Popular Culture 1930-1945

During and after the Great Depression in Canada, the majority of people listened to jazz or swing music. Upbeat fast paced music, that uplifted moods, despite the rough situation at the time. Among the famous jazz musicians, Guy Lombardo was the most renowned, along with his bad The Royal Canadian. The band consisted of Guy's brothers, Carmen, Lerbert and Victor, as well as some friends from his hometown of London, Ontario. The band was quickly internationally recognized selling approximately 250 million photograph records. They were the first Canadians to have a #1 single on Billboards top 100. As Guy's fame began to die, a 10 year old Montreal pianist by the name of Oscar Peterson was on the rise. With Guy and The Royal Canadians, its no surprise that 1930-1945 is known as the “Swing Era”. During this era, fashion took an interesting turn, zippers became ignored and the new craze was rayon and viscose, synthetic material. Canadian fashion remained dependent on American fashion, adopting any trends and fads. The concept of flappers died down, women began to show less skin, wear longer skirts and fashion became more conservative. Gloves and nylon socks became the main fashion craze for women in this period. For men, the most noticeable affect on fashion due to the Great Depression was the transition from bright colours to dull, black and white apparel. Suits became popular, including the drape cut or London Drape suit, a softer, more flexible suit that was meant to enhance a man's figure. This suit was designed by Frederick Scholte, the tailor of the Prince of Wales at the time. For sportswear, knickerbockers and plus-fours were dominant as opposed to the previous craze of trousers. Knickerbockers were a cross between modern day shorts and sweatpants. They were baggy, soft trousers that went to a man's knees and were considered ideal for physical activity. Plus fours were similar to knickerbockers, however, they extended four inches below the knees, hence the