I spend a lot of time online looking for great vintage 1940s clothing, 1940s vintage reproduction clothing and affordable 1940s inspired clothing (my personal favorite.) There are many fabulous 1940s clothing websites now that make our choices more plentiful than ever!
While I prefer the classic 1940s dress — simple, A-line, boxy shoulders — others want to sleek and sexy 1940s inspired pinup look. If you want the latter, you will have more choices when it comes to buying 1940s clothing online.
Here are 20 of my favorite 1940s clothing shops that carry mostly new vintage style 1940s dresses.
1940s Clothing: Dresses for Sale
VintageDancer – Our goal at VintageDancer.com is to make it easy to find affordable vintage style clothing by era. We do the looking for you and link to many of the best 1940s style dresses from popular online retailers. Start your shopping here with one of these curated pages:
- 1940s Dresses – The most popualr 1940s style dresses online
- 1940s Plus Size Dresses – New 1940s dresses for sale online in plus sizes (xl-3Xl)
- Pin Up Dresses – Sexy wiggle dresses that gained popularity with pin up girl models in the 1940s and 1950s.
- 1940s Shirtwaist Dresses – My favorite 1940s style classic dress is the button down shirtwaist or shirt dress. Learn more about this classic style vintage dress.
- 1940s Day Dresses- Tea dresses, house dresses and daytime dresses, many with longer sleeve dresses.
- 1940s Cocktail Dress – Short, party worthy cocktail dresses
- Formal Dresses – Elegant 1940s style long formal dresses perfect for holiday parties, balls, proms, mothers of the bride, and guests of weddings.
- 1940s Wedding Dresses – Vintage inspired wedding dresses with modest tops, A-line full skirts, and plenty of lace for a ’40s touch. Also includes appropriate accessories and shoes.
1940s Clothing: Tops, Bottoms, Shoes and more
Use the 1940s menu at the top of the page or search bar and find a plethora of more 1940s clothing: pants and trousers, shirts and blouses, swimsuits, shoes, accessories and more.
1940s Clothing Shops and Brands
Additional 940s clothing for women can be found on a handful of clothing brands and mixed brand web shops.
Popular 40s Polka Dot Dresses at Unique-Vintage.com
Unique Vintage – This very popular mixed brand and house brand web shop has a few 1940s dresses, high waisted pants and tops in stock at all times. They have a vast range of sizes from XS to 3XL. The designs tend to veer toward inspired pinup looks rather then authentic reproductions but the prices make them affordable started pieces.
Modcloth – With an ever-changing stock of clothing that sells out quickly, Modcloth usually has some 1940s style dresses for sale. They range from classic day dresses to sexy pinup wiggle dresses. It’s their 1940s style shoes that I love the most.
Secrets in Lace – Beautiful vintage inspired lingerie, sleepwear, stockings and more.
WeekendDoll (UK) 1940s and 1950s clothing made in the UK. Dress, pants, suspender shorts, tops, rompers.
The Seamstress of OB (UK) – Handmakes 1940s blouses, pants, jumpsuits and light jackets. Very classy clothing!
Betty Tea Dress in Red Floral by Weekend Doll
Miss Candyfloss (SE) – 1940s dress for day and evening as well as jackets, coats, shirts, skirts, pants, and shorts made in small batches in Europe. Classic vintage styles!
Freddies of Pinewood (UK) – Hands down the best in 1940s repro jeans and overalls for women and men.
The House of Foxy (UK) – 1930s, 1940s, 1950s repro and inspired styles. Plus sizes too. Very classic vintage clothing. I am a big fan!
Hell Bunny (Amazon)- Whenever I see a new dress I love, it is usually a Hell Bunny brand. Affordable ’40s and ’50s clothing. Plus sizes up to 6XL.
Vecona Vintage (DE) / Etsy shop – Fine dresses, skirts, blouses, and pants in the 20s to 40s style.
SongBird Fashions – 1930s to 1960s handmade in the USA dresess, trousers, blouses and skirts. Great for swing dancers. Plus sizes and custom sizes u to 24.
Loco Lindo – Lovely 1940s crepe dresses, pants, playsuits and overalls, blouses. Unique patterns and full of color.
Heart my Closet– Any design made to measure. Re-creations of your favorite movie and TV series clothing. Plus sizes welcome.
Laura Bakker Fashion (DE) – One of a kind, handmade with natural fabrics, 1940s inspired clothing for women and men. Exceptional quality and vintage aesthetic. Dresses, skirts, tops and pants.
