WWII Hairstyles A collection of WWII photographs, depicting some Of the hairstyles of the time, like the victory Rolls, the lifted and the swoops hairstyles. Most of these woman pictured here, were either in the services, the Land Army, WVS, working in factories or part of the home front. A rather inspiring gaggle of girls with gorgeous locks.
The Andrew Sisters The Andrews Sisters pose for a studio group portrait, saluting and wearing military uniforms, in 1941 in the United States. (Photo by Gilles Petard/Redferns)
1945. American. Jacket and skirt: olive green wool; Shirt: tan rayon; Gloves: yellow cotton; Scarf: yellow rayon. | Philidelipha Museum of Art
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
WBP WWII Dress Restrictions Photo illustrating a WPB-approved suit (left), with the unapproved, current style (right). "Approved suit has cut-in pockets, no flaps, a 25-in. jacket instead of a 27-in. once. Skirt on approved suit looks as full as the one at right although by eliminating the pleats much material has been saved. Skirt lengths are identical. On new suit stitching gives effect of patch pocket." Photo by Nina Leen. Used in April 20, 1942 LIFE article.
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
WWII Propaganda Dress Day dress. 1941. American.
During the war, raw materials were in short supply. In order to regulate the remaining production of civilian garments, the United States government implemented the L-85 regulations in 1942. L-85 dictated the styling of garments with an eye to conserving materials and production time. Skirt length, hem width and types of trim were strictly regulated, as were the cuffs and pockets of menswear. Home-sewn clothing was exempt from these regulations, but all were encouraged to “make do and mend.”
In addition to the actual conservation of materials, L-85 regulations provided a constant visual reminder of the necessity of total participation in the war effort. The production of propaganda textiles featuring slogans and imagery relating to the war allowed civilians to support the war effort in yet another way. Interestingly, these textiles were not produced by governments, but by independent manufacturers. In the United States and Britain, propaganda textiles featured familiar slogans such as “V for Victory” and “Keep it Under Your Hat,” a reminder that casual conversations could inadvertently reveal confidential information. Other designs featured brightly colored patterns of red, white and blue, the colors of the Allied flags. The propaganda textile dress seen here features a pattern embedded with the slogan “There’ll Always be an England,” This textile was among a collection of propaganda textiles manufactured and sold in March 1941 as a fund-raiser for the British-American Ambulance Corps, a New York based volunteer ambulance corps. In March 1941, the United States had not yet entered the war, so the textile collection was intended to provide financial support to the Corps so they could transport injured troops. The textile collection was also a gesture of support to beleaguered British citizens who had suffered under Nazi bombing. Other featured slogans included “Bravo Britain” and “Friends Across the Sea,” in colors called English Channel blue and Buckingham Palace red.
To promote the textiles, which were marketed nationally, a fashion show was held in Manhattan featuring socialites clad in dresses created from the various textiles. Astute readers probably noticed that the text in the detail image is backwards. This collection of textiles was intentionally printed with reversed “mirror-writing,” which can be read properly only when reflected in a mirror. Our curators have recently determined that the unusual mirror-writing featured in the print is a reference to the many coded messaging systems used during World War II. The mirror-writing also had an immediate effect on the wearer; every time she glanced in a mirror, she was confronted with a cheerful, fashionable reminder of her patriotic duty.
With its square shoulders and slightly full, just-below-the-knee skirt, this dress showcases all the important elements of World War II era fashions. The prevalence of military uniforms, L-85 regulations and a sense of patriotic duty led to dresses with a compact, structured silhouette similar to that of a military uniform. Because the dress has no label, we can guess that it was probably created by a skilled home-sewer who wanted to support the efforts of the British-American Ambulance Corps. The ruched, self-fabric trim at the shoulders and waist, and the fullness of the skirt suggest that this was made soon after the textile was released in 1941. With the advent of L-85 regulations in 1942, even home-sewers probably would have streamlined their garments out of a sense of patriotic duty. | FIDM Museum Blog
Auxiliary air force uniform 1941. Wool & petersham cotton. | Manchester Art Gallery
Nylon Stockings During WWII Silk or nylon stockings were in extremely short supply by the summer of 1942, despite the presence of American GI’s In Britain who could sometimes get hold of stockings from the US. Most women had to find ingenious methods of dressing their legs. These pictures show a woman drawing in the seam-line on “Makeup” stockings with a device made from a screw driver handle, bicycle leg clip, and an eyebrow pencil, 1942. (source: Bettman/Corbis)
A row of Harrod's employees each wearing a uniform of a diffrent womans service. (9 in total)
Picture Post was a prominent photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. This issue (June 1943) shows how the austerity rules had made a big impact on clothes design, this article stresses the practicality and go-anywhere styles of the new designs. Chic styled utilty clothes.
Military uniform, J.C. Penney Co., Inc. (American), c.1944. The Cadet Nurse Corps was created by Congress in 1943 to help alleviate the nursing shortage at home and abroad during the Second World War. The passage of the Bolton Act (named for Ohio congresswoman Frances Bolton), which established the corps, was followed by an aggressive recruiting campaign that emphasized the program's benefits: expedited training (thirty months instead of 36), full financial support and free "smart" uniforms. The uniforms were considered an important recruiting device and were designed by a process that included leading fashion designers and editors. A luncheon held in New York City in August 1943 included a fashion show of suggestions for the official Cadet Nurse Corps outdoor uniform. The winning design, adapted for use by the Corps, is the figure-flattering wool uniform seen here. | ↳ THE MET
