Forties fashion and the new look

This is an account of how ordinary people in Britain looked during and after World War II. It was a world of clothes rationing, "make do and mend", the Utility Scheme, uniforms for both sexes, the WI, homemade cosmetics and women's magazines lending circles. It was a time of factory girls in boiler suits and headscarves, and of clothes made from patchwork, flags, blackout fabric, mosquito netting, parachute silk and anything that came to hand. But, it was also a time when great efforts were made to keep high fashion alive, in the face of attempts by the Germans to move the Paris couture houses to Berlin, because looking good was seen as important to morale. Towards the end of the war, New York, with a strong influence from Hollywood, became the temporary fashion capital of the world. This, in turn, led to the emergence of the post-war New Look. Illustrated with numerous photographs, advertisements and fashion drawings, this book provides comprehensive coverage of 40s fashion, from a dress sewn from a torn German parachute to Queen Elizabeth's, now the Queen Mother, ball gowns.