On this edition of "German Fashion in Photos" I give you a family photo from, I am guessing, the late 1930s, early 1940s. Here we have a sample of children's wear, men's wear, women's wear, junior/ teen girl's wear, and a man in a uniform. Talk about variety!! In this photo we have dresses, aprons, shoes, hair styles, and more for a multi-generational family. This is a great example of a wartime family wearing clothes that are very indicative of the early to mid 1930s from the clothes to the shoes. Early in the war years, and even before the war started, many people did not necessarily keep up with the latest fashions but kept on wearing what they had until it was time to replace. It was practical and made financial sense, why replace when it's not broken? Think about your own clothes/ wardrobe. Do you toss out your clothes when new styles come, or do you make what you have work? When building up your wardrobe for a German civilian, do not be afraid to wear some of those 1930s styles and mix them with 40s pieces. Think about who you are representing and what their lives would have been like before the war, how the war would have impacted their lifestyle, and how their clothes would have reflected that. Not every woman in wartime Germany was equal, some stuck to the earlier styles (like here) and some chose to try to be a modern as they could. Does this make things really complicated when studying this period? Yes, it does, it makes it incredibly complex to the point it's a headache.
As the 1940s progressed, some women would take those 1930s clothes and continue to wear them as they were, but some would alter them by shortening the hem to a more 1940s appropriate length or else make other alterations to make it more fashionable. If the woman had the means and the inclination, then she may have adopted more modern and up to date fashions. Remember, not all women in wartime Germany were equal in terms of having access to goods.
If you choose to represent a more modest family, this photo can serve as a great source of inspiration. Also included in this analysis is another photo of the same people except the man in the uniform is missing and another lady has been added.
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