Then & Now: Winter Fashion

1933

Women of the Depression era typically had one evening and one day coat that would last them several winters. Students stayed warm during the cold Massachusetts winters by wearing long overcoats, most often made of wool. Fur was a luxury item worn by the wealthy, although collars and cuffs of fur were commonly added as trim to spruce up a drab coat.

While this was the beginning of the age of ready-to-wear fashion, most women were still making their own clothing due to the lasting economic effects of the Great Depression. Yet, even in these lean times a student would have two coats, one for daytime wear and, for more formal occasions, an evening coat made from velvet or satin, typically more stylish than practical.

The 1932 Mount Holyoke student handbook advises students, “Don’t bring a great array of hats. We never wear them except for week end [sic] trips or special occasions. An old rain hat (to preserve your wave) is a good thing to have on hand for damp weather,” and includes the seemingly out-of-the-blue exclamation, “We wear socks!”