Eighty years ago families watched and waited as tensions mounted in Europe, yet when Britain declared war in September 1939 few were prepared for the ensuing overwhelming disruption to civilian life. Here Jayne Shrimpton considers pre-war fashion and how the conflict affected dress
Female fashions of the late- 1930s were already evolving along lines that would become more pronounced during the war. Daytime garments, previously soft and fluid, were gaining a trim, sleeker look as skirts and frocks narrowed, hemlines rose from flowing calflength to just below the knee, while blouses and bodices developed padded shoulders and crisp collars or ruched details, sculpting fabric to the body. Fashionable formal daywear comprised either a fitted coat layered over a stylish afternoon dress or a tailored jacket and skirt suit teamed with a smart blouse – outfits accessorised with a chic asymmetrical hat, highheeled shoes, gloves and coordinating bag. Costly sable, mink, fox or Persian lamb fur jackets, collars and stoles were must-have accessories for ladies of means, while romantic floor-length evening wear expressed movie-star glamour or refined English elegance.
Ordinary women could not attain the Hollywood ideals of beauty, but feminine hairdressing and ingenious use of make-up would become increasingly important during the war
For everyday street wear, suits and coats were teamed with low-heeled brogues or court shoes and neat accessories. Floral-patterned, spotted, striped and chevron-design fabrics were popular for puff-sleeved day frocks, suits and coats tailored from plainer material.
When at home doing domestic chores, women typically wore a washable ‘tub frock’ or plain blouse and skirt protected with an apron or ‘pinny’.