THE VINTAGE THIMBLE

Dress, Utility Scheme Dress, Charles Creed (1909-66, designer), for the Utility Scheme 1942. London. Rayon crepe, with buttons. In 1942 the British Board of Trade commissioned ten members of the recently formed Incorporated Society of London Designers to create a collection of regulation day wear under the auspices of the Utility scheme, an austerity measure introduced by the Board of Trade during the Second World War, when clothes were rationed. Smart yet practical, this shirtwaister - a kind of tailored shirt-dress - was the only black garment in the designer Utility collection. The rayon crepe dress has all the characteristics of wartime clothing - broad shoulders (shaped by heavy flock pads), a skirt length just below the knee and a square silhouette, but it also has also eye-catching details, such as bold lapels and a roomy pocket set diagonally on the left hip. | V&A

Day Dress Marks & Spencer’s utility dress. Circa 1941.

As war broke out Marks & Spencer’s (a major British multinational retailer. very well known for its knickers here in the UK.) was faced with many obstacles. Low on goods and employees, and it’s stores was under enemy fire. And in 1941 ‘Making of Civilian Clothing (Restriction Orders)’ meant Marks & Spencer’s could use only 5 buttons, 2 pockets and 4 metres of stitching for every item. | Marks & Spencer - Marks in time