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Category: 1940s

1940s Fashion, 1940s Photo, 1940s History 


Oct
2015

The Stylish “Regular” Folks of Days Gone By

categories: 1940s, 1950's, Vintage Fashion, vintage images

I recently did a blog post on the “The Stylish Toronto of the 1940s” and it was pretty well received, so I decided to expand my search to any location in the world for today’s post. BUT honestly what really motivated me to do a “new version” of that past post was the below image that a friend in Toronto shared of her mother when she was younger (around 1953), taking a canoe ride in England.

What stood out in my friend Ann’s mind and everyone else’s who saw this picture was the fact that her mother was not bundled up in “canoe wear” but instead chose to wear a pretty dress AND pearls around her neck. THAT is Style, don’t you agree?!

So with that, lets check out some more “regular folks” and their own fantastic fashion sense.

vintage photo of a woman in a canoe with pearls 1950s
Photo Courtesy of Ann Mayer

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Vintage Photos of Stylish People

1940s & 1950s

At the Hair Salon

1940s Vintage Photo. Possibly these lovely women just finished getting their hair done or maybe they are the stylist themselves but it is clear no matter whether they are customer or professional they know how to look good. Their hair is perfect and I adore their simple but stylish style (especially the lady to the far right).

1940s Vintage Photo of Women in 1940s fashions sitting in a hair salon.
Source: eBay-growinggarlic101

Bows and Ruffles

When I saw the below 1940’s image while browsing the amazing collection they have at one of favorite vintage shops in Toronto-Gadabout, I quickly knew this pretty woman named “Eva” had to one day be shown to the world. How can you pass by such lovely fashion?

Her peplum blouse with its wonderful bows and ruffles is paired so nicely with a textured skirt. Excellent combo!

1940s Vintage Photo of a young women in a 1940s dress posing for a photo outside.
Vintage Inn Image Collection

Stylish Coats and Perfect Hair

This 1940s image speaks for itself. Simply Beautiful style.

1940s vintage photo of a women with 1940s hairstyle and a 1940s coat posing for a photo.
Vintage Inn Image Collection

Hanging in the front yard

I dream of owning a playsuit like you see below and to see it on this lovely photo of this pretty girl in the 1940s make me want one so much more. These playsuits are seriously the cutest and the fact that you can go from dress to shorts in one easy step makes this a must to add to my list of “stylish folks”.

1940s vintage photo of a young woman in a two piece 1940s playsuit posing for a photo on the side of her house.
Source: eBay-Darrins Car Photos

Sisters with Style

I know the rockabilly/vintage community ladies love their “Spanish” style blouses and their circle skirts. Well ladies and gents here are 3 ladies who are pulling off this look in real vintage time. Are you able to make out what looks like I’m assuming to be beautiful embroidery on the tops? And the patterns on 2 of the skirts are really great. Hair..perfect.

1940s vintage photo of 3 young women in spanish style outfits (peasant blouses) and bows in their curly hair and matching skirts.
Source: eBay-Darrins Car Photos

Pants and Blouses

Going along with the “Spanish” style blouses (gypsy tops they are also sometimes called) here is a 1940s image of a stunner of a woman from my own collection. I love the combo of a pretty blouse with pants (sorry for the not super clear image, the picture was very faded) and I’m pretty sure a really amazing belt from what I can see. Nice look!

1940s woman in pants and spanish style blouse posing for this early 1940s photo
Vintage Inn Image Collection

At the Swimming Pool

1950’s Photo: Here is Ruth, Anita and Ellen in California in July of 1954 enjoying at day the Giant Swimming Pool (according to the sign in the back). What caught my eye was the lovely suit on the right on who I think I might be Ellen (she looks like an Ellen). I would give anything to see the full details because the little peak of what we do so is so pretty. That is why this picture is on the list.

1950s vintage photo of three women in 1950s swimsuits / bathing suits posing for a photo together in 1954.
Vintage Inn Image Collection

Stripes and Mustaches

What a dreamy Best Dressed Couple! I love everything about their outfits and this 1940’s picture. His suit with that great tie and his nicely trimmed mustache is perfect. And his lovely wife in her ‘Katharine Hepburn’ like dress is oh so lovely.  Very nice indeed.

FURTHER READING: Movember-A Collection of Vintage Moustache Images!

1940s vintage image of a couple posing together on a sidewalk in stylish 1940s fashioins.
Source: Etsy-ljpsales

Saddle shoes and dances

We cannot possibly leave out the fashionable 1950s kids of times gone by. Look at these two doing a little dance together?  Her dress and saddle shoes and his teeny tiny cardigan… Ahhhh!! High Fives to being adorable.

FURTHER READING: Vintage Photo Tuesday: Saddle Shoes

1950s vintage photo of children dancing in saddle shoes in front of a 1950s TV in March 1958
Source: Etsy-EphemeraObscura

Beautiful Suit and Peplums

If you follow me on Instagram then you would have seen this late 1940’s, early 1950’s picture already, this is MY family on my mom’s side.

My Grandfather is the very stylish, handsome man in the middle of his equally as fantastically dressed sisters (my great Aunts). I do believe this is his wedding day if I’m not mistaken. I absolutely ADORE my Great Aunts dress with the asymmetrical peplum design…drool.

