1940's Fashion - A young womans wardrobe plan 1947

A typical yearly clothing plan for a 19 year old San Francisco woman in 1947 for 1940's dress, hats, underwear, shoes, stockings, gloves,handbags etc. The chief fabric is the new Rayon !

See also:
1940's Fashion Wardobe Plan - How to dress Accurately
1940's fashion in the War Years
1940's Fashion after the War

Other great posts on other aspects of a 1940's woman.
A 1940's Housewifes Daily Routine
1940s' Makeup Guide
Vintage MakeupTutorial Film

 And the definitive guide [ instant download ] for 1940's Makeup styles.

So now, on to our typical 1940s woman's clothing plan ,It's an interesting insight not only into the normal clothes a fashionable young woman of moderate means would wear in the post world war two years, but of the actual cost !
Even with the limited budget, a 1940's woman still managed to be glamorous

Hats and Coats

2 Felt hats
1 Straw hat
1 Winter coat
1 Summer coat

 Dresses

1 Evening Dress - rayon
2 Afternoon dresses - rayon
2 Street dresses - wool
2 street dresses- rayon
2 house dresses - cotton

Paris Evening Dress - 1946 [ not made from Rayon of course ! ] Many women of a sewing disposition would attempt to copy these with patterns,

Typical Street Dresses from 1947

Underwear

2 Slips - rayon
2 Girdles
3 Brassieres
3 Panties - rayon

1940's Shoes

2 Pairs of Street shoes - Oxfords
1 Pair of Dress shoes

Henry Fonda started out his film career as a shoe fitter to Barbara Stanwyk !

1 Bathrobe - cotton
3 Pajamas - cotton
3 Pair of Stockings - rayon
1 Pair of Slippers - leather
1 Pair of Galoshes
2 Set of Gloves - leather
1 Handbag

Total purchase cost annually - $ 112.00
Annual maintenance costs

Cleaning and pressing - $ 2.20 total
Heels - 5 replacements at $ 1.35 total
Toe Tips - 5 replacements at $ 1.70
Half soles and heels - 1 replacement $1.37

Clothing budgets is not a term that modern women in the developed west tend to think about these days, but back in the frugal post depression and war years, it was a necessity. These budgets for women were usually published in magazines by budgeting experts and were for anything from one year up to three years.That's all !
Original source material - Clothes for Girls -1927 by Elizabeth Todd
copyright glamourdaze 2010

The 1940s Make-up & Beauty Guide

See also 1940's Fashion - Womens Dress code in the War Years