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Attitudes towards smoking among women had begun to change as well. While clandestine smoking may have been indulged in by the avant-garde and the fashionable prior to the war, the changes in society during the 1920s brought female smoking into the open, and in the following decades advertising began to target women.5,6 The increasing engagement of women in the paid workforce, particularly with the outbreak of the Second World War, led to greater social and financial freedom for many women, which in turn fuelled higher smoking rates.2,5 By the end of the war, more than one-quarter of Australian women were smokers, along with almost three-quarters of adult males.7 Although the second half of the 1900s brought confirmation that tobacco use is a major cause of death and disease, female smoking continued to increase, peaking at one-third in the mid-1970s, by which time smoking in males had begun to decline.8,9. Source: www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-1-prevalence/1-1-a-...

The 1940s was the era when the midriff was born, and it was shown in swimsuits as well as playsuits. 1940s swimsuits were tight, unlike the suits of previous era. One-piece swimsuits were still popular, but the new two-piece suit had plenty of fans too. The materials used to make swimsuits our of rayon jersey and rayon jersey blends with knit cotton linings. Many suits had accent panels of a velvet like rayon velour. Some also featured ruching on the front or side panels that were both pretty and figure flattering. The one-piece swimsuit looked like a very tight, short dress. The bra top resembled a full-coverage bra. The suit then extended down into a tight ‘skirt’ that would cover the backside completely. Skirts were either snug fitting around the hips and thighs or loose, called “swing skirts.” Source: medium.com/@riabohra9196/1940s-swimwear-cca03eca4513

While the wearing of hats is mostly reserved for cold weather or a royal wedding nowadays, there was once a time when a woman wouldn’t dare leave the house without one. Hats have a long, elaborate sartorial history, especially when it comes to women’s fashion. One hat style in particular from the “heyday” of hat-wearing is even still occasionally worn today- the cloche. While it is a defining fashion icon of the 1920s, this stretch of time is only the height of its popularity. Its history stretches back to the turn of the century when it was first created- 1908 to be exact. The design was invented by French milliner Caroline Reboux: a small bell-shaped hat that was easy to form, and simple enough that it could be embellished and styled in a number of ways. The accessory was aptly named, “cloche,” the French word for bell. The 1920s version of the cloche is iconic. It featured an even more snug fit than its predecessors and was worn so low over the eyebrows that women walked with their chins up and eyes cast down. Fortunately, walking with this kind of poise only added to the allure of the look, as women felt it created an air of confidence and independence in the wearer. During this decade, no woman ever left the house without a chic cloche to top off her look. As cloche styles began to grow and change, embellishment began to feature more heavily in the design. Art deco was a heavy influence in all aspects of 1920s fashion, and hats were no exception. The art style impacted the brim and seam styles of cloche hats, as well as what decorated it. Applique, beads, brooches, or feathers were popular and helped to dress up hate for more formal occasions. Some versions were made from laces and silks to add glamour, and could be paired with a fancy evening ensemble. Source: startupfashion.com/fashion-archives-history-cloche-hat/