Functional Fashion: The First Government-Commissioned Clothing Line
Ever imagine what it would be like to have everything you wear be strictly controlled by the government? Probably not.
That’s because we live in a democratic society where free speech and the right to express oneself (clothes being an important agent of self-expression) is sacrosanct. This was not the case in the mid-20th century when most countries were embroiled in the battles of World War II. Britain, being at the helm of this war, is a case where politics and military affairs largely manifested itself in the socio-cultural fabric of British society – particularly in women’s clothing.
As part of the war effort, Britain needed more resources for arms and metal production, and industries that were not crucial to the war effort were sidelined with their productions considerably reduced. The fashion industry was one example, which was first restricted by the announcement of clothes rationing by the Utility Scheme of June 1942. This effort made clothes production more efficient and directed it primarily to the war effort. As for women, their changing roles during wartime required a change in their attire. Together, these simultaneous effects on the industry and on gender roles resulted in a transformation of women’s fashion in Britain.
After the ‘Making of Clothes Restrictions Orders’ was introduced in 1942, the use of trimmings, maximum length of skirts and number of pleats were curtailed. The rayon crepe dress has all the characteristics of wartime clothing – broad shoulders (shaped by heavy flock pads), below the knee skirt length and a square silhouette, but it also has also eye-catching details, such as bold lapels and a roomy pocket set diagonally on the left hip.
Since men were conscripted into the armed forces in the Second World War, women between the ages of 18 and 60 were made to perform jobs essential to the war effort, such as Air Raid Precautions and Women’s Voluntary Service, and agricultural organizations, such as Women’s Land Army. As a result, women needed clothing that would equip them well to perform their tasks efficiently and safely. This espoused a trend in “factory fashions,” which resulted from the need for comfortable and safe factory clothing. Overalls, dungarees and trousers became extensively popular, which provoked indignation from some sections of society as expressed in one article in British Vogue (November 1945) that said, “wartime restrictions would convert them into a nation of frights and slovens.”
In order to safeguard the lives of civilians, clothing now incorporated a variety of safety measures against air raids and gas warfare. Examples of these are handbags which had space for respirators and ‘siren suits’ as protection from air raids. As part of the Utility Scheme, these industrial and safety requirements were all to be met within the restrictions placed on cloth production,.
Fashion, like other aspects of civilian life, was dictated by the war effort and revealed the economic impact of war, the changing roles of women and the overarching sentiment of fear that prevailed. Accordingly, Thomas Barlow (an officer in the Royal Navy) described the collection as “the first Government-commissioned clothing line.”