Clothing during the First World War

At the outbreak of the first world war, a great influx of brave men, young and old alike, enlisted to help fight the enemy. They went marching off to war in a smart,new uniform. A uniform that was made in a factory, by hand, well before huge machines to do it themselves were made. With many factories now making uniforms instead of the latest fashions, the people of Britain were encouraged to make do and mend. This was to be a campaign that would last throughout the war and be used again in the next war. Women were expected to mend worn out items time and time again as well as taking something old and making something new out of it. 

But for those that bought or hired a seamstress to make up a dress seamed to follow a similar pattern. Gone were the long, narrow skirts, in their place was a skirt that was a whole 8 inches above the ground, that took a bell-like shape. This was a sign of the times, with many women taking on jobs that had previously been done by men. They needed to be able to move freely whilst doing manual work, not be restricted. The fuller skirt was seen as a waste of material by many,but not only was it more practical, but it also made a new war-time silhouette. The shorter skirt razed many eyebrows but needs must - the was a war on!

Also noticeably different was the colours and patterns. Less decorations could be seen on the dresses and they were made in drab colours unlike the previous bright and bold colours. This was due in most part to the lack of dyes available. It was seen, among the society ladies, as unpatriotic to have bright coloured dresses with feathers and beads as decoration and there are instances where a lady has been shunned by others due to the detail on her dress at a dinner. 

In terms of design of dresses, they took on a military theme, with many of the dresses sporting epaulettes or gold shining buttons.This was also the birth of the trench coat, that, to this day is still hugely popular.

For the poor, they carried on wearing the same drab and worn clothes they had previously done as they couldn't afford to do anything else. Yet they still keep there Sunday best just for church each week!

By the end of the war, with women going back to the home, the style of dresses reverted almost back to how it was pre-war. The only difference, some of the dresses were a shorter, although not 8 inches shorter. The fashion of the time had changed with the women's lives throughout the war, depending on what they were doing. Women would have to wait until the 1920s flapper dress before they would see the much shorter styles again.