Suits According to Der Goldene Schnitt

Suits are my all time favorite vintage garments. I love their flexibility and chic nature. For this post, I went through the pages of Der Golden Schnitt to offer what their selection of 40s suits would be. Based on what I saw, some had a very  masculine look while some really embraced the curves of the model.

The first one from 1940 is one that I think is just so feminine. I love the gathered detail at the shoulder and the buttons that go all the way down the front so closely together. What is really unique about this one is that it can be fashioned into a dress like garment too depending on the materials.

The masculine image this one has, I think, is undeniable. The cut of the collar and lapels to me is so reminiscent of a man's suit and the hat resembles a mans hat somewhat as well. I love the play of the strip with the welt pockets at the sides.

 This one is actually incredibly unique and there is a hidden detail here that actually took me a long time to notice . .  .First, the visible details. . . I love the crazy lapels on the suit and the )I am guessing) applique detailing on the cuffs and pockets. Here, we get to see the blouse suggested to wear underneath and an alternative skirt too. Now for the strange part. For the model in the suit, guess what, she is not wearing a skirt. Nope. According to the pattern they are culottes cut and assembled in a way to look like a skirt but actually by like pants. How neat is that?

Do you get a nautical vibe from these suits? I sure do (especially the one on the right). To be made to be either single or double breasted, the lapels here are really interesting and can even be made to contrast with the collar. The pockets are flap or welt (breast pocket on the left model) or patch (model on the right). What could easily be a very busy suit is here well styled and simply done.

Some more suits of a multitude of varieties:

To finish it off: a jacket and dress outfit mimicking a suit look:

As a whole, I find to be most unusual how masculine these suits are and even how they are styled. In a regime where women were meant to be in the home bearing children, one would expect women's fashion to be hyper feminine yet what we have here is an alternative that almost bucks Nazi ideology. But, as I argued in a recent independent study analyzing women's wear in Nazi Germany, these tensions are there for a reason and may not be tensions at all. In the aims to create a racially superior state, their women were no exception and had to look the part of women not only adhering to Nazi ideology but also being fashionable as well. Looking fashionable would give the image of superiority in both race and fashion and suits, I believe, helped with this image.


Considered to be fashionable I both the UK, the US, and even France, suits worn by German women are really not out place at all but fit into the larger picture. In fact, in my studies, more women desired to be fashionable rather than wear drab clothes that adhered to an ideology.