How can you copy the 40s style?

Vintage fashion is becoming more and more popular. Clothes that hark back to a simpler and more glamorous era are a great reminder that things weren't always as throwaway and fluid as they are today. Where some people just go for a general vintage style – mix and matching eras and fashions – some people prefer a more unified look. If you'd like to copy the elegant style of the 40s, here are a few tips how to do so.

Dresses

The type of dress you choose will depend somewhat on whether you are going for a street look, or a more dressed up look. Street dresses in the 1940s were often made of wool, and had long sleeves and high necks and were calf or knee length. Afternoon and evening dresses were more suited to special occasions or functions and tended to be brighter than street dresses, with a lower neckline and generally had capped or puffed short sleeves.

All 40s dresses were simply and beautifully cut, so these fashions suit people of all body shapes, if you're not comfortable showing too much of your bare arms, why not pair plus size tops with shorter sleeved vintage dresses, so you won't have to miss out on wearing any of the wonderful fashions of the era.

Coats

Coats of the 1940s were often made of wool, as this is a good, durable outdoor material. In length, they tended to fall to around the knee or mid calf. They were often quite dull colours, such as browns and greens, and had a simple yet classic cut. Summer coats, however, would be somewhat lighter, and often had a blazer cut, akin to the jacket of a dress suit. These blazers were usually cut in a flattering style, coming in at the waist to accentuate the figure.

Shoes

Day shoes tended to be flat or low heeled and sensible for walking in. Pumps and Oxfords were popular choices, and colours of the era were dark blues, greens, wine red, browns and black. Ladies often tried to match their shoes to the colour of their coat, jacket or cardigan. For evening wear, higher heeled shoes were common, and were often made of suede or patent leather. It was common to match ones shoes to their dress.

Accessories

One of the main accessories of the 1940s was a good hat. For street wear, choose a wide brimmed hat made of a material that won't mark when dampened by rain or snow. For more formal occasions, smaller hats, such as pillbox hats, made out of more luxurious materials were common. Another essential accessory was a good pair of stockings. Evening stockings were sheer and skin toned, whereas stockings for street or day wear tended to be sturdier and more opaque. These would have been attached to a garter belt or sometimes to a slip under the clothing.

There are a lot of vintage and vintage style clothes around today, so if you know what the 1940s look entails, it's not hard to pull it off. Charity shops and vintage clothes shops are a good place to start, as well as scouring online sellers.