1930s Shopping Guide: Fashion, Home And Tech

Bias-cut dresses, orange Penguin paperbacks, big band 78s and the first television sets.

Below: what to buy for a 1930s theme, a 1930s birthday or someone who grew up then - clothes, books, records and gadgets, with what to check before you pay.

Straight answer first: we don't sell clothing, books, records or technology. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else here is advice on where the genuine items come from.

Years covered in the 1930s

• 1930 - The R101 disaster, rising unemployment and Amy Johnson flying to Australia. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1930
• 1931 - The National Government, the gold standard abandoned and the means test. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1931
• 1932 - Broadcasting House opened, the Empire Service began and hunger marches reached London. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1932
• 1933 - Bodyline, the first Loch Ness photograph and the opening of the Tube map. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1933
• 1934 - Driving tests announced, Belisha beacons and the Queen Mary being built. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1934
• 1935 - The Silver Jubilee, the first driving tests and the 30mph limit. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1935
• 1936 - Three kings in one year, the Jarrow March, Butlin's and the first television service. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1936
• 1937 - The coronation of George VI, the Hindenburg and the first Billy Butlin summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1937
• 1938 - Munich, gas masks and the Holidays with Pay Act. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1938
• 1939 - Evacuation, the blackout, the declaration of war and television going off air. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1939
• That is every 1930s year we have written up so far: 1930 to 1939.

1930s clothing and accessories

• Bias-cut tea dresses in floral prints - the shape of the decade, and widely reproduced.
• Wide-leg trousers, knitted tank tops and a belted mac.
• For men: double-breasted suits, Fair Isle knitwear, a trilby.
• Seamed stockings, a small hat worn at an angle, and a structured handbag.
• 1930s rayon survives better than 1920s beadwork, so genuine pieces are more wearable.

1930s books worth buying

• Penguin paperbacks launch in 1935 at sixpence - original orange spines are cheap and instantly of the era.
• Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (1932).
• Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons (1932).
• The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien (1937).
• Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie (1934).

1930s music and records

• 78s still, but far more of them survive - dance bands, Gracie Fields, Al Bowlly, Duke Ellington.
• Look for Decca and HMV labels; the sleeve art is often plainer than the label itself.
• Wind-up portable gramophones in a case are the most practical period player to actually own.
• Songbooks and sheet music from the era are the cheap buy, and the covers frame well.

1930s home and interiors

• Bakelite radios, the brown case sets that sat in the front room.
• Tiled fireplaces, mottled green and beige, and a three-piece suite in moquette.
• Sunray patterned glass in the front door and a wooden-framed clock on the mantel.
• Poole and Carlton Ware pottery, and blue and white willow pattern for every day.
• The first electric irons, kettles and vacuum cleaners in ordinary houses.
• Utility-forerunner oak furniture: a sideboard, a gate-leg table, a standard lamp.

1930s tech and gadgets

• Bakelite mains radios - the classic shape, and the one that turns up most often.
• Early 35mm cameras and folding bellows cameras.
• Pre-war televisions are museum objects and priced accordingly; a period Radio Times is the affordable substitute.
• Mechanical adding machines and typewriters make solid, working desk pieces.

Where to buy and what to check

• Original Penguin paperbacks are the best value 1930s object there is - usually a few pounds.
• Buy Bakelite in daylight; hairline cracks and repairs hide under artificial light.
• Vintage fairs price 1930s clothing far better than dedicated vintage boutiques.

How to shop a decade without overspending

• Set the budget before you start; period shopping is where budgets quietly double.
• Reproduction for clothing, genuine for the small objects - it looks the same in photographs and costs a fraction.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits beats one expensive present every time.
• Check the year, not the decade. Plenty of what people file under one era actually arrived in the next.
• Music last: a compilation of the era does more work at a party than any decoration.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born - that is the era they actually remember.
• Photograph the label or the pressing before you buy online; reissues and reproductions are rarely described as such.
• Leave the clothing to last. The objects are harder to find and the outfit can be sorted in an afternoon.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1930
• Look back to 1931
• Look back to 1932
• Look back to 1933
• Look back to 1934
• Look back to 1935
• Look back to 1936
• Look back to 1937
• Look back to 1938
• Look back to 1939
• 1930s history: events, politics and culture
• 1930s calendar: year by year
• 1930s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1930s films and directors
• 1930s books, films and TV
• 1930s books: novels and authors
• 1930s art: artists and styles
• 1930s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1930s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1930s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1930s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1930s games: board, card and video
• 1930s trivia: fun facts
• 1930s quiz: questions and answers
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 1920s
• The decade after: the 1940s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Victorian and vintage parlour games
• Village fete and church hall games
• Traditional British party games
• Seaside and beach games
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Good luck cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What 1930s homeware is worth buying?

Bakelite radios, the brown case sets that sat in the front room. The home and interiors section above lists the rest, from furniture to kitchen kit.

What should I wear for a 1930s theme?

Bias-cut tea dresses in floral prints - the shape of the decade, and widely reproduced. The clothing section above covers the rest, including accessories and where to buy.

What are the best 1930s books to buy as a gift?

Penguin paperbacks launch in 1935 at sixpence - original orange spines are cheap and instantly of the era. Every book listed was published in the decade, so the date on the title page does half the work.

What 1930s records are worth buying?

78s still, but far more of them survive - dance bands, Gracie Fields, Al Bowlly, Duke Ellington. A single or album from the year they turned eighteen is the most personal option and usually the cheapest.

Do you sell 1930s clothing, books or gadgets?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the rest, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.