33 1940s Fashion Trivia Questions

Which type of women’s headwear became popular due to its practicality for wartime work and concealing unwashed hair?

What synthetic fabric initially replaced silk stockings before being largely diverted for wartime production?

Which government-mandated style of woman’s suit, characterized by wide, padded shoulders and a tailored, often nipped-in waist, defined wartime 1940s tailoring?

What item did many women use to replicate the look of silk stockings when they were rationed?

What type of shoe, featuring soles made from non-rationed materials like wood or cork, became popular with women during leather rationing?

Which clothing item did Rosie the Riveter famously wear?

What type of coat was commonly worn over dresses during the 1940s winter?

Which Hollywood actress popularized the fitted suit with padded shoulders?

What was a defining feature of men’s suits during the war years due to fabric restrictions?

Which print became especially associated with teenage girls during the 1940s?

The post-war ‘New Look’ in 1947 was introduced by which designer?

Which accessories were typically worn with women’s day dresses for a complete look in the 1940s?

What was the main influence on men’s civilian fashion during most of the 1940s in Europe?

Which outerwear became a staple for both men and women in rainy weather during the 1940s?

Which type of women’s dress gained popularity for its practicality and button-down front?

Floral corsages known as ‘victory bouquets’ were sometimes worn on what part of the body?

For eveningwear, what silhouette was favored in women’s gowns by the late 1940s?

Which pattern was commonly seen on men’s neckties after the war, reflecting a more playful mood?

What hairstyle was widely worn by women in the 1940s, characterized by rolled-up side sections?

What fabric innovation became common for swimwear during the decade?

What unique men’s style was associated with jazz culture and urban youth, sometimes criticized for extravagance?

Which practical accessory was commonly sported by working women for style and utility?

Besides natural fabrics, what synthetic material grew in popularity due to wartime shortages?

Which fashion designer reopened her couture house in Paris in 1954 after it was closed during the occupation?

What smaller, shaped handbag was especially common for women in the 1940s?

Which style of full-length trousers became a widely accepted option for women’s dancing and leisure wear in the mid-20th century?

What small, cylindrical item, typically found in a sewing kit, was sometimes repurposed as a hair roller to style curls at home?

What color palette dominated 1940s utility wear due to dye shortages?

Which jewelry material became popular as a substitute for precious metals during World War II?

What long, rectangular winter accessory was commonly hand-knitted in patriotic colors during the war effort to be sent to soldiers?

What characterized the new post-war ‘New Look’ skirt introduced by Dior?

What functional feature was required of civilian clothing by many governments during the war?

Which style of men’s hat remained a staple throughout the 1940s?