With the men off at war, women were pressed to take on a new role, beyond wife and homemaker. For the sake of their nation, women joined the workforce. At the time, women weren't ready to give up their femininity for hard labor. Instead they compromised by simplifying their romantic look for daytime. They were hard-working women supporting their country day. By evening, they transformed into the movie stars they saw on the silver screen, with a softer look.
Their day jobs working with machinery required women to wear their hair rolled back neatly around the neck or over the ears. They would often cover their heads with a scarf knotted at the front leaving the fringe exposed. Another popular option was to put the hair rolls in a hairnet affectionately called a "rat". The evening allowed for a bit more freedom. Feminine romantic styles reigned with soft curls falling onto shoulders, inspired by Hollywood starlets.
Most women looked to the big-screen for inspiration. Here are a few women who set the tone for this decade:
Betty Grable - movie starlet and number 1 pin-up girl.
Rita Hayworth -1940's sex-symbol and ultimate femme fatale with bombshell status.
Veronica Lake - women everywhere were imitating her signature peek-a-boo bang.
Lauren Bacall - known for her "come hither" eyes.
Although this era has has ended some time ago, its style has brought back the glamour in fashion and in Hollywood...
and not only...
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