How did WW2 change the way people dressed? Despite air raids and austerity, style was not in short supply in World War Two. An exhibition at the Imperial War Museum looks at how conflict abroad meant fashion at home had to change. Clothing coupons limited what most people could buy and government rules directly impacted on the styles available. But amid the cutbacks, there was still colour. Click to see what coupons would buy - and then scroll to find out how creativity flourished further.
Video narration by the IWM's Laura Clouting, a curator at the Fashion on the Ration exhibition. The Make-do and Mend credo - given official support by the Board of Trade in 1942 - tried to make people think differently about where they got clothes from. With coupons limiting what could be bought in the shops, old garments at the back of wardrobes were adapted and given new life. This woman's matching jacket and skirt may originally have started life as a man's pin stripe suit. This "siren suit" below is, arguably, an early form of onesie.
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Julie Boyd DT. Fashion. Free Patterns - Your Style Rocks. Design by rma / Pattern by Your Style Rocks! This is the pattern for the 1950s inspired dress that rma designed for our "Past Perfect" contest. It can be worn with a petticoat or you can just leave it away if you prefer a more floaty look for your skirt. We made our own embellishment for the top but of course you can use something off-the-shelf as well. Ours is detachable, so we can always decide whether we're in the mood for some extra attention or not!
:-) Please consult our size comparison table, our table of body measurements and the "Patterns" section of our FAQs before you download and print a pattern. Detailed sewing instructions for this pattern are available here. Download the pattern:
100's Of Sewing & Quilting Links - Yarn-or-Fabric. The role of the Fashion Designer with regard the emergence of Smart textiles and Wearable technology. Part 1 - fashion design. Terms/learning materials. Sewing Tips & Techniques. Vogue Magazine Cover Archive. Shwinandshwinarchive. E-Textiles.