mid-70], the reference to trousers for women as a "men's clothing". Cardinal Siri, in the '60s, wrote a paper on the subject, condemning women who use such "men's clothes", explaining that these are men's trousers.

This criticism does not mean that women, and even more in the 60 [almost 20 years after the end of the war], literally wore the pants in the men's section. "Trousers men's suit man" are ways of referring to the use of the pants - regardless of how it was - by the woman. In the 40s, in fact women have made use of masculine uniform in factories - but as we have seen, this was not the only reality. The fashion that came from the 20s pants throwing "stripped" for women to use in day-to-day, offered a multitude of models pants "feminine" in the 40s, for various occasions. Had pants night, party, club, playing tennis, working ...

 

Above, typical dresses of the 40s. Below pants the same period. Compare and understand how the pants outlines woman's body, even being a model relatively "loose".

Notice also how the pants, to be consistent, must dispense all props that complement a woman in her femininity: hair accessories, gloves, huts, etc..
  

The book "Fashion by Decade: The 1940's" [8] brings that [by 1941], "the pants had become an acceptable piece for the woman." Was acceptable from the point of view of society in general, which does not mean that there was no criticism and resistance. Many were women who refused to wear pants, and campaigning to prevent its use ... but from the point of view of the mentality of the time, was already established. However, the priests continued to condemn the use of shoes for women ... just remember to St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who died in 1968: he denied communion to women's trousers, and systematically expelled from his confessional. What would he say of our current use of trousers, which has become very poor and is increasingly immoral?

The separation between the so called "male and female models" pants were always a fine line. 

 

 People often use the argument that the trousers male models are strictly distinct from female models. Today, when we see so many men and women wear skinny, saruel, cargo, etc.., We must recognize that it is the same pants - but as it is not the same body, there are some significant changes with regard to the adjustment to the way. Below, the call pantalona, quite popular in the 40s:

  

 

 

And below, the same model of trousers, in the 40 to men.

 

As you can see, just lean in fact how things were done, to take down some of the myths surrounding this custom to the woman: that is the importance of knowing the origin of things ... 

P. S.: Real Life
During my research, I found a flickr where a girl has released a photo of her mother's trousers in 1947, with the following note:
"In the '50s, my mother did not like to pick me at school, she usually waited me to a block away. Why? Because she insisted on wearing pants, and the good nuns of St. Francis Xavier discouraged to wait at the school gate. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please be mindful of what is a "odalisca" and the burden of sensuality that involves the imaginary one. Here the model of the pants:

 

 

http://elle.abril.com.br/moda/pecas-basicas/historia-das-calcas-432613.shtml?page=page2

 

Source:

 

 

 

Fashion By Decade: The 1940′s. Patricia Baker