Some say fashion is the ultimate freedom of expression: a
mood or personal voice communicated through the clothing each and every person
opts to wear. One might think Americans have always had the freedom to choose
whatever we want to dress ourselves in, but there was a time not even a century
ago, when fabrics and materials became limited due to a little event we
identify as World War II.
Not only were footwear, fabrics, and apparel short in supply
in the United States but in
France and Great Britain as well - all
were rationed. Because of the massive impact the war had on the world, the
supplies needed for the war effort demanded that the people be required to give
up luxuries for a cause bigger than themselves.
Women’s
options of wearing the newest styles or the most colorful dress and heels were
suddenly curtailed. With the onslaught of the war, many fabrics became
unavailable, which significantly affected the formerly easy access to certain
types of clothing.
On the American Home Front
“Uncle Sam last week
assumed the role of fashion designer. Sweeping restrictions aim to save
15 percent of the yardage now used on women's and girls' apparel through such
measures as restricting hems and belts to two inches, eliminating cuffs on sleeves.
Exempt categories include bridal gowns, maternity dresses, and vestments for
religious orders.” Life Magazine, April 20, 1942
To
further illustrate, starting in 1942 there was a
limited supply of wool: wool was the textile used for
more than eleven million U.S.
military uniforms, therefore it was in short supply. Instead, artificial fibers such as viscose and rayon
were used, both derived from wood pulp.
Nylon and silk were
fibers popular in the 40’s because of their use in women’s stockings, but they
soon also became obsolete as materials used for women’s clothing and accessories. Because
parachutes for the war were fabricated out of nylon, the fabric was converted
into a military staple. Silk supply was also eliminated entirely
during the war because Japan
was the principal provider of the nation’s silk.
Due to the shortage of nylon stockings, women became creative in their efforts to re-create the look of seamed hose. They began painting tinted shades on their legs and simulated back seams on
each other with eyeliner pencil.
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| The Hutton Getty Picture Collection 1940s-Nick Yapp |
When America
entered the war, the economy focused on war production instead of consumer
demand.
In May 1942, the U.S. Office of
Price Administration began implementing rations on such varied items such as
sugar, coffee, gasoline, meat, tires, and silk. Each family in the United States
was given ration books and vouchers to purchase these goods, limiting how much each
person was able to purchase.
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The Home Front: U.S.A. Ronald H. Bailey
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Rationed items also happened to be scarce, attributable to
various reasons: Coffee, for example, was rationed because the ships previously
transporting the coffee beans from South America
were preoccupied with military use.
Rubber was the first
material rationed in the United
States that was not food-related. The
plantations of the Dutch East Indies, which generated 90% of the United States’ rubber, were captured by Japan. President
Roosevelt took action and asked Americans to come together and aid by recycling
rubber at home: tires, raincoats, shoes,
bathing/shower caps, and hoses.
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Life Magazine August 11, 1941
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Recycling of all kinds began to be encouraged by the
government: Americans were persuaded to recycle metal, paper, and rubber, all to
support the war effort. As an example, aluminum cans were recycled in order to
provide extra ammo for the military.
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Ladies’ Home Journal June, 1944
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Regulation L-85:
Because of the minute supply of materials such as silk,
nylon, wool, leather, rubber, and cotton and their need for the national
defense, the War Production Board in 1942 enacted Regulation L-85. This regulation
rationed organic fibers and limited drastic alterations to clothing that would
draw consumers into stores.
Another element of the regulation not only limited certain
colors available to the public (black and navy were the most common colors
employed) but caused the elimination of former particular fashion design embellishments
such as patch pockets, balloon sleeves, sashes, double yokes, hoods, or shawls,
which were deemed too extraneous.
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| The British sign reads "Women's Utility Suits" |
The amount of acceptable yardage utilized in garments was
also regulated here and abroad: skirts couldn’t be below the knee (as popular in previous
decades), jackets and skirts couldn’t be excessively full, and cuffs were not
allowed. Even elastic in women’s foundations was forbidden.
The simple, unadorned suits available for purchase were often called "utility suits"
The simple, unadorned suits available for purchase were often called "utility suits"
Great
Britain at War:
To relay the message of limiting clothing purchases, the
rationing system was explained in media of newspapers and women’s magazines
such as the example below, published in Great Britain in June of 1941:
“When the shops re-open you will be able to buy cloth,
clothes, footwear and knitting wool only if you bring your food ration book
with you. The shopkeeper will detach the required number of coupons from the
unused margarine page. Each margarine coupon counts as one coupon towards
the purchase of clothing and footwear. You will have a total of 66
coupons to last you a year; so go sparingly. You can buy
where you like and when you like without registering.”
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| The Hutton Getty Picture Collection 1940s-Nick Yapp |
As a
result of the rationing required of them, women during World War II were
encouraged to mend their clothing and think creatively about utilizing old garments
in new ways.
Year after
year of war also meant a diminishing number coupons for purchasing clothing. In 1945 the
coupon limit in Great
Britain was 36 per year as compared to 66
per year in 1941. Even though coupons were necessary to acquire new clothing,
money was required as well. Those who were financially poor still could not
afford the government rationed garments.
Here, examples of what was rationed in England during the war and how many coupons they required:
Frock, gown, or
dress constructed of wool 11
Skirt 7
Blouse, shirt, sports
top, cardigan or jumper 5
Pair of slippers,
boots or shoes 5
Stockings per pair 2
Shoe Rationing:
On the United
States home front, shoe rationing began in
1943. The rubber and leather that was used to construct shoes was now necessary
for the war that the United
States entered into. To ensure the essential
leather and rubber was supplied to those in the war, the American government
executed a shoe rationing program which granted each citizen only 3 pairs of
shoes per year.
Being Crafty:
Women learned to sew, knit, and repair through home stitching
because they were expected to use garments and objects bought before the war.
Magazines educated them on how to revamp fabrics into updated styles that were
possible through detailed instructions these publications provided.
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Ladies’ Home Journal June,
1944
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Food Conservation:
With the recyling of cans and the rationing of food products, women were encouraged to see food as "the munitions of war" and to pickle and preserve their own food products.
We began with fashion and we end with fashion: we come to realize that though we believe that fashion is often a free self-expression of the Western world, this article illustrates that we haven’t always had the autonomy to freely purchase clothing at any point in time, constructed out of any fabric we desire. The dedication women put forth towards the war effort overrode any regret they may have had not being able to wear the most updated fashions.
With the recyling of cans and the rationing of food products, women were encouraged to see food as "the munitions of war" and to pickle and preserve their own food products.
We began with fashion and we end with fashion: we come to realize that though we believe that fashion is often a free self-expression of the Western world, this article illustrates that we haven’t always had the autonomy to freely purchase clothing at any point in time, constructed out of any fabric we desire. The dedication women put forth towards the war effort overrode any regret they may have had not being able to wear the most updated fashions.
Though this expression wasn’t conveyed
through what they wore at the time, it is now an education to see their message
70 years later.
This article was researched and written by our intern, Chelsea Bjerk.
