In this article we will explore an overlooked role of fashion during a time of great global crisis. In addition to being a component that gives us a sense of humanity, compassion, and an expression of creativity, fashion can serve as a key element in reviving various sectors of the economy.
Despite the bombing and austerity, there was no shortage of style in the UK during World War II.
A new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London explores how the conflict marked and changed British fashion.
Clothing coupons limited what people could buy, and government-imposed standards at the time marked the styles available.
But amid the restrictions, there color still remain.
Sew and sing
The culture of mending and reusing used clothing, which received official support from the Trade Office in 1942, began to proliferate.
As the coupons put a limit on the clothes that could be bought in the stores, old forgotten outfits at the bottom of the closet were adapted and had new life.
Thus, an old men's suit could be converted into a women's skirt and jacket set.
Another example is the child's cape in the photo, which appears to have been made in a hurry and made from an old blanket.
With the threat of nighttime bombardments across much of the country, a new fad emerged.
The "mermaid costume" below is a primitive form of the sophisticated jumpsuit or one-piece garment that is booming today.
Very modern in the war years, they were suits that could be put on very easily in the middle of the night and in the rush to get to air raid shelters.
Many people sewed their own monkeys. The somewhat more elegant versions were obtained with coupons in stores.
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