Here's a magazine snapshot of the U.S. in 1941, just months before we entered the war.
This comes from the New York Public Library (click image for original post), and features a double-page spread from the inaugural issue of Design for Living: The Magazine for Young Moderns in September 1941.Dickeys lent a peter-pan-ish look, hats and knee socks were out and bare legs cut the stockings bill in half. But what else? Here "Miss Average College Girl" 'fesses up to the minimum and maximum size of her wardrobe.
Sweaters: 3-12
"The SWEATER is still old faithful, and a college girl spends 75% of her waking hours in the sweater-skirt ensemble. Cardigan or slip-over, long or short sleeves ... but it must be plain! No fancy scrollwork, no flower garden applique and no puff sleeve!"
Interesting, no? When I think 40s, I think puff sleeve.
Skirts: 3-11
"SKIRTS are number two on the hit parade ... anything than can be crushed wrinkled, danced in, spilled on, walked in, hung on a hook, and still look neat and bandbox fresh."
Woo-hoo! My kind of girl.
Shoes: 3-16
"Campus feet are the same as ever in saddle SHOES ... and moccasins are owned by 40%. A pair of saddles, pumps and a Cinderella slipper for evening makes the shoe shelf complete."
Boyfriends (not boyfriend sweaters, mind you, we're talking strapping young men): 1-7
"Though he's not exactly an article of clothing ... the BOYFRIEND ... he's certainly what every girl would like to wear on her left arm this season. Boyfriends are scarce at girls' schools unless there's an Amherst or Harvard next door ... but girls at the co-ed schools are always squeezing coke dates inbetween matinee and juke joint."
Ha!
Finally, in closing:
"So now the facts and figures have verified something we suspected all along ... the college girl, her sweater and her skirt are forever "three comrades"!"
The NYPL post also notes:
The average young woman spent $240.33 a year on clothes in September 1941 ... There is no differentiation between handmade clothing and purchased items in this survey, but I suspect that some of these women's wardrobes included items that they made themselves (and there are articles elsewhere in Design for Living about sewing for oneself).For those of you who are curious, using the Measuring Worth calculator, $240.33 is supposedly worth $3,500 today.
How does this poll strike you? Is Miss Average College Girl so different today?
Want more ration-action? Check out Heart Handmade's challenge.
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Love the boyfriend as wardrobe item! Don't think I ever managed the full complement of 7, though... /sigh.
ReplyDeleteThose must have been some wealthy college girls... $230 sounds not too far off my annual clothes budget now, never mind undergrad. And I don't think I ever had eleven pairs of jeans on the go at one time, ever....
Can you imagine fitting all those clothes in a tiny dorm room?
LOVE this post! I love sweater/skirt combos as well!
ReplyDeleteI love this. 1-7 Boyfriends.... Ha!
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting, but as Taran says, it must be some wealthy college girls, I could never imagine spending that amount on clothes when I was in college (and still don´t).
ReplyDeleteLove the boyfriend comment! :-)
I wish college girls were like this now! Instead of sweaters, skirts and saddle shoes, they have hoodies, sweatpants and ugg boots. (And I have too look at them all day everyday!) People look at me weird for just wearing a nice blouse and some dark jeans. I get asked why I'm dressed up all the time. I'm going to class and you must be sleep walking, because those look like your pjs.
ReplyDeleteYeah.... definitely a pet peeve of mine.
Holy COW! I'm in college and I wish I had $3500 to spend on clothes! I probably spend close to $400 a year on clothes (including handmade garments)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Stephanie above me, I HATE how other college girls dress, on my campus its more like running shorts, a sorority t-shirt, and flip flops. If I wear anything nicer than that I get asked if I have a job interview that day, which is also sad because apparently they think its ok to wear jeans and a button down to a job interview.
I agree that these must've been some wealthy girls. I imagine that the number of young men who went to college is less than it is today (difference in societal expectation? financial access?), and the number of women less than that (since a "co-ed" school was particularly noted here). Though that's complete conjecture.
ReplyDeleteI recall reading that today women outrank men in college.
But the list of colleges noted in the article certainly has some wealth among them, even today: Cornell, Temple, Bryn Mawr, Texas, Smith, Vermont, Swarthmore, Tennessee, Michigan State, Beaver, Monticello, Sweet Briar, Kansas State, Oregon State, Colorado, and Iowa State. Texas beauties spent in the $700 range, in 1941 dollars!
And yes, my undergrad students loved those Uggs! (I will never understand.) I bet if I lean toward a sweater-skirt ensemble daily, dressing like a gal 10 years my junior 60 years ago, I'd still be pretty smart-looking today! It'd also be an easy way to focus my sewing and shopping. :)
Wow, that's quite a bit of pocket money to spend on clothes! Although in the 40s, the people who could afford to go to college instead of get a job and make money could probably afford to spend the amount...
ReplyDeleteI admit I may have a similar number of sweaters and skirts in my closet, but I've been stockpiling for years. ;)