Wartime Fashion
Fashion and clothing were not exempt from the changes brought by the war. For information on styles of the 1930s, check out the blog post in our Setting the Stage series! As the Second World War progressed women’s clothing was inspired by and reflected military uniforms. For example, on display we have earrings that were made from the buttons on a military jacket. Furthermore, women’s clothing lost some of its soft femininity, like puffed sleeves, and adopted stronger styles, like broad shoulders.
Changes in fashion was not just an aesthetic choice though, shortages in resources like fabrics resulted in changing styles. The slogan of the time was “Make Do and Mend,” which was an official policy that was adopted in Britain during WWII. Check out our blog post on Make Do and Mend for more information! Essentially the policies in place that restricted fabrics resulted in changes to clothing styles and construction, like for example, knee-length skirts rather than calf-length hemlines of the 1930s. The main goal in creating a skirt was to allow for the most amount of movement, while using the least amount of fabric. Thus, skirts were slim, short, although not by our modern standards, and often featured a slit so women could walk comfortably and climb on and off bicycles.
There was also new clothing designed for women who were filling new roles within society on the Home Front. Uniforms were created for women who joined military organizations. These uniforms were meant to look smart, but not sexy, and were based off men’s uniforms. Rather than keeping items in pockets, women were issued a matching purse so their pockets could lie completely flat. Women in the factories also were exposed to new garments. Women wore smocks, aprons, overalls, and coveralls on factory floors. Furthermore, hair was wrapped in scarves, turbans, or snoods. Some women even covered their hair outside of work, as shampoo became harder to come by.
BOEING COVERALLS AND CANADIAN WOMEN’S ARMY CORPS (CWAC) UNIFORM ON DISPLAY MACKIN HOUSE. CLOTHING ON LOAN FROM IVAN SAYERS.
Even with shortages in fabrics and other materials, women still figured out ways to wear beautiful clothing for special occasions, like their wedding day. Bridal outfits were particularly difficult to create as often it was prohibited to use the necessary amount of fabric. Brides in Britain felt these shortages very significantly. Sometimes women would use old parachutes, if they could get their hands on one, to create gowns. We have a wedding dress on display made out of parachute, make sure to come check it out! However, using fallen parachutes for clothing was illegal in Europe, so women needed other ways to obtain wedding clothes. Many were donated, Eleanor Roosevelt donated dresses to British brides, for example. Toronto’s Simpsons Department store donated a blush pink wedding dress and two matching bridesmaids’ outfits to be shared by women who were serving at the Canadian Red Cross headquarters; the outfits arrived on May 24, and before the end of the summer they had been worn by 24 brides!
Nylon was a very important material for the war effort; it was used to make parachutes and parachute cords. Parachutes were previously made out of silk, but as resources ran out nylon became the best alternative. However, this made obtaining nylon stockings very difficult. Women had to figure out another way to cover their legs. Many women resorted to colouring their legs with special makeup, or even gravy! They would often use an eyebrow pencil to draw a seam up the backs of their legs to make their fake stockings look more authentic.
Make sure to come check out our exhibit before June 6, 2020 to check out some examples of 1940s fashion in person! You can also attend our Home Front Fashion Show featuring the clothing of fashion historian Ivan Sayers on April 4, 2020. Follow this link for more information and tickets!
Large scale conflict often entails social, political, and economic upheaval. The Canadian Home Front during WWII experienced its own struggles and changes as the war progressed. This blog series will look at some controversies and uprisings that occurred on Canadian soil during the war, like conscription and conscientious objectors. This series will also address new roles for women and social changes that occurred as women filled new roles within Canadian society and the Canadian Armed Forces.