My mother was 17 when WWII broke out on September 1, 1939 and 23 when it ended six years later. I remember her telling me about how fashions changed during the war. Shortages and efforts to conserve precious materials for the war effort brought about shorter hemlines and more streamlined silhouettes in women’s suits and dresses. Decorative elements disappeared, resulting in a more classic style. For men, single-breasted suits replaced double-breasted, lapels narrowed, and trousers were no longer made with cuffs. There were even restrictions on the number of pockets a garment could have. 

With many of the men away at war, women were called upon to replace them in the work force. My mother left school and went to work in a paper mill. Pants became a staple of women working in factories. Once they discovered the comfort and convenience of wearing pants, they were reluctant to give them up when the war ended. This resulted in a permanent change in fashion. I don’t remember my grandmother ever wearing pants, even to work in the garden, but pants were very definitely part of my Mom’s wardrobe for the rest of her life. 

Mom dressed for the mill

Until I started doing research for this post, I didn’t realize that jumpsuits (or boilersuits as they’re called in the UK) which seem to come and go as ladies fashion to this day, had their roots in a very practical item that originated during WWII. Known at that time as a “siren suit”, this one piece garment could be hastily pulled on over pyjamas or a nightgown when the siren blew and the wearer had to escape to an air raid shelter. 

Even Winston Churchill had a siren suit!

We aren’t living in wartime, nor do we face the deprivation that our parents and grandparents faced during those difficult days, but the past fourteen months have been a time of unprecedented upheaval and whether we like it or not, Covid will result in cultural change. Fashion is a potent reflection of a period in time and it’s interesting to think about how our current situation is changing how we dress. 

I have one friend who has already been informed that she will continue to work from home even after the pandemic is over and I know of several others who are expecting the same thing. Brands and retailers have seen a huge shift in the kind of clothing that people are purchasing. While many of us simply aren’t shopping at all except for essentials, sales of comfort-wear items, such as sweatpants and leggings, have increased. The question now is whether this turn toward casual, easy-to-wear clothing will persist once life returns to something closer to normal.

Has Covid changed the way you dress? If so, do you think this will be a permanent change? Is there something you look forward to buying and wearing once the pandemic is over?