Actually, I have some fabrics from over ten years ago that are only 40-42 inches wide. (Robert Kaufman for one - I had "assumed" that the fabric was 45 inches wide - and then had to piece the backing to make it wide enough - )
It is a myth that "most" quilting/calico fabrics are/were 44-45 inches wide. Some are - many are not.
It may be that you are only noticing the narrower widths now -
In fact, some of the so-called "better" brands are usually narrower than the VIP fabrics were.
When buying fabric, it is a good thing to check the fabric width - a couple of inches can matter a lot.