Austerity Patchwork
Friday 24th August, 2018
Austerity, Cartoons

Cover of the Pick of Punch for 1942 Title page of the Pick of Punch for 1942

Cartoon from the Pick of Punch for 1942, set in a men's outfitters. A customer is walking away from the counter and out of the shop, wearing a suit. The jacket and trousers are made from rectangles of differently-textured and -patterned materials stitched together. The tailor is saying to his assistant, 'And there goes the last of the pattern-books.'

I found this in a 1942 Pick of Punch annual. It's not about colour, but is fun nevertheless. For anyone who doesn't know the history of WWII clothing restrictions, this article † from the National Archives explains it, including the rôle of Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies, their styles, and how ration coupons worked. There's another explanation here ‡ from the Imperial War Museum.

† "Fashion or ration: Hartnell, Amies and dressing for the Blitz" by Robert Daoust, The National Archives
https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/fashion-or-ration-hartnell-amies-and-dressing-for-the-blitz/
18 February 2010

‡ "How Clothes Rationing Affected Fashion in the Second World War" by Laura Clouting and Amanda Mason, Imperial War Museum
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-clothes-rationing-affected-fashion-in-the-second-world-war
5 January 2018

Description

A men's outfitters. A customer is walking away from the counter and out of the shop, wearing a suit. The jacket and trousers are made from rectangles of differently-textured and patterned materials stitched together. The tailor is saying to his assistant, "And there goes the last of the pattern-books."