Fashion on the ration

Fun exhibition at the Imperial War Museum looking at fashion and clothing during the Second World War and the post war years of rationing.

This was a beautifully arranged show with eye catching displays and really good use made of first-hand accounts. The labelling was just enough. It didn’t labour where items had come from except when this related to something else in the case eg where they had a letter from someone and some of their clothing.  There was good use made of paintings of the time, particularly in the early section on uniforms such as Michael Ford’s picture of war weapons week in a country town.

I was most moved by the Make do and Mend section as my mother had helped out one of her aunts at sessions by carrying a tray of sample work round the audience to a particular piece of music. For some reason the pathos of this always made me laugh! How amused she would have seen her own life presented as history. Also in the show I learned that Eric Gill had designed the silver ARP Badge and one of my abiding memories of going to the Imperial War Museum with Mum was her wearing her father’s ARP badge inside her coat and flashing it at anyone she thought might have a passing interest!

Interesting odd little facts kept appearing such as not all parachute silk clothing had been made from downed parachutes. It was actually sold off in 1945 once the need for making parachutes had passed. Also that for a month after VE day red, white and blue clothes were free of the ration. However best of all the fact that women’s knickers were one of the few garment’s where elastic was still allowed to be used for the sake of morale and I suspect morals!

Review
Guardian

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