At home or in public, ’30s women most commonly wore dresses with wide shoulders; puffy sleeves; modest necklines; higher, belted waistlines; and mid-calf flared hemlines. Frilly bows, ruffles, buttons, and other details often decorated dresses.
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| ’30s couples pose with their cars |
Formal dresses most dramatically displayed the decade’s willowy, elegant silhouette. Evening gowns in fluid fabrics were cut on the bias to create flowing, figure-hugging lines that reached the floor. Popular fabrics included satin, rayon, and chiffon.
Hollywood screen stars Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich helped introduce women’s trousers for sports and leisure. These trousers were wide-legged and high-waisted, often styled like sailors’ pants. Women wore baggier, casual lounge pants on vacation and at the beach.
For men, suits of the 1930s typically had high waists and slightly tapered, creased trousers with turned-up cuffs. Younger men preferred baggier trousers and longer jackets. Suits were darker blue, brown, or gray for cooler weather, with lighter tones for warm weather. Bold patterns included stripes, checks, and plaids.
A vest, pocket handkerchief, shorter tie, hat (such as a fedora or bowler), and dark or two-toned leather dress shoes completed the look.
Here is a set of vintage photos from Vintage Cars & People that shows couples posing with their cars in the 1930s.
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| A middle-aged couple posing with a Steyr XX Cabriolet on a gravel road running along the bank of a lake on a bleak summer’s day, circa 1930 |
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| A stylish couple posing with a Röhr 8 9/50 PS Typ R in front of a monumental equestrian statue at Deutsches Eck, a landmark in the town of Koblenz at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Moselle, circa 1930 |
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| A cheerful lady in a floral dress and a dapper fellow in a suit posing with a Hanomag 4/20 PS Cabriolet-Limousine in the backyard of a private home. The car is registered in the Bavarian province of Middle Franconia, June 1932 |
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| A middle-class couple posing with a 1932 DeSoto Six on a sunny spring day in the countryside. The car is registered in the state of Michigan with 1932 license plates, May 1932 |
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| A stylish couple posing on the running board of an Opel 4/20 PS Cabriolet 2 convertible in the countryside. The car is registered in the Saxon district of Leipzig, circa 1933 |
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