why are they presented as so smart and chic?
Judging from the many early 30s movies I have seen on Turner Classic Movies, the female fashions of that period were really dowdy and ugly.
God is subtle, but He is not malicious. (Albert Einstein)
People in movies (even if they're lower class ones) almost always look better than their equivalent among ordinary citizens.
Maybe it's the vanity of actors, or producers realizing it's wise to give your average audience something to look at.
.
Why do actors, who's character is on their deathbed, look healthier than the rest of us?
"It's the system, Lara. People will be different after the Revolution."