Late 1940s vintage photo of the Vintage Inn Blog's grandfather and his sisters in stylish late 1940s clothes.
Vintage Inn Image Collection

The Dior Look

And one last family picture, my 1950’s Grandmother (once again my mom’s mom). Her “Dior Look” is spot on and I now know where I got my good fashion sense from 🙂

FURTHER READING: The Fashions of Christian Dior 1947-1957

1950s vintage photo of the Vintage Inn Blog's Grandmother, Elizabeth in a Dior New Look style dress posing for a photo in London, Ontario, Canada.
Vintage Inn Image Collection

And that is the roundup for today’s post, but I had so much fun working on it that I don’t think it will be the last post I ever do on this topic. Stay tuned for more.

Question Time:

Do you enjoy looking at “real life photos” of everyday folks for style inspiration? Or do you prefer to take tips from the stars (or maybe both!)

FURTHER READING:

Liz 🙂


Jul
2015

The Stylish Toronto of the 1940s

categories: 1940s, Toronto, vintage images
1940s Vintage photo of 4 women in 1940s fashions Celebrating VE Day on Bay Street in Toronto
Source: Wikimedia

While looking thru Flickr the other day for some inspiration I stumbled upon this absolutely wonderful photo of 8 of the most stylish men and women 1940s Toronto has ever seen! Aren’t they just fantastic?? My favorite is…all of them 🙂

1940s vintage photo of a group of men and women in 1940s fashions posing in front of the house in Toronto, Canada.
Source: Flickr-Mary-Doug Wright

The post inspired me to gather up other images of stylish folks in Toronto during the same time period and put them together into one giant fashionable post.

Now lets see who was in “Vogue” shall we? 1940s Toronto storefront window display for Vogue designs (Stunning Women’s two piece suit).

1940s Toronto storefront window for Vogue designs. The window features a women's 1940s two piece suit.
Toronto Store Front Window 1940s. Source: Flickr-Jessica

The below image is of Betty Willis (vocals) and Frank Wright (vibraphone), two early stars of the Toronto jazz scene in the 1940s and ’50s.

I’m not 100% sure what is on her dress, but I do know I like it on her (great hair as well). Great examples of 1940s suits as well, such well dressed men.

1940s photo of Black Jazz musicians of Toronto -Betty Willis (vocals) and Frank Wright (vibraphone), two early stars of the Toronto jazz scene in the 1940s and '50s. Super 1940s Fashion
Source: National Post

Of course you must have a Beauty Pageant or 2 to showcase more great style (see a past post on Miss Toronto). In this case, great swimsuit style.

1940s vintage photo of Miss Toronto pageant winner of 1946
Miss Toronto 1946

Even if you had to do your part for the war effort, true style still shone thru (even if it was how you did your hair or the colours of your nails). Here is the “Miss War Worker Beauty Pageant of 1942”, showing just that.

Further Reading: Vintage Canadian Beauty Pageants

1940s vintage photo of the 1942 Miss War Worker Pageant held in Toronto during WW2.

We cannot leave out Toronto’s very own Rosie the Riveter-“Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl”. You can read all about Veronica HERE. This is her “after work is done look”.

1940s vintage photo of the Canadian Rosie the Riveter-Veronica Foster the Bren Gun Girl in a 1940s hat and 1940s coat. Super 1940s fashion.
Source: Library and Archives Canada

Remember Miss Toronto 1946 in the swimsuit above? Well here she is again, modelling our Transit system very stylish uniforms for women in 1946. Pretty smart, right?

1940s Vintage Photo of the Miss Toronto winner of 1946 in a TTC Uniform
Source: Blog TO

More ladies in the uniforms of the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission).

1940s vintage photo of TorontoTTC women workers in their uniforms.
Source: Blog TO

Off to school? With storefront windows like this one in Toronto in 1942 you were guaranteed to not miss the hottest looks on campus. How do I make the look on the right mine?

1940s vintage photo of a window display for young women's 1940s fashions / college student looks in Toronto, Canada.
Source: archives.gov.on.ca

Have children and think you don’t have time to be stylish? Not a problem for the lovely lady Mrs. Jack Wright and her two sons Ralph Wright and David Wright in 1943 doing her shopping in Toronto in a stunner of a dress (source). Aren’t her kids just adorable??

1940s vintage photo of a Toronto street in 1943 featuring a woman in a 1940s dress walking down the street with her child in tow.
Source: Flickr: BiblioArchives

Think being stylish is only reserved for adults? Pish Posh, look at these 2 well dressed boys doing some reading of some very important books for their generation.

1940s vintage photo of Two young boys, seated with books, in the children's department of a Toronto public library, Toronto, Ontario
Source: Flickr-BiblioArchives

This last image is of a young couple with a lovely lady who was a member of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1944. Can we take a moment to admire the 2 doves on the one woman’s dress? Fantastic!

1940s vintage photo of A member of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps feeds a treat to a cat as a couple seated on nearby loveseat watch
Source: Flickr-BiblioArchives

And there it is, Stylish Toronto of the 1940s. Did you have a favorite photo from this collection? Or maybe you have your own photos of stylish folks from your town or even a favorite image. Do share!

Would you like to own a vintage 1940s fashion item (or a replica of one)? Then take a look at the items for sale in my 1940s Fashion Etsy collection page (updated regularly), found HERE.

Further Reading:

Liz 🙂

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.