The New Face of Fashion

War changes everything, and fashion was no exception to this rule - there was a crackdown on how much a person could buy, as the materials used for luxury were now being used to aid the front line of men fighting for peace.


(Source: meandthedevilblues.tumblr) The fashions in this illustration show the most extravagant ways clothing was worn - femininity remained throughout, though the styles were simple

Any silhouette development in fashion was stopped short - everything was on hold until the end of the war. Slogans such as 'make do and mend' were adopted to encourage people to hold on to what they had and repair it if necessary to prevent unnecessary wastage of materials. Lavish materials such as silk were banned entirely, so many of the fashions seen in wartime were made of standard materials or reused clothes from eras passed. Vogue ran an article on your 'One and Only Dress' to give women inspiration for ways they could reuse their clothes.


(Source: nationalarchives) I really love how kitsch these little tricks are - I definitely want to try a few out, just to see what the effects would be

(Source: miss-thrifty.co.uk)  The most well-known 'make do and mend' leaflet

The 'Make Do and Mend' spirit was going strong in the 40's and the campaigners who had launched the slogan created guides instructing how to mend garments, such as darning tights or adapting a pair of trousers to form a skirt. I think this is something we should all adopt now due to the increasing shortages in certain materials and the rising population.

(Source: vintageposterblog.com)

Nylon stockings were rationed and in 1945 this caused a series of disturbances nicknamed the 'Nylon Riots' as women everywhere were getting desperate; some would even draw a seam line on their legs to give the impression of stockings!


(Source:prweb.com) I find it astonishing how such a little everyday detail could cause such mayhem - it shows what just little luxury they had during the war.

(Source: lchs.museum) I think though it's really quite terrible that women couldn't even wear stockings, this innovation is brilliant!

A sort of black market formed in Britain in the early 40's when women would use American soldiers to get them Nylon stockings (America rationed them later on - see above). This put the American soldiers in a high light and they became a source of many crushes amongst women!