British Wartime Fashions of the 1940s
In Britain, World War II erased the glamour of the 1930s and brought upon the simplicity of the “Utility Designs.” The look of the 1940s was square, padded shoulders, and thin hips with a straight skirt. Due to rationing of materials, clothing in Britain was simple and unadorned. Uniforms were seen everywhere; social occasions, parties, and weddings. The nation was encouraged to ‘make do and mend.’
The “Utility Designs” of the war had a square shoulder and shorter skirt while following the regulations for minimal cloth and button usage. Skirts were frequently 19 inches off the ground. But even in the Utility Designs there were articles of fashionable clothing for those who could afford it. The better off persons would also have their clothing tailored rather than wear standard issue items.
Some items that were popularized out of practicality are the wedge sole shoe, the turban, and women’s trousers. From a lack of leather the soles of shoe soles had to be made of cork. This wedge sole shoe was awkward but sturdy. The turban came out of the factories. It began as a simple safety procedure to keep workers' hair out the machinery, and evolved into a cover-up for women who
did not have the time to do their hair each day. In the 1930s pants were worn for athletic and outdoor pursuits. When women had to fill the places in factories as the men went off to war, slacks became very popular. Sales of slacks from 1941 to 1942 rose by 500 percent.
Food rationing started in January, 1940, and the list of rationed goods continued to grow. Rationing of clothing, cloth, and shoes began in June, 1941. The details of the ration books were posted in magazines and newspapers. The notice stated that they would be given a ration book of 66 coupons to use to purchase clothing, cloth, and footwear. The coupons enabled them to purchase the items but did not pay for them. The limited amount of coupons forced women to wear the clothing that they already possessed, adding only what was considered necessary.
The coupons allowed per year decreased as the war progressed. By mid-war the number fell to 48 a year and by 1945 it was at a low of 36. To the working class the coupons made little difference, as they were only able to purchase minimal amounts anyhow.
The coupons needed for clothing was not a small number. At 36 coupons a year that would only provide for a short coat, wool dress, a pair of shoes or boots, a petticoat, one pair of stockings, and 3 pairs of socks. That was for one whole year, and based upon availability. (This is only a hypothetical purchase as there were other articles of clothing, shoes, yarns, and fabrics to buy. There were also a few select non-rationed items.)
In 1942 under the Civilian Clothing Order the British government created a law that made it illegal and unpatriotic to spend time embellishing garments for sale and prohibited manufactures using the CC41, Clothing Control 1941, label from using more buttons, trims, tucks, pleats, or pockets than was needed.
To increase confidence, the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers led by some of the leading fashion designers of that time created 34 Utility Fashion Clothing designs in 1942. A number of these designs were put into mass production and labeled with the CC41.
Because of rationing there was a lack of new clothing in households. Advertisements in magazines appeared encouraging women to ‘make do and mend’. Women would make over used clothing for a smart look. Magazines also had articles on remaking old clothing, for example, turning a man’s suit into a woman’s. Wedding dresses were used over and over until the original wearer cut it apart and turned into something new. Women started to sew clothing for themselves and their families again. Pillowcases and sheets turned in to blouses trimmed with lace and shorts. Wool blankets were turned into overcoats; large coats into smaller garments. But even when sewing their own clothing the women of the 1940s had to follow the regulations set by the government on yardage, button, cuffs, and pleats and so on.
Knitting became especially popular. Old wool socks and jumpers were unraveled and knitted into v-neck sweaters. Scarves, mittens and socks were knit in loose patterns to conserve yarn.
Nylon stockings disappeared in 1943, and women were encouraged to wear ankle socks. Women would draw straight lines down the backs of their legs with an eyebrow pencil to imitate a nylon seam. Sometimes the lines were combined with the use of leg make-up, consisting of gravy browning.
For the duration of World War II and a little while after it ended, people were still on rationed clothing. In Britain, during the war years, it would have been simple for the British women to fall in to a monotonous trend in clothing, especially during the times when the bombing was the worst and the rations so low. But instead, they tried to look their best. They made up for what they
did not have with creativity and resourcefulness, creating smart outfits out of what they had.
This is a really neat site that makes elvish wedding dresses… http://www.rivendellbridal.com/
These dresses are just beautiful! I absolutely love them. Hopefully they will still be around when I get married :) (that'll be a while)
You can purchase this super-cute dress on http://www.overstock.com/
It is one of my favorites! I would have wore it for a party i'm going to tonight, but I have a hard time with online shopping, getting the fit right... And, I didn't want to spend the money:)
