Ok, I'm back.
You were right that it's not easy to find one single more general-oriented title, especially for those decades, Christine. Most books talk about one era, movement or designer, and the more general ones seem to focus more on menswear.
But here are a few suggestions:
I think the first two books below resemble most closely what you're after? The first one is a bit older, but a quite renowned and apparently very interesting reference book.
1. New York Fashion: The Evolution of American Style by Caroline Rennolds Milbank
http://www.amazon.com/New-York.....38;sr=1-64
2. 20th Century Dress in the United States by Jane Farrell-Beck
http://www.amazon.com/20th-Cen.....38;sr=1-24
More info here:
http://www.fairchildbooks.com/book.cms?bookId=306
And a few others that might be interesting:
- Focussing on the 1930s-1940s
The American Look: Sportswear, Fashion and the Image of Women in 1930s and 1940s New York by Rebecca Arnold
http://www.amazon.com/American.....038;sr=1-1
- Not limited to the US, fashion & beauty in general, more of a sociological approach
Decades of Beauty by Kate Mulvey
http://www.amazon.com/Decades-.....038;sr=1-1
- Chicago's Fashion Industry by Mary Beth Klatt
http://www.amazon.com/Chicagos.....38;sr=8-11
- Fashion Designers from the early 1930s to 2007
American Fashion by Charlie Scheips
http://www.amazon.com/American.....038;sr=1-2
- Twentieth-Century American Fashion (Dress, Body, Culture)
http://www.amazon.com/Twentiet.....pd_sim_b_5
More info:
http://www.bergpublishers.com/?tabid=2127
Is this helpful at all, Christine? Let me know if you want something in a completely different direction or if you need anything else.