Fashion on the ration Fashion on; Woolly knickers and women in slacks. Marion McMullen recalls the ingenuity of WorldWar II style.

Byline: Marion McMullen

MAGAZINES carrying patterns showing women how they could knit "new" underwear by unpicking old cardigans and turning them into bras and pants were commonplace during the Second World War.

One of the drawbacks of DIY underwear though was the shortage of elastic and many women resorted to buttons to keep their knickers up.

ose in service were faced with "passion killers" - un[euro]attering bloomers in khaki, navy, black or blue/grey made of warm wool or [euro]annel - while parachute silk ' and silk maps were eagerly sought to turn into more comfortable underwear.

e face of fashion changed completely after war was declared and clothing coupons were rst introduced in Britain.

A new book and exhibition at the Imperial War Museum remembers 'fashion on the ration' and looks back on the era when women began to wear slacks, stockings became a luxury item and second-hand markets, pawnbrokers and clothing clubs [euro]ourished.

Men and women across the country found new ways to dress, from adopting more casual styles to demonstrating amazing ingenuity in renovating, recycling and creating their own clothes.

London department store Fortnum & Mason brought out the "Fortknee" for women drivers in the services. e short stocking, knitted from the nest wool, was worn over the knee and covered half the thigh, thus preserving the modesty of the driver in the event that her skirt might ride up and expose her legs.

"Keep up the morale of the Home Front by preserving a neat appearance," was the advice from the Board Of Trade to women back in 1940 as they struggled with war-time shortages.

Puppet Mrs Sew-and-Sew encouraged women to patch and reuse whatever material and clothing they had to hand while Make-Do And Mend was the catchphrase of the day.

Audrey Withers became the editor of British Vogue in 1940 and promised readers the magazine would oer helpful, practical advice as well as "the usual charming, civilised articles on fashion, manners and other things besides."

" Withers was also determined to do her bit and joined the Auxiliary Fire Service as a driver while Voguerst featured women in slacks in 1939.

Home And Country, the monthly magazine of the Women's Institute, oered articles on darning and patching as well as knitting patterns for vests and knickers.

e Board Of Trade announced: "Two coupons are required for women's non-woollen legless knickers of any type, irrespective of the width of leg, provided they have no leg extensions on the inside of the leg below the gusset."

Dress-making and knitting was raised to a patriotic act and top designer Hardy Amies even turned his talents to creating utility clothing.

Constrained by the number of buttons and pleats, as well as the length of skirts, he and his fellow IncSoc contemporaries - Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers - had to work hard to introduce originality.

Designer Norman Hartnell designed a purple, green and mauve utility dress that cost seven clothing coupons. Utility stockings, especially the non-fully fashioned isle stockings, were loathed and despaired across the country though. London worker Rose Cottrell wrote in a letter to her sister about the "awful cheap stockings" that were now in the Picture: that were now in the shops.

"I saw some of them on a model in Medhursts and my word they are awful. If they can't look nice on a stocking model in a shop window, you can bet they don't stand much chance on a leg."

In the end almost everything was regulated... even childrenswear. Women were encouraged to make their children's clothes. An advertisement by Kamella, which supplied patterns and knitting wool, encouraged mothers to buy Utility Baby Bags as other baby garments were so limited.

Everyone was entitled to 66 clothing coupons to last for a year. Pregnant women were given no extra allocation for maternitywear and often only had one or two maternity outts which they lived in for months on end.

and often only had one or two maternity outts which they lived in for months on end.

Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth saved up her clothing coupons to buy the silk for her wedding dress in 1947. Norman Hartnell described it as the most beautiful dress he had made to date and the ivory silk, crystal and seed-pearl embrodied gown had a 13ft long star-patterned train. It captured the public imagination and represented a turning-point for post-war Britain.

Hartnell described it as the most beautiful dress he had made to date and the ivory silk, crystal and seed-pearl embrodied gown had a 13ft long star-patterned train. It captured the public imagination and represented a turning-point for post-war Britain.

Meanwhile, Christian Dior's New Look took Paris and the rest of the world by storm the same year. It was almost two years before its hardpressed Nast Meanwhile, Christian Dior's New Look took Paris and the rest of the world by storm the same year. It was almost two years before British designers embraced the glamorous style and it was given the royal seal of approval by Princess Margaret at the silver wedding celebration for her parents.

the glamorous style and it FASHION | One ration: Style In e Second WorldWar by Julie Summers (Prole Books, hardbook and eBook PS16.99). Fashion One Ration: 1940s Street Style exhibition runs at the Imperial War Museum in London until August 31.

Audrey Withers, Vogue's |editor between 1940 and 1960. Picture: Norman Parkinson Ltd/Courtesy of the Norman Parkinson Archive

CAPTION(S):

Julie Summers' |new book looks at wartime fashions

Vogue tailored its |articles to help hardpressed readers. Picture: Conde Nast

Left: A Weldon knitting booklet. |Above: Designer Hardy Amies takes time out from his officer training to put the finishing touches to his spring line. Photo by Fred Ramage/Getty Images

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:	Features
Publication:	Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England)
Geographic Code:	4EUUK
Date:	Apr 10, 2015
Words:	959
Previous Article:	Top tips to perfect your Ladies Day look.
Next Article:	Hit-and-run killer guilty of pal's murder; Drove at friend after argument over hunting dog.