American Women's Wartime Dress: Sociocultural Ambiguity Regarding Women's Roles During World War II

Abstract

IntroductionUnited States history of the 1930s and 40s is framed by the Great Depression and World War II. With the Wall Street crash of 1929, many Americans were left poor and unemployed. The reality of a depressed economy affected everyone, from those families who lost to those who lost entire fortunes. With rising tensions in Europe and extensive drought impacting Midwestern farms, the social dynamics of the 1930s often center on the massive unemployment and economic decline experienced by millions of Americans.However, there are some scholars and historians who assert that the historical narrative tends to revolve around the lives of men (Dubois and Dumenil 537). The experiences and social history of men have shaped the public consciousness of the 1930s and 1940s culture. According to Dubois and Dumenil social instability felt during the Great Depression caused a cultural shift, with security and reassurance being sought in the domestic sphere (537). Women as caregivers became the American cultural archetype of femininity.Traditional Gender Roles and DressThe normative role of women in the American society in the 1930s was exemplified by the traditional gender constructions of men as producers and providers and women as wives and mothers (Gourley 12). Womanhood, as such, was equated with domestic life. The cultural perception was a woman's ultimate goal was to be married and to have children, to have her life revolve around domesticity (Gluck 4).Media pressure on women exacerbated the issue, and in one case literally defined women's role and stressing its maintenance (see Figure 1). Ladies Home Journal, a leading women's magazine at this time, coined a new term in 1930, homemaker - noun. Feminine: one who makes a home, who manages a household, cares for her children, and promotes happiness and well-being for her (Ladies Home Journal 142). Women, as homemakers, were portrayed as vital to the successful socio-economic status of the family unit, and subsequently to an improved American economy. According to contemporary media, it was through creative use of meager food stuffs and household supplies, as well as leaving public sector employment to men, that women could ensure an end to the Depression.Women's fashion during the early-to-mid thirties reflected the American culture and this ideology of femininity. The silhouette for women's fashion during this period was a slim, more body-conscious silhouette than in the previous decade. Dresses were often cut on the bias, creating a narrow although fluid shape, which highlighted women's bodies. Trendsetters in women's fashion included the romantic looks designed by Jeanne Lanvin, the neoclassical gowns by Madame Gres, and sensual eveningwear inspired by Hollywood film actresses, all which further expressed a traditional face of femininity.Despite the cultural expectation of women to primarily be homemakers, some women, usually of those of lower socio-economic status, continued to work outside the home out of financial necessity. These women held various jobs, from service to manufacturing. However, middle class and/or married women working outside the home were publically criticized in the media and perceived as taking away from unemployed men (Anderson 10). In fact, during the Great Depression, many employers would not hire married women, with some states making efforts to bar them from paid work completely (Weatherford xi). This sentiment resonated with contemporary society: a 1936 Gallup poll revealed that 82% of respondents felt that wives should not work if their husbands had jobs (Yellin 39). With the depressed economy, job scarcity forced many working women out of the public sphere and back into the home. Women who had to work outside the home were often able to secure in stereotypically feminine employment, such as domestic service, clerking, secretarial work, and teaching (Cardinale 22). Job placement only became problematic with work that was considered masculine. …