The attached article from 1943 appeared in a number of publications throughout the nation in order to impart to the women (and perhaps a handful of the men) how urgent was the need for their used silk stockings.
More about silk on the W.W. II home front can be read here…
Click here to read about the woman who dictated many of the fabric restriction rules on the home front.
Halfway through 1944 American magazines began their individual count-downs until the war’s end; running with articles about the post-war world, the end of rationing, the demobilized military and the guaranteed boom that would come in the menswear industry. The attached fashion editorial appeared early in 1945 promotes the versatility of gabardine wool, it’s earliest appearance in the Middle ages, it’s use in uniforms and it’s newest application in sportswear.
The article is illustrated with five terrific color photographs.
Although there is black-out during the war years, the attached charts will give you a sense of the preferred suiting colors both before the war and upon it’s immediate conclusion. The pointy-headed soothsayers who attempt to predict which colors men will buy were very surprised to find that in the aftermath of World War II, American men were quite eager to buy browns and khaki-colored suiting after all.
Illustrated with pictures of Winston Churchill’s weird zipper suit and Joseph Stalin’s all purpose costume, 1940s fashion critic Elizabeth Hawes (1903 – 1971) taunts the Great-American-Male and challenges him to respond in kind by wearing copies of these comfortable threads:
Today’s business clothes were worked out by the winners of the Industrial Revolution, whose descendants are the big tycoons of our day…Aspirants to leadership and success normally copy the clothes of existent leaders. Isn’t it about time the most of you changed your suits?
Elizabeth Hawes wrote more on the topic of W.W. II fashions…
There can be no doubt that the fashion-craving lasses of the Thirties and Forties had a tough time of it! Coming of age during the the Great Depression, they spent too much time window-shopping as a result of the all too widespread economic deprivations that were the order of the day – only to be greeted on the other end by the fabric rationing that accompanied the Second World War. They had some good news in the form of a swanky garment that was called Hostess Gowns which were seen as ultra-feminine and tailored in the finer fabrics of the day:
Top-notch fashion stores are finding a new wartime boom in luxury hostess gowns and pajamas; new styles for home reflect the latest dress fashion trends. Ruffles, waistline draping, beads, sequins and marabou add luxury; a number of dressy models might also be taken for dinner gowns…
In light of the fact that we are patriots, we like to think that these hairdos were not as wide-spread on the home front as the journalist implies.
Michel, of the Helena Rubinstein salons, has been fingered as the one responsible for the two-tone pin-On hairdo, a look that was entirely reliant upon the false hair industry in order to achieve the preferred look. Three color images are provided as well as six how-to images.
During the Second World War, hair dye was not simply used by women; click here to read about the men who needed it.
Click here to read a 1961 article about Jacqueline Kennedy’s influence on American fashion.
When the general appearance of women’s uniforms prescribed for voluntary war work by various charitable organizations were deemed unfashionable, uncomfortable or simply embarrassing, the well-known fashion stylist and costume designer Irene (Irene Lentz, 1900 – 1962) stepped up to the plate designing an all-purpose green wool suit, topped-off by a beret:
The noted Hollywood stylist, Irene, performed a real service for defense when she designed her all-around defense suit. Of sturdy gabardine, worn with long cotton service socks and plastic shoes, it is nevertheless as attractive as any civilian suit, and more practical than most. In this outfit, women war workers will not feel self-conscious and ill at ease.
Two short, gossipy paragraphs from a Hollywood literary magazine printed early in the American home front experience concerning women war-workers, fabric rationing and the long-standing debate between ready-made uniforms vs custom-made uniforms:
Feminine uniforms are causing great dismay. Women of small means complain that while they would like custom-made uniforms, they can’t afford them. Nevertheless, designers are doing a capacity business, turning out ultra-chic numbers for those in the money…
Click here to read an article about women’s uniforms during W.W. I.
A well-illustrated article from the home front fashion-filled pages of Click Magazine that served to document the contradictory days when wartime button-rationing coincided with a wide-spread yen for decorating with buttons:
In a frantic bid for individuality, fad-loving women are rediscovering the decorative button. Buttons are no longer just a practical devices for holding clothes together. They pep-up simplified silhouettes and restyle dated fashions.
Here is a an Elizabeth Hawes (1903 – 1971) fashion review covering some of the hats for the autumn of 1942. They were all the creations of John-Frederics (1902 – 1993) – some are simply fantastical while others are a tad less dramatic, but not lacking in style.
Click here to read about the hats of 1947.
A one page article explaining what fabric rationing was and how it effected the fashion landscape of 1940s America.
Read a 1940s fashion article about fabric restrictions and the War Production Board.
Five fashion photographs and a few words on the government-approved look for the autumn of 1943. The wartime fashion news for 1943 was apparel order L-85 that had been issued by the War Production Board in order to conserve material for victory.
To read another article about 1940s fashions and the hardships of fabric rationing, click here. Click here to read about the fashion silhouette of the early Fifties.
This was an unusual article for Yank to run with but it is a wonderful read nonetheless. The column concerns fashion as a reliable barometer of societal direction and starts out with a quote from Basil Liddell-Hart (1895 – 1970) on this issue. The writer then goes to the author and all-around fashion philosopher, Elizabeth Hawes (1903 – 1971) who proceeded to speak thoughtfully on the topic of fashion in wartime. Hawes remarked that the clothing of the leaders can be read as an indicator of forthcoming events.
CLICK HERE to read about the beautiful Blonde Battalions who spied for the Nazis…
New York fashion journalist Gertrude Bailey wasted no time in applying for her overseas press pass upon hearing the news that the Germans had been driven from the banks of the Seine in August of ’44. Although the fashion column she filed largely anticipated the glorious return of Paris chic, mention was also made of what Paris fashion was like during the German occupation – sitting ringside at one of the runways, Bailey found that
One found significance in the appearance of green as a color, and noted that the reason it had been absent for four years was because it was the color of the German uniform, which no Frenchwoman would wear until France was free.
Here is a small article, illustrated with five fashion images, about the types of intimate apparel and pajamas that were available to the home-sewing girls on the W.W. II American home front.
Click here to learn about the under garments that had to be worn to pull-off the New Look…
Five months before The United States entered the war, the government in Washington had foresight enough to remove silk from the consumer market. Silk would be badly needed for the manufacturing of parachutes and gunpowder bags.
More about silk on the W.W. II home front can be read here…
When home heating fuel had to be rationed during the Second World War, a page was borrowed from Granny’s play book and women once again began to sport crochet wraps, shawls and booties around the house.
Ida Tarbell (1857 – 1944), one of the greats of American journalism, wrote this article about the policy changes that were evolving in Washington and recognized that the mobilization of women in the cause of defeating Germany was a solid step in the direction of victory:
One of the many innovations of the National Council of Defense is an entirely original attempt to use the women power of the country.
Tarbell insightfully pointed out that up until that moment men and women had very little experience working together side by side.
Read a 1918 article about the women’s city.
