1940s Dresses & Vintage Tea Dresses

Pretty Retro's 1940s dresses are designed in England and made by hand in Europe. This is where you will find our vintage-style tea dresses, in florals, polka dots and plain colours, alongside the shirt dresses, hostess dresses and starlet dress that give the collection its 1940s shape: a defined waist, a flattering neckline and a skirt that swings from the hip to just below the knee. Whether you search for 1940s dresses, a 1940s style dress or 40s style dresses, this is the shape you are after.

What is a 1940s tea dress?

A tea dress is a light, floaty day dress with a nipped-in waist, a skirt that falls to around the knee and, very often, a pretty print. The name goes back to the tea gown, the loose, comfortable dress women began wearing at home for afternoon tea in the 1870s. Our 1940s tea dress is cut on the bias, so the fabric drapes and skims over the hips, with a gathered sweetheart neckline, flutter sleeves and no zip: you simply pull it on over your head. The skirt measures about 26 inches from the natural waist, so the hem sits around the knee or just below, depending on your height. The Veronica tea dress is a little dressier, with a keyhole neckline tied in a bow, a wrap-style skirt and a discreet side zip.

Shirt dresses, hostess dresses and the starlet dress

• Shirt dresses have a shirt-style bodice with an open neckline and functional buttons, a matching belt to cinch the waist and a slightly flared skirt, in a soft poly-viscose with a little stretch.
• Hostess dresses are the dressier choice, with a wing collar, cap sleeves with a turn-up, covered buttons down the front, pleats above the bust and a three-quarter circle skirt.
• The starlet dress has a high tie neckline with a keyhole, gathers below the bust, a V-shaped empire seam and a flared skirt that moves when you walk, or dance.

How to wear a 1940s dress

The cut does most of the work, so keep everything else simple. For daytime, add a cardigan or a cropped jacket, flat or low-heeled shoes and a headscarf; for the evening, swap in heels, a brooch and red lipstick. A tea dress is the obvious answer to a vintage tea party or a 1940s party, and the shirt and hostess dresses suit anything from lunch to a dance. Layer with a cardigan from our vintage tops and blouses, try our wiggle dresses for a sculpted line or our swing dresses for a fuller skirt made for dancing, or browse all of our dresses. For a film-star look, see our Betty Grable style edit of tea dresses and pinup wrap tops, or our Katharine Hepburn style shirt dresses and wide-leg trousers.

Our 1940s dresses come in UK sizes 8 to 18, and the size guide has the measurements. The 100% viscose tea dresses are cool hand wash and can shrink by about 3%, so check the label on each style.