1930s autumn fashion inspiration

✯ Day 317 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

November's palette is dark, but not foreboding. It may not be quite as majestically vibrant as that of earlier autumn days, but it retains some of the same burnt umbers, inky maroons, and greys that call to mind cold, wind whipped skies.

At the same time, just as November has one foot planted in the fall, another stretches out to start embracing the colour spectrum of winter, with it's evergreen tree hues, barren tawny-brown landscapes, and pale, snowy ski hills.

Far from being dull and dreary, I find that there is a lot of subtle, beautiful inspiration to be found in the shades that the world around is presently decked out in. Mother Earth is starting to sport her neutral wardrobe as we inch closer to December and this can translate marvellously into vintage pieces for our own sartorial looks, too.

Take for example the richly lovely selection of French 1930s looks in the fashion illustration below. Here we see an array of dresses and coats in the very colours mentioned above - even the quaint (almost loafer looking) shoes are matched to the November inspired outfits.

{A timelessly pretty selection of vintage French fashions are on display in this wonderful illustration from 1936. Image via Le Petit Poulailler on Flickr.}

 

By the mid-thirties we start to see some of the looser lines of the 20s and early years of the decade give away the more structured styles would appear as time rolled on into the forties. The silhouettes are still long and lean here though, as they'd so often been during the Depression years, though in this image one picks up on a subtly feminine figure being carved out thanks to belted and nipped in waists.

Regardless of if you enjoy sporting fashions from the thirties yourself, there's much inspiration on the colour front to be gleaned from this palette of autumnal shades, which you can easily apply to your own favourite decades (just think how striking a 40s inspired pencil skirt and sweater set combo in earthy green and brown would be, or why not an 1950s evening dress pale grey or teal-kissed pine green?).

In a few short weeks nature will even more devoid of colour, but that doesn't mean you wardrobe has to be, so long as you keep November's elegant palette in mind all through the snowy months that will upon as in a flash.