1935 Women’s Dresses and Fashion

All those ruffles! The elegant 1930s silhouette is nothing short of iconic, embodying the glitz and glamor of Old Hollywood while maintaining practical elements for the everyday woman. The fashion of 1935 beautifully reflected a transitional era, with styles that balanced traditional femininity and the growing influence of modernity on women’s clothing. In this deep dive, we’ll explore the unique features of 1935 fashion, all captured in the pages of the Chicago Mail Order Company Catalog, complete with illustrations that offer glimpses into the lives and aspirations of women during this golden decade.

The 1930s was a decade of contrasts. On one side, the lingering effects of the Great Depression meant many women had smaller budgets for clothing, relying heavily on mail-order catalogs like the 1935 Chicago Mail Order Company edition to bring stylish yet affordable attire into their homes. These catalogs were lifelines for American women, particularly those in rural or smaller towns without access to large city department stores. On the opposite side, Hollywood, in all its glory, dominated popular style with famous starlets like Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, and Jean Harlow influencing trends far and wide.

Elegance with a Purpose: Highlights of 1935 Women’s Fashion

1935 women’s fashion emphasized refined, graceful lines that accentuated the natural figure, often through cinched waists, draped fabrics, and flowing skirts. The Chicago Mail Order Company catalog captures these trends vividly:

1. Old Hollywood Inspired Glamour: The catalog features dresses that radiate the luxury of Old Hollywood—even for mail-order shoppers. Caped-back dresses, artful ruffles, and dramatic collars evoke the regal looks worn by the silver screen’s leading ladies. These designs gave everyday women an opportunity to emulate the glitz of the cinema, all from the comfort of their homes.
2. “Mannish” Two-Piece Suits: A standout in the catalog, these two-piece sets—which resemble what we now call skirt suits—reflect the growing societal shift toward practicality and women blending into the professional workforce. Dubbed “mannish,” these outfits added a touch of androgyny while maintaining femininity, offering a modernized take on women’s workwear.
3. Nautical Themes and Crepe Fabrics: Nautical-inspired styles were highly fashionable, incorporating details like sailor collars and maritime color schemes. Crepe fabrics also became popular for their versatility, lightweight texture, and affordability—perfect for creating refined yet wearable garments.
4. Sports Dresses with a “Suntan Back”: In line with the 1930s obsession with health and achieving the “natural glow,” one notable innovation in the catalog included the sport dress with a “suntan back.” This daring feature offered an open back design meant to allow women to get a tan while outdoors—a novel concept acknowledging the decade’s changing attitudes toward leisure and outdoor recreation. It also spoke of the era’s focus on practicality: stylish clothing could also serve practical, health-conscious purposes.
5. Limited Appearance of Pants: Despite the growing popularity of pants for women in the early 20th century, only two pants outfits appear in this 1935 catalog. Dresses and skirts were still firmly entrenched as the dominant styles of the time, but the presence of pants in the catalog hints at the slow yet significant cultural shift they represented. By the 1930s, pants were gradually growing in acceptance for women, reflecting their increasing participation in work, sports, and leisure activities.

The Feminine Side of Practicality

Though women’s fashion in the 1930s emphasized elegance, the cultural and economic effects of the Great Depression greatly influenced designs. People sought cost-effective, functional clothing. Dresses often came with clean, simple lines and clever tailoring that gave off the appearance of luxury without the hefty price tag. Many women even sewed their own garments at home to mimic the designs found in catalogs.

Details such as puffed sleeves, nipped-in waists, and peplum designs created flattering looks using minimal fabric, all while serving a dual purpose: creating an illusion of opulence and working within the constraints of rationed resources. Mail-order catalogs like Chicago Mail Order Co.’s made these stylish, affordable designs accessible to women across the country regardless of location or social status.

Intriguing Materials and Features

The liberal use of crepe fabrics in garments offered fluidity and a soft drape, creating the illusion of sophistication without being overly elaborate or expensive. This fabric also represented the era’s technological advancements in textiles, making it easier for manufacturers to create high-quality garments at a lower cost.

Adornments such as ruffles, capes, and intricate collars added romantic, feminine touches to otherwise simple pieces, harking back to an Old Hollywood aesthetic that captured the imagination of shoppers. Embellishments like these showcased how 1930s fashion balanced the visions of romance and glamour with the everyday needs of practicality and wearability.

The Legacy of 1930s Fashion

The styles documented in the 1935 Chicago Mail Order Company catalog tell a broader story of societal transformation. From “mannish” suits hinting at women’s growing professional presence to the “suntan back” dress reflecting new attitudes toward health and leisure, these designs illustrate the complex interplay of tradition, modernity, and cultural aspiration that defined the decade.

Mail-order catalogs remain an important historical resource for understanding the lives and aspirations of women during this time. They reveal not only what fashions were in vogue but also the shifting cultural ideals—grace, practicality, and resilience—that women sought to embody in an era of economic challenge and societal change.

Today, many of these styles remain timeless inspirations for contemporary designers, while vintage enthusiasts continue to celebrate the craftsmanship and elegance of 1930s fashion. Whether it’s the flowing silhouette of a ruffled evening gown or the structured efficiency of a “mannish” suit, the styles of 1935 still hold an enduring charm and reflect a chapter of history where fashion balanced dazzling glamour with the realities of the times.

Below, you’ll find seven pages of vintage ladies’ fashion advertisements scanned from the original catalog. They give us a closer glimpse of the chic and sophisticated styles that women of the mid-1930s embraced—a testament to their enduring grace, dignity, and innovative spirit, even in a world of ever-changing trends and challenges.

1935 Chicago Mail Order Catalog.