NOW IN PRINT Buy this 1940s British Utility Bra pattern and wear what they wore during the War! Just when bras were gaining in popularity, Wartime restrictions on fabric and civilian garment production hours threatened their complicated manufacture. The United States had the National Recovery Act that asked manufacturers to produce garments with less material and trimmings for the sake of the War effort. The British Board of Trade instituted a simliar program called the Utility program and garments made under this scheme bore the mark "CC41". Based on a British-made bra with the CC41 stamp, this design is the perfect undergarment for 1940s wartime frocks. Easy to make. Easy to wear. It closes on back with hooks. A little bit of simple elastic makes for a comfortable fit. Fits busts 28" to 60". All sizes in one envelope. NOTE: please be aware that this bra may not have enough support for large breasts. Further underbust support may be needed. This pattern conforms to the original construction and does not include more modern support techniques, but they can easily be added to this design. Also included are assembly instructions, embellishment suggestions, and the extensive historical notes you've come to expect from Reconstructing History. Suggested Fabrics: rayon, cotton, sateen, coutilNotions: hooks and eyes for closure, narrow elastic, stiffened fabric for gussetYardage Requirements: 1 yard/meter at least 36" wide
The attacks, which took place September 1940 and May 1941, killed more than 43,000 people and left more than one million homeless, and inflicted unparalleled devastation across the capital.
Rationing and air raids couldn't cancel Christmas - here's how Christmas was celebrated during the Second World War.
Whether flying transport planes, preparing torpedoes or cracking German codes at Bletchley Park, British women made a vital contribution during World War Two.
The bus stops on the south side of Trafalgar Square were removed when the gyratory system was introduced in 1926. On the night of the...
Battle of Britain, WW2.
Britain’s war artists capture the conflict in artwork. This resource has been archived as the interactive parts no longer work. You can still use the rest of it for information, tasks or research. Please note that it has not been updated since its creation in 2006. This site has not been produced by the Education […]
A Chelsea Pensioner adds a frying-pan to a heap of aluminium pots and pans at the WVS depot at Chelsea, following Lord Beaverbrook's appeal for aluminium for the war effort.
New images in the film archive, unveiled by the British Council (BC) today, reveal what life was like in Britain during 1930s and 40s.
About The Poster: During WWII, not only did posters continue to play their important role as vectors of motivation and patriotic fervour. They also appealled "to darker emotions such as anger at the human cost of war. The appeal of posters also lies in the use of familiar images and expressions. Graphic artists combined their skill with advertising copywriters to sway public opinion and unite people in support of the war effort. The posters’ effectiveness arises from complex designs of words and symbols to communicate, invite action and build consensus." (Source : Australian National Wartime Museum, Patriotism, Persuasion, Propaganda, American War Posters). This poster encourages citizens to volunteer to the help the war effort. In excellent condition. less
Enterprising evacuees Brian Ganer and Tom Pharo contribute to the war effort by harvesting and drying tobacco leaves in North Devon, 19th August 1941.
1942 - A member of the Women's Royal Naval Service manning a harbour craft; aiding the war effort during World War Two, December 1942.
Description: Throughout the 1940s every man woman and child in Britain owned ration books of coupons that had to be used to obtain food and clothing. Clothing rationing was introduced in 1941 and lasted eight years. Fabric was needed for the war effort (to make uniforms, parachutes etc.) and so was the factory capacity. Date: World War Two Our Catalogue Reference: BT 131/40 This image is from the collections of The National Archives. Feel free to share it within the spirit of the Commons. For high quality reproductions of any item from our collection please contact our image library.
Alongside the more well-known scenes of soldiers living in the trenches, a new exhibition shows pictures, letters and objects of the women they left behind
Bring a touch of vintage British charm to your home or office with this reprint of a 1940's WW2 pig food recycling poster. This unique and eye-catching poster was commissioned by the UK government during the war effort to encourage citizens to recycle their food scraps to help feed the pigs that were an important source of food during the war. The poster features a cartoon pig with a mischievous wink, about to lift the lid of a bin labelled "Pig Food". The bold red background adds to the playful, light hearted tone of the poster, making it a great addition to any room. This poster is sure to be a conversation starter and will be appreciated by history buffs and art lovers alike.
Take a look at everything from weddings to funerals, births to coronations, and a few scandals in between.
