Image: 'Make do and mend' booklet. Records of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library.
The wartime years changed fashion in Europe and the United Kingdom. From rationing to life in the workplace, women couldn’t afford silk lounging pajamas and afternoon dresses during World War II. Wartime fashion is trim, practical and functional for women balancing work, home and family on their own during these difficult years.
Wartime rationing varied depending upon the country. Rationing was quite strict in the United Kingdom, requiring coupons for every clothing purchase. The Make Do and Mend movement in the UK helped families to reuse and recycle available materials, including old clothing, yarn from sweaters and fabric from blankets or curtains. In the United States, rationing applied only to wool, silk and leather. Designers continued to produce clothing in synthetics and other fabrics that were not subject to rationing.
The suit remained a wardrobe basic in the 1940s, but its shape changed. The suit of the 1940s consisted of a trim, fitted jacket with padded shoulders and a knee-length straight or A-line skirt. Pleats, elastic waistbands and similar details that required more fabric were not only out of fashion, but actively discouraged during these tight times. Durable tweed was ideal for the wartime suit. Instructions were available to make a woman’s suit from a man’s old suit, encouraging the women on the homefront to use what they had in times of limited resources.
Day dresses remained a part of women’s wardrobes; however, these weren’t frivolous and colorful dresses. Simple, neutral dresses could be dressed up or down for a variety of occasions. Like other fashions of the 40s, these designs spared fabric with relatively slim A-line skirts, fitted bodices and slim-fitting sleeves.
While these weren’t festive years, evening gowns were still produced. Floor length gowns remained popular, but a few designers offered ankle or street length formal wear. Dresses were slender and typically embellished with embroidery, rather than costlier trims or lace. Slits created shape and allowed for movement on the dance floor.
Women entered the workforce in record numbers during the war years. Working in factories and other industrial jobs required entirely new types of women’s clothing. Jeans, trousers, overalls and coveralls were practical additions to the working woman’s wardrobe. Some companies designed custom uniforms for their female employees with neatly stitched trousers, belted waistlines, and practical short collars to accommodate hair or headscarves.
Accessories added color and style to otherwise neutral, practical wardrobes. Colorful and fanciful hats, belts, bags and heeled shoes brought personality to the most basic of outfits. Innovative materials enabled designers to avoid rationing regulations. Women could also craft their own accessories, remaking older items in their wardrobes to add personality to their suits and basic black, navy or gray dresses.