Model A-pparel

Era Fashions

American women in the 1930s were suddenly thrust into a society suffering from the result of the stock market crash of 1929. No longer were women allowed to be playful, independent flapper girls; they had to be able to survive. And during the depression,
when a good many men were out of work, they weren't going to survive by getting jobs. The independent spirit of the 20's flapper gave way to a softer, more feminine 30's woman who had to dress for success. And success in the 1930s meant to snag a husband.

Women had been dressing to appease men for centuries. The 1920s women, was tired of that. She had just recently thrown off the binding corsets, cut their hair and began wearing loose, comfortable dresses. Women had the right to vote and, although drinking was banned during prohibition for virtually all of the 1920s, most people knew where they could get liquor and the flapper girl was a party girl. Suddenly, the stock market crashed, and the country sunk into a deep depression. The party was over, reality sunk in and women looked for men to marry.
Women found that men were more attracted to softer, shapely feminine types than the 20's flapper girl, with her shapeless dresses and short, severe hair. The first thing women began to transform was their hair. American women in the 1930s began to grow their hair a bit longer than their 20s counterparts. In addition to longer hair, they began opting for soft, feminine curls. But no one had any money for expensive curling processes, which sometimes took up to 12 hours in a salon. During the 1930s, women began using a process called "finger waving" their hair. The process was easy to do; they simply combed their damp hair straight and, using a comb and then began making waves in their hair; holding the shape with their fingers while they applied a hair pin to keep it in place.

Brill cream was used to get a lustrous appearance; and as women in the 1930s didn't wash their hair every day, the style was held in place during sleep by a night cap. Finger waving was an inexpensive way to add a bit of style to hair that continued to grow longer with the decade.