This weekend, millions of us all over the country stopped what we were doing to take part in remembrance services and silences to mark Remembrance Weekend. This important event is an opportunity for us to come together and remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and given their lives in conflict for the freedom we enjoy today. Many of us have parents and grandparents who fought or participated in WWII; lasting from 1939 to 1945 and involving almost all of the world's nations this conflict involved over 100 million people some of whom are still alive today. My own grandparents often shared with us their own experiences of war as we were growing up, my grandfather as a soldier on active service in Italy, and my grandmother as a young girl evacuated from the streets of Liverpool to Wales at the height of conflict. Whilst their memories were often painful, there were many good times to be had. My grandmother, then a young, fashionable girl, often shared many of her beauty and fashion tricks with us over the years and her sense of style was clearly influenced by the elegant simplicity of 1940s fashion and Fabrics.
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During the war years, ladies never sacrificed their sense of style.[/caption]
Despite the hardships of war, fashion and style were still of great importance to ladies during the 1940s and stars such as Bette Davis and Ava Gardener lit up the screen with their dignified, ladylike style. The German invasion of Poland in 1939 was to set the tone for everything that happened over the following years and as fashion often follows social trends and the position of the economy, the arrival of war necessitated certain changes in the wardrobes of fashionable ladies. From June 1941 until March 1949 clothing, food and Fabrics were subject to rationing meaning that women had to be ever more creative with their wardrobe choices. Scarce items were rationed to ensure a fair share for all and to free up factory space and skilled workers for vital war industries. Families were issued ration coupons for clothing; the more fabric and labour required the more points were required for purchase. Children's clothes cost less points as they would obviously be required to purchase new clothes more often but for everyone else 'Make Do and Mend' became the mantra. Women would use everything from furnishing Fabrics to blackout lining and parachute silk to create clothing items such as underwear, nightwear and even wedding gowns.
[caption id="attachment_8038" align="alignright" width="171"]
Women were encouraged to Make Do and Mend rather than purchasing new items.[/caption]
For girls who were growing up during this time of extreme hardship fashion publications were a source of guidance and inspiration for their fashion choices and the magazines that they had collected prior to the outbreak of war became an essential point of reference. The world's biggest fashion publication 'Vogue' ran a series of articles encouraging women to repair worn or old clothing rather than going out to purchase new items. Fashion magazines such as this focussed heavily on the need for women to look good during war time as they felt this could affect the mood of the nation and was seen as them laughing in the face of Hitler, showing that they were not scared to make a stand with their fashion. With many women taking up manual roles in factories, they would spend much of their day clad in boiler suits and utilitarian outfits so would focus much of their attention on their hair and headgear as this was often the last bit of glamour they could keep hold of. Ladies at work would be required for health and safety reasons to tie their hair up into a turban or kerchief and would often pair the look with a slick of bright red lipstick.
During this period of conflict, fashion became less frivolous and more about having practical clothing rather than designer labels but the arrival of the first American GI's in 1942 came a time of renewed hope and with them they brought items such as coca-cola, candy sticks and a salary that was often five times that of a British soldier. For many British families at the time, the Americans were something of a novelty, only seen before on Hollywood film screens and of course caught the eye of many of the countries young ladies with over 70,000 women becoming GI brides by the end of the war, often being wooed with gifts of nylon stockings and other items and clothing Fabrics that had been sadly scarce for many of the preceding years. For the GI's there was plenty of time for parties and the American's helped to influence the changing face of fashion and popular culture with jazz music and dance crazes such as the boogie woogie.