Above: 1940s cotton floral print day dress Wartime restrictions on labour and materials meant that when clothing became subject to rationing in the early 1940s, the everyday lives of women were much more active and hands-on assisting with the war effort - so fashion needed to become functional and hard-wearing as well as stylish. Rationing began in 1941, and the following year the Utility Clothing Scheme was introduced. Clothing was subject to severe restrictions such as the amount of fabric to be used, the length and width of skirts, the amount of buttons or trimmings allowed and even the number of pleats permitted. Above: 1940s red wool cc41 utility marked coat with sheepskin trim Leading designers such as Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Edward Molyneux produced garments for the Utility wardrobe, illustrating the fact that wartime fashion may have been restricted, but it was certainly stylish. Garments were well-tailored and made to last many seasons, hence the quality and great condition of many of the 1940s pieces we find today. Above: cc41 marked stunning tailored 1940s linen skirt suit with soutache pockets in military green Utility clothing was well-cut, stylish and surprisingly creative as designers found new ways to make their garments appeal to a mindful wartime clientele despite of the limitations. The utility marked day dress above has a fun and cheerful print sure to lift one's spirits! Man-made fabrics came to the fore, with rayon crepe being used frequently for day and eveningwear. Linen was also a popular fabric for garments, many of which were decorated with appliques and soutache braiding to add some detail to otherwise plain outfits. Naturally, daytime outfits took on a functional military look with well tailored jackets, padded shoulders and straight knee length skirts a common sight. This suit by Belle Mode bears the CC41 utility mark, and is in a classic military-inspired style with the trademark forties padded shoulders, deep pockets, narrow belt and straight skirt. Greens and browns were often used, further emphasizing the influence of forces uniforms on civilian style. Above: emerald green satin 1940s utility marked evening dress Many dresses were designed as day-to-evening garments, bearing in mind that during periods of austerity often women would not be able to afford more than one dress so the dress they did buy would need to be suitable for more than one type of occasion. Nipped waists, cap and dolman sleeves and colourful prints were prominent, as well as pleated and draped skirts. Eveningwear was elegant and flattering and often decorated with lots of sequins, which were not subject to rationing. Many evening gowns echoed the Grecian draped style, with shirring and soutache designs common. The dress on the left is a green satin cocktail frock with shirred bodice and white broderie anglaise trim to the frill collar. The elasicated bodice omitted the need for any sort of fastenings - very clever! This original 1940's fish and shell patterned wool swimsuit by Capstan proves that Utility clothing did not have to be austere and humourless, despite the hardships of the war! The CC41 label design The CC41 label was designed by a London-based commercial artist named Reginald Shipp. The CC is generally thought to stand for 'civilian clothing', but other sources suggest this may have actually stood for 'controlled commodity' which makes more sense given that furniture was also produced under the utility scheme. 41 is the year that clothing rationing first started - 1941. Two pairs of utility stamped 1940's shoes - cherry red leather babydoll heels, and nubuck suede peep-toe platforms with slingbacks. As well as the standard CC41 label, clothing was also produced under the luxury Utility label, which had a bold circle with two strokes either side. This label was designed to be used on luxury garments after 1945, when rationing was still in force. Garments bearing this label would have been made from better fabric, been more elaborate or have been made using more material, and were therefore subject to more purchase tax. Hence these luxury labelled items are much harder to come by nowadays. Below is the standard CC41 label (left) next to the luxury utility label (right). Clothing rationing ended on March 15th 1949, so after this date utility labels were no longer used in garments. A more extravagant era of fashion was starting to emerge as the 1950s arrived, ushered in by Dior's groundbreaking 'New Look' collection of 1947. See our current stock of utility marked clothing here.
Before the start of the Second World War, women were expected to be 'housewives' or perhaps to do certain 'women's jobs'...
all images/posts are for educational purposes and are under copyright of creators and owners. Commercial use prohibited.
The Blitz (short for Blitzkrieg, German for "lightning war") began on 7 September 1940, with more than 300 bombers involved. The attacks started on the East End before moving to central London. In total, 430 were killed and 1,600 badly injured that day...
War is hell, and tragedy, and terrible, terrible posters.
New film The Secret Spitfires will shed new light on production of the famous aircraft in inconspicuous locations around southern England to avoid detection by the Germans.
Woman workers at a Ministry of Aircraft Production factory which manufactures fire extinguishers for the Royal Air Force, 1941.
the interactive sound sculpture that uses the movements of pedestrians to evoke the ghost of a lost iron fence.
artist- Gilroy
Of all the women of World War Two, the Land Girls stand out for the hard work they did on farms in Britain and abroad. WW2 Land Girls working the land so that Britain could eat! Land Girls mattered.
