The Korean Conflict, Vietnam and Iraqi Wars did not trouble the civilian population of our country as much as the First and Second World Wars. There were rationing and shortages during the first conflict, but nothing like during World War ll. It started immediately. I remember when sugar rationing was announced. Those who could afford it hoarded quantities of sugar. That couldn’t be done with women’s fashions, however.
It took a while for the new restrictions to have an effect on dresses and such. But there was an immediate limit on the amount of fabric in a dress. Many of the dresses of the 1930’s were long skirted and cut on the bias. That required more fabric than would be allowed during the war. Designers got around that restriction by adding detail to the garment. There might be a peplum at the waist, puffed sleeves and neckline variations to add interest to the designs. The main constant was the skirt length. Middle of the knee was it. Colors were boring, too.
Another problem was what to use for the fabric. Silk was not allowed. That material came from the Orient. The Japanese controlled that market. The same with rubber. The East Indies were under their control. Rayon was relatively new. Different weights and textures of rayon added charm to the dresses. Nylon was reserved for the war effort.
Nylon was introduced just before the war started. Wow! A black stitched seam up the back and black heeled stockings made those short skirts a knock-out! The war brought an end to that delight. It was back to rayon, thick and baggy. The war would end before nylons came available again.
Shoes were rationed, too. We thought long and hard before buying a pair of shoes. They were made of interior materials and didn’t last very long. The cotton stitching soon rotted. A flapping shoe sole meant a trip to the cobbler to reattach. Shoe strings had the same problem. You tied them carefully.
I remember as the war ended, we looked forward to more style in our clothing. The first to return was yardage in the skirts. Ballerina skirts were made in a full circle of fabric. You could sit on the floor and a full circle of fabric would encircle you. What luxury!
Nylon was back in full force. Nylon stockings lasted longer that rayon ones. As other synthetics became available the styles got wilder, colors bolder. Our fashion suffering was over. Bold new colors and designs became the norm. Shoestrings didn’t break as easily. Shoe soles did not detach and flap in the breeze.
Little did we know that the Korean Conflict was just around the corner, followed by the Vietnam and Iraq Wars. But shortages would not be the norm. Synthetics had taken the place of plant-based fabrics. We haven’t seen rations since World War ll. Those peplums were sort of cute, but there wasn’t anything cute about rationing.