1940s Fashion - Rationing and Making do
Rationing wasn't just for food. Many commodities, including clothes, petrol and household goods were rationed to ensure fair distribution of valuable and scarce resources. As with many items, cloth and raw materials couldn't be imported, so the amount of clothes people could buy had to be controlled by a rationing system, introduced in 1941. Each person was allowed 66 coupons per year (later reduced to 48), which added up to a complete outfit. However some essential items didn't require coupons, such as boiler suits, workers overalls and baby's clothes under four months old, and the sale of second hand clothes was permitted. Sewing thread and mending wool were also un-rationed, and women were urged to take their old clothes or recently bought second hand ones, and alter them to fashion new ones. Clothes rationing continued until well after the war had ended in 1952. #SUBHEADING# "Make do and mend" #SUBHEADINGEND# #IMAGE# Mrs Sew and Sew, a handy seamstress character created by the government, encouraged women to "Make do and mend" the items they already owned. Everything needed to be made to last as long as possible, and there was no excuse for being wasteful. It also encouraged women to be creative with their dressmaking for the family. Old bedspreads could be made into coats, two worn dresses could be pieced together to make a new one, and men's old suits and trousers could be made into a woman or child's outfit. Some women were very creative, and used unconventional materials such as making hats from newspapers. Others, who were fortunate enough to get their hands on the remains of a silk parachute, could make underwear, nightwear and even wedding dresses from the material. Handy leaflets gave advice on how to take care of woollens, how to get the best wear from your shoes and how to cover unsightly holes with decorative patches. The principle of minimising waste was a campaign that was extended into other areas of government campaigns as well. With everything in shortage, it was important to ensure everything was used to its full potential in support of the population's morale and collective war effort.
Flirty Flapper Fashion
The 1920s saw a radical change to the fashionable silhouette. In contrast to the previous decades, the tightly corseted shape was abandoned in favour of the slim line boyish figure. Read on to explore the radical fashion of the daring twenties.
The Mitchell Collection of Costume
The Mitchell Collection is one of the most extensive and impressive collections of costume Hull Museums' own. From corsets to capes and bodices to boots, the collection contains many exquisite examples of historic costume. Explore the history behind the collection and how it came to be in Hull Museums.
Singer sewing machine
No museum social history collection would be complete without one! It may be common, but its invention was a miraculous time saving device in the home. Read on to find out the history behind this 1917 Singer Sewing machine.
1940s Fashion - Hard times for fashion
War time shortages had a big influence on fashion in the forties. Discover the restrained and austere styles of the forties, looking at the main fashion features of the period.
Madame Clapham: Hull's Celebrated Dressmaker
Madam Clapham was Hull's most celebrated dressmaker. She established her business in 1887 in Kingston Square, and continued until her death in 1952. Read on to discover how she developed her dress making business, when she reached the height of her fame and how she became a Court dressmaker.
1940s Fashion - Rationing and Making do
War time shortages had a big influence on fashion in the forties. Discover how the government introduced a clothing rationing system, which meant people had to 'make do and mend' with the clothes they already owned.
Restrictive Fashion
For over 200 years women were required to wear corsets to mould their bodies. Find out how corsets were made and why corsetry and whaling were very intimately connected.
1940s Fashion - Utility scheme
War time shortages had a big influence on fashion in the forties. Find out how the shortages in resources led to a government restrictive fashion scheme, which placed limitations on how clothes looked and how much material they could be made from.
1940s Fashion - 'Keep young and beautiful'
War time shortages had a big influence on fashion in the forties. Discover how women managed to keep looking young and beautiful, and what hairstyles and make-up were popular during the wartime years.
1940s Fashion - back to 'Civvie' Street
War time shortages had a big influence on fashion in the forties. Read on to discover how the term 'The Full Monty'' originated, and why Christian Dior's New Look caused such a stir after the war time restrictions placed on fashion.
Do you know your Utility wear from your 'New Look'?
How much do you know about 1940s fashion? Get out your Clothing ration book, put on your Utility wear dress and test your knowledge on fashion in the forties. Remember, all the answers to this quiz can be found in the 1940s fashion stories - so keep up that wartime morale and check them out if you get a bit stuck!