We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

What Are the Different Types of Vintage 1930s Clothing?

By Patti Kate
Updated Feb 20, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

Vintage 1930s clothing consists of casual and dressy styles for men, women, girls, and boys. These garments may include mid-calf skirts for girls and women, and knickers for boys and men. Vintage clothing also consists of pinafore dresses for young girls, which were widely popular during the 1930s. While American schoolboys often wore knickers during the 1930s, short pants were worn by English boys. Fedora hats are popular vintage 1930s clothing accessories for both men and women.

Vintage 1930s clothing for women may include some comfortable and casual dresses. During the Depression of the 1930s, women wore practical dresses for both day and evening wear. Vintage 1930s dresses are simplistic in design, with a fitted waist and mid-calf length hemline. Some vintage 1930s women's dresses include shoulder pads as well. Various styles of women's hats are often worn with 1930s vintage dresses.

The vintage style house dress features ruffles, buttons, and bows. The feminine and flowing style is seen in various lightweight fabrics. Vintage 1930s house dresses can be found in many solid colors, patterns, or floral designs.

Men's vintage suits from the 1930s were made with double-breasted jackets with herringbone stripes. Generally seen in charcoal and navy, vintage 1930s suits were made to be durable. Vintage 1930s clothing also includes the gangster suit for men. Gangster suits closely resemble the styles worn by the infamous Al Capone during his reign as mob boss of the 1930s.

During the 1930s, knickers were a common clothing style for boys. Long trousers did not become the fashion trend until the next decade. Knickers can be best described as shin-length pants with a tight-fitting gathered hemline. Vintage 1930s clothing for boys also includes knickers and knee socks, often worn with a double-breasted jacket. Wool caps were another popular accessory for most boys during the 1930s.

Little girls' vintage 1930s clothing may include colorful jumpers and pinafores for everyday wear. Another popular 1930s style dress is the print calico, seen in various colors. Summertime apparel for young girls during the 1930s often included a lightweight sundress. Unlike calico dresses that are made with a smocked waistline, the sundress is seamless.

Vintage 1930s swimwear can be found in one-piece designs for men, women, and children. Vintage style swimsuits for women and girls are generally backless. Many vintage style bathing suits can be ordered through specialty stores or online auctions.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Discussion Comments

By Wisedly33 — On Jan 29, 2015

@Scrbblchick -- It seems like making your own clothes ought to be cheaper, doesn't it? Not these days unfortunately. Fabric is outrageously priced.

I always thought women's shoes in the 1930s were interesting, but it probably had something to do with the Depression. Women needed sturdy, long-wearing shoes since they couldn't afford to replace shoes too often. Galoshes were also still popular, since they helped preserve the shoes from rain and snow. A woman might have a pair of light colored shoes for warm weather, a dark pair for cold weather and if she was lucky, a pair she saved for Sundays or dressy occasions. That's just the way things were then. Men might have their weekday shoes and a Sunday pair.

By Scrbblchick — On Jan 28, 2015

One of the hallmarks of 1930s dresses for women was that they were easy to make. This is because, during the Depression, most women didn't have enough money to buy ready-made dresses, so they made their own. Frequently, if they lived in rural areas, these were made of flour sacks. In those days, the sacks were just floral cotton print, without the name of the flour company, so the ladies were able to pull all the seams out of the sacks and use them as material. My mother recalls wearing a lot of dresses her mother made from flour sacks.

If you look in newspapers from that time, there are always numerous patterns for dresses that any woman of the time could make, since material was much cheaper than an off the rack dress.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.