During World War II, fashion was bland. Women wore clothing, such as military jumpsuits, that signified war and the military. There were many laws and restrictions against women’s fashion during these times; women’s silhouettes, their lengths of garments, their garment colors, and the fabrication usage. Wool and nylon were mostly for garments and other casual clothing because the textiles were needed for those in the war. The laws against fashion were in play until after the war in 1945. Though the war ended, some women still kept the war fashion style. After World War II ended, fashion began to change; textile usage, silhouettes, and garment lengths changed (Goodwin 2009). Fashion began to rise and designers started to bring out the ‘new look’. Women’s fashion began to change from the military/war look to a more casual new look.
Textile usage changed after the war in 1945. People were allowed to wear garments with different varieties of materials. They wore more cotton, wool and silk. Women started to wear different types of fabrics as a change of fashion after the war. They began to branch off and look into exploring what other materials were.
Designers wanted to use silk, but after the Pearl Harbor attack the United States banned it from the country. Before the war, it was restricted for anyone to use a high amount of cotton, wool and nylon in designing clothes; that was based on the law from the War Production Board. The United States government put highly strict limits on designers. They couldn’t use certain fabrics needed and limited them to the amounts of fabrics they were able to use to create garments. Because women weren’t allowed to wear certain materials, nylon stockings weren’t available. This issue resulted in women putting make-up on their legs in order to cover up their blemishes and they decided to put a seam line on the back of their stockings by using an eyeliner pencil. Styles that women were
References: Goodwin, S. (1999). 1940-1949. American Cultural History. Lone Star College-Kingwood Library, Kingwood, TX