1940s

: World War II heavily influenced fashion, leading to simpler, more functional clothing due to fabric and labor shortages. Women's clothes featured boxy suits, knee-length skirts, utility dresses, and minimal embellishments. Early-1940s gowns had square or sweetheart necklines, short or cap sleeves, and minimal embellishment. After the war, "New Look" by Dior (late 1940s) reintroduced ultrafeminine styles with nipped waists and full skirts.