Back and forth to the forties

FASHION: DEIRDRE McQUILLANon a return to the pared-back elegance of the 1940s

IF THE FUTURE of fashion lies in reviving the past, the 1940s, that era of make do and mend, of utility and frugality, certainly chimes with the present mood of austerity. Familiar images from that time – the broad-shouldered silhouette, the narrow waist with pencil skirt and blocky shoes – seem so contemporary today and are evoked beautifully in these images by Sean Jackson, styled by Gracie Moore (a Style Wars contestant) and modelled by Alison Canavan. Speak Low, the popular Kurt Weil song with words by Ogden Nash from 1943, was their inspiration.

The look is one that has been endlessly reworked and reimagined in very different times and different places, most notably by Yves St Laurent in the l970s during another period of recession, when fashion became more practical and cheap chic ruled the day, although undertones of violence were never far from the surface. Sounds familiar? Yet there was glamour too in the fashion of the 1940s as Hollywood grew in influence and women longed to copy what they saw on screen. Wartime shortages inspired ingenuity and creativity. Accessories allowed for some frivolity – hats and shoes made of raffia, canvas or khaki, and bags made from recycled leather kept up spirits and are still a source of inspiration.

In a season where the trends are for tweeds, for longer lengths, for pussy-bow blouses, 1940s proportions and a more understated glamour seem right for now. A fake fur thrown over the shoulder adds luxury to a simple suit. A felt hat tilted over the brow lifts a tweed jacket. Polka dots are fun, but in muted shades.

On the catwalk, Gucci’s thinly belted longer jacket, worn with grey flares, a floppy hat, shades and clutch bag, are modern, cool and easy to copy yet reference the past. At Donna Karan, the nipped-in waist and squared shoulderline has that 1940s vibe too, and even Miu Miu’s current collection is an exaggerated study of utilitarian chic and modern vintage.

But the late 1940s was also a time when the New Look at Dior changed everything and a new romanticism and retrospection swept in. Out went the pads and uniforms, and fashion became softer, fuller and more feminine, décontracté as the French would say. These days both looks are equally easy to capture, recycling the period in a new and fresh way.