[caption id="attachment_8039" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Paloma Faith is famous for her vintage inspired ensembles.[/caption]
By 1947, the fashion industry was starting to recover and Fabrics were slowly becoming more available to the fashion houses but for women on the home front, the effects of rationing were to last as far as the 1950s. Many post war brides, marrying their childhood sweetheart who had just returned home, would forsake a glamorous, traditional gown made from luxurious Fabrics and would walk down the aisle in her 'Sunday Best'. The fashion of the 1940s still has a huge influence on us today. Singer Paloma Faith is famous for channeling the wartime era in the form of victory rolls and elegant, tailored clothing resulting in a vibrant, eclectic style which has secured her place as one of this decades style icons. Our wide selection of Fabrics are ideal for creating the elegant and ladylike fashions of this time.
During the war years, ladies never sacrificed their sense of style.[/caption]
Despite the hardships of war, fashion and style were still of great importance to ladies during the 1940s and stars such as Bette Davis and Ava Gardener lit up the screen with their dignified, ladylike style. The German invasion of Poland in 1939 was to set the tone for everything that happened over the following years and as fashion often follows social trends and the position of the economy, the arrival of war necessitated certain changes in the wardrobes of fashionable ladies. From June 1941 until March 1949 clothing, food and Fabrics were subject to rationing meaning that women had to be ever more creative with their wardrobe choices. Scarce items were rationed to ensure a fair share for all and to free up factory space and skilled workers for vital war industries. Families were issued ration coupons for clothing; the more fabric and labour required the more points were required for purchase. Children's clothes cost less points as they would obviously be required to purchase new clothes more often but for everyone else 'Make Do and Mend' became the mantra. Women would use everything from furnishing Fabrics to blackout lining and parachute silk to create clothing items such as underwear, nightwear and even wedding gowns.
[caption id="attachment_8038" align="alignright" width="171"] Women were encouraged to Make Do and Mend rather than purchasing new items.[/caption]
For girls who were growing up during this time of extreme hardship fashion publications were a source of guidance and inspiration for their fashion choices and the magazines that they had collected prior to the outbreak of war became an essential point of reference. The world's biggest fashion publication 'Vogue' ran a series of articles encouraging women to repair worn or old clothing rather than going out to purchase new items. Fashion magazines such as this focussed heavily on the need for women to look good during war time as they felt this could affect the mood of the nation and was seen as them laughing in the face of Hitler, showing that they were not scared to make a stand with their fashion. With many women taking up manual roles in factories, they would spend much of their day clad in boiler suits and utilitarian outfits so would focus much of their attention on their hair and headgear as this was often the last bit of glamour they could keep hold of. Ladies at work would be required for health and safety reasons to tie their hair up into a turban or kerchief and would often pair the look with a slick of bright red lipstick.
During this period of conflict, fashion became less frivolous and more about having practical clothing rather than designer labels but the arrival of the first American GI's in 1942 came a time of renewed hope and with them they brought items such as coca-cola, candy sticks and a salary that was often five times that of a British soldier. For many British families at the time, the Americans were something of a novelty, only seen before on Hollywood film screens and of course caught the eye of many of the countries young ladies with over 70,000 women becoming GI brides by the end of the war, often being wooed with gifts of nylon stockings and other items and clothing Fabrics that had been sadly scarce for many of the preceding years. For the GI's there was plenty of time for parties and the American's helped to influence the changing face of fashion and popular culture with jazz music and dance crazes such as the boogie woogie.
[caption id="attachment_8039" align="alignleft" width="150"] Paloma Faith is famous for her vintage inspired ensembles.[/caption]
By 1947, the fashion industry was starting to recover and Fabrics were slowly becoming more available to the fashion houses but for women on the home front, the effects of rationing were to last as far as the 1950s. Many post war brides, marrying their childhood sweetheart who had just returned home, would forsake a glamorous, traditional gown made from luxurious Fabrics and would walk down the aisle in her 'Sunday Best'. The fashion of the 1940s still has a huge influence on us today. Singer Paloma Faith is famous for channeling the wartime era in the form of victory rolls and elegant, tailored clothing resulting in a vibrant, eclectic style which has secured her place as one of this decades style icons. Our wide selection of Fabrics are ideal for creating the elegant and ladylike fashions of this time.