Railcar Powder Bar

The idea of teenagers as we know them today, with their own fashions, behaviour and rituals, entered popular consciousness during the latter half of the 1940s. During this era, young Melbourne women followed U.S. trends and sought to create outfits that were neither too girly, nor too matronly. The women photographed here in a train carriage ‘powder bar’ are dressed in what could be considered the teen girl uniform of the 1940s (and into the early 1950s), with their sweaters (snug fitting angora was very trendy) and box-pleated plaid skirts to just below the knee. Simple accessories such as scarves and bracelets were also popular. This outfit, usually paired with white ankle socks and loafers, was appropriate for a range of formal and informal activities. So while these teenagers may have been carving out their own fashion identity, they still considered it important to fit into the wider society and did not stray too far from what the older generations would approve of.