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Fabulous Forties Fashion!

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by vmcfashion in Books, Conferences, Education, Exhibitions, Fashion, Fashion designers, Hair & Make-up, History of Fashion, Magazines, Recycled / Upcycled Fashion, Sewing

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1940's fashion, Digby Morton, Kent Costume Trust, Make Do and Mend, Mrs Sew and Sew, Snibston, The Costume Society, Utility, V&A, Victor Stiebel, Worth

Digby Morton Utility suit for the Board of Trade collection with CC41 buttons

On Saturday I spent a fascinating fashion day at Snibston Costume Gallery at the Costume Society‘s Utility Fashion in Wartime Study Day. Philip Warren started the day by exploring the social, political and economic context of 1940’s Britain that led to clothes rationing being introduced in June 1941.

CC41 symbol

Jenny Lister of the V&A museum followed with a detailed review of the Board of Trade Utility collection, which tasked the Incorporated Society of Fashion Designers to produce stylish fashion in accordance with strict wartime restrictions.

Utility skirt suit 1942 Victor Stiebel

Utility skirt suit 1942 Victor Stiebel

Utility suit & coat by Worth 1942

Utility suit & coat by Worth 1942

I gave a talk on the Make Do & Mend campaign through which Mrs Sew and Sew encouraged the mending and remodelling of pre war clothing: on hand were examples of a blouse made from salvaged parachute silk, a jigger jacket made from a baby’s blanket, a 1940’s party dress remodelled from a bias cut 1930s wedding dress and dyed and coats made from Victorian shawls.

Make Do and Mend leafletMake Do & MendMake Do and Mend fashionsParachute silk blouse Janet Godfrey collectionBaby's blalnket made into a jigger jacketParty dress made from a dyed 1930s wedding dress Janet Godfrey collectionParty dress made from a dyed 1930s wedding dress Janet Godfrey collectionVictorian shawls made into 1940s coats/siren suits Snibston Museum collection

Currently the interest in wartime crafts is so strong that the Mrs Sew and Sew leaflets have been reproduced in this cute book

Make Do and Mend book

A tour of the CC41 Utility Fashion in Wartime exhibition was followed by Professor Lou Taylor’s thought-provoking examination of Paris Couture during the war.

Modes Travaux Paris 1943

We were lucky to finish the day with two private collectors- Alisdair Peebles and Janet Godfrey of the Kent Costume Trust– sharing their collections with us. And re-enactors Sandra Gribben and Tracey Cork stole the show with their fabulous 1940’s ensembles.

1940s re-enactors

 

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