Jitterbuggin (Etsy)– 1940s blouses, pinafores, dresses, skirts, pants and swimsuits. All handmade in the USA.
Stop Staring Clothing – 1940s and 1950s style dressy pin up and swing dance dresses, XS-4XL(26), made in the USA. The stretchy materials fits really well, especially if you have natural curves.
Emmy Design (SE) – Very high-quality clothing in the 1930-1960 decades. The knitwear is amazing and very warm.
Heyday! (UK) – 1940s to 1950s clothing. Some items can work for curvy figures.
Miss Candyfloss (SE) – 1940s and 1950s dresses, jackets, coats, shirts, skirts, pants and shorts made in small batches in Europe. Classic vintage styles!
Cherry Velvet (Canada) – 1940s and 1950s plus size dress line that’s sure to unleash your inner bombshell!
Trashy Diva – A small selection of 1940s inspired clothing and accessories. 1930s-1970s decades.
Revival Retro (UK) – Modern day reproductions and re-interpretations of 1920s, 1930s and 1940s fashions.
Heyday! (UK) – 1940s to 1950s clothing for women and men. A fan favorite for all the right reasons.
Collectif (UK) – Specializing in 1940s & 1950s reproduction, pin-up style & rockabilly pieces including knit sweaters, and now men’s too. One of my favorite brands.
VioletsinMay1945 (UK) Beautiful 1940s and 1950s clothing. Tiki, playsuits, dresses, bottoms, tops, skirts
Rock ‘n Romance (UK) – Rock n Romance has a house brand and a supply of women’s 1940s and 1950s vintage
Elise Designs (AU) – Classic pretty dresses in the 40s and 50s styles.
Cherry Velvet (Canada) – 1940s and 1950s plus size dress line that’s sure to unleash your inner bombshell!
Huckleberry Clothing Co – 1940s blouses, slacks, skirts handmade in California
Rock ‘n Romance (UK) – Rock n Romance has a house brand and a supply of women’s 1940s and 1950s vintage
DorothyZudora – Reinventing vintage styles from the 1930s to the 1970s. Elegant, updated, looser fits.
eShakti– Dresses, skirts, pants and some tops, made to order in your exact measurements up to 6XL. Worldwide shipping. Made in India.
Top Vintage (NL) – Europe’s largest online retro boutique. Sorted by decade – 1920s to 1970s. Fast shipping to the USA.
Miss Fortune (UK) – 40’s, 50’s & rockabilly style knitwear tops. Made In The UK
Sunny Side Couture on Etsy / On the Sunny Side (NL) – Handmade women’s ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s clothing. Colorful dresses and blouses.
Miss Bamboo (UK) – Miss Bamboo is a 1940s and 50s reproduction vintage clothing label. All their clothing is made from vintage patterns or from patterns reproduced from vintage dresses.
Amazon – I am hesitant to recommend finding a dress on Amazon for a few reasons. They are usually knock-off designs, made cheaply and mailed directly from the manufacturer in China (which can take a month or more to arrive). Also if you search Amazon for 1940s dresses, you will get a lot of results that are 1950s instead of 1940s.
In general, ’40s dresses had sleeves, modest tops, and narrow A-line skirts – not full swing skirts until the very late 1940s. There are few brands that ship directly from the USA (if it listed as Amazon Prime, it does) and are of better quality than others.
The benefit of these cheaper brands is that they are usually $50 or less. I include some of them in my shop listings. If you see something you like but are not sure if it is ’40s, ask me before you buy.
1940s Dresses on Amazon? Be careful – many are not 1940s but 1950s instead.
More 1940s Reproduction and Inspired Clothing Brands
See over 50 vintage and vintage inspired clothing brands online.
Vintage 1940s Dresses for Sale
Etsy and eBay are good for finding genuine vintage dresses. They also are a good source for vintage someone who can make you a custom 1940s dress.
1940s Dress at Blue Velvet Vintage
Blue Velvet Vintage – One of my all-time favorite vintage clothing sites. Lots of great finds from many different eras. The 1940s dresses are simple and fun- just what a ‘40s dress should be. They are starting to carry reproduction 40s dresses, too.
Hilda’s Haven Plus Size group – A Facebook group to buy and sell plus size genuine vintage clothing
Facebook – I have been buying most of my vintage clothes within various Facebook groups. There are too many to list. Simply use the search feature at the top of the page to search groups for “1940s” “vintage” or “retro.” I have a few groups listed here.
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
