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Clothing Goes to War: Creativity Inspired by Scarcity in World War II
The story of civilian clothing use during World War II.
Manufacturing for civilians across the globe nearly stopped at the outset of World War II, as outfitting troops took precedence over nonmilitary production. Raw materials were prioritized for the armed forces and the majority of nonmilitary factories were shifted to war work, resulting in shortages and rationing of consumer products. Civilians, especially women, responded to the resulting scarcity of goods by using ingenuity and creativity to “make do.” In Clothing Goes to War , Nan Turner offers a critical look at some of the resourceful results of this period as necessity paved the way for fashionable invention.
Manufacturing for civilians across the globe nearly stopped at the outset of World War II, as outfitting troops took precedence over nonmilitary production. Raw materials were prioritized for the armed forces and the majority of nonmilitary factories were shifted to war work, resulting in shortages and rationing of consumer products. Civilians, especially women, responded to the resulting scarcity of goods by using ingenuity and creativity to “make do.” In Clothing Goes to War , Nan Turner offers a critical look at some of the resourceful results of this period as necessity paved the way for fashionable invention.
312 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 17, 2022
Should be required reading!
I just finished reading “Clothing Goes to War” and it is still playing on my mind. And for so many reasons, not only how informative it was and how much I learned from it, but also how I might change my “consumer” life go-forward. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have asked my parents and family more about what it was like for them living through the rations during WW2 (before, during and after) I am thankful that Nan did the research and work to interview that generation, and not just those who lived in the USA, but internationally. There is so much that relates to what we’ve just been through w/ Covid, post- Covid, and the disposable waste problems we’ve created over the years. Thank you again Nan.
I just finished reading “Clothing Goes to War” and it is still playing on my mind. And for so many reasons, not only how informative it was and how much I learned from it, but also how I might change my “consumer” life go-forward. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have asked my parents and family more about what it was like for them living through the rations during WW2 (before, during and after) I am thankful that Nan did the research and work to interview that generation, and not just those who lived in the USA, but internationally. There is so much that relates to what we’ve just been through w/ Covid, post- Covid, and the disposable waste problems we’ve created over the years. Thank you again Nan.
June 30, 2023
An academic look at the way people adapt to scarcity in wartime with parallels to the Covid-19 pandemic. Very interesting WWII anecdotes from people who lived through the war.
December 8, 2023
This book is very informative, interesting and well researched. Ms Turner covers all aspects and perspectives too of scarcity. I especially loved hearing the personal stories of how women got by and their incredible creative solutions. Nan Turner cleverly included links from then to now so the issues become relevant to today.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews