Great video . Regarding the small amount "smalls" during that time , my grandmother and her family including all of us , were taught to hand wash smalls in the bathroom sink every day and dry them in there. She did this her entire life despite her last few years of living in an assisted home and having them to do all her laundry . It drove them nuts but it cemented deep respect from me. It comes in super handy to do this anytime we travel or go camping. It's so familiar to us all that it's no issue. She loved her quality clothing, especially her Tweed outfits ,so found rationing very hard. Her lessons to us will always be remembered though as she never made a fuss about anything, just figured out ways to make life comfortable and fun despite challenges. That beautiful woman was an incredible matriarch of our family and is sorely missed. Thank you for sharing lovely ❤
@@lesleyharris525My grandmother too; just the same. Matching tweed jackets and skirts and above all, very good ladies’ leather brogues that were resoled at the cobblers when the soles wore out. She always looked so timelessly stylish on a small wardrobe. Everything beautifully repaired when needed. As a nation we seem to have completely forgotten the common sense of this approach. She was highly influential example to me.
2024 women's clothes: dresses either halfway or not lined, no pockets, trousers that cut off above the ankle, cheap zippers and buttons, ribbon strips for belts, and fabric with such a low thread count that it disintegrates. How wonderful it would be if we could find clothes as beautifully made as those from the 1940s! I would only wear them, even having fewer items.
My Mother hated rationing, so did my sister, l don't think they could get sweets until the 50's. I definitely don't want it, l do think though, that we should support British farmer's, eat less from abroad, eat seasonally and shop less in supermarkets.
In Australia my grandmother showed me the special ration coupon she received so she could buy enough flannel as an approved pregnant woman, to sew cloth nappies for a baby. I've also seen her cyanide tablets issued by the government incase the US was defeated by the Japanese.
@@grannyannie2948 l never knew that about the tablet's. My father was a Chindit, fighting the Japanese. I try to remind young people, that although the fashion's were better, the war year's were terrible for those who lived through them. I love 1940's fashion's and the music, but l pray to God we never have a time like that again , before the sixties, life was not so great in Britain, let's not go back to that time of want . Capitalism gave us much better lives, made us healthier, gave us better living conditions, a chance to see different countries. Choosing to cut down on thing's yourself is a lot different than having to cut down because those thing's are simply not available, or you don't have the means to purchase them.
@@joanmatchett8100 You must be rightly proud of your father. The tablets were because America could not defend Australia above the Brisbane line, and before she was married my grandmother lived and worked beyond this point. Britain had rationing for so long, it must have been bleak before the 1960s. I think things brightened up in the 50s. I know my grandparents got electricity in 1950. I wonder how many young couples today could live together without electricity for six years.
Joanna Lumely advocated rationing during the pandemic as so many were bulk buying toilet rolls, soap amongst other things. I’ll never forget the video released by an exhausted nurse having just completed a 12 hour shift & needed something to eat but there was very little to be had in the supermarket so late at night. It was heart wrenching. Thank you for this, I agree, we all over spend, over consume & too quick to dispose. x
Ps and yes, everyone looked so much smarter in the 40’s despite having so little. I loathe the jeans and tee shirt uniform- (or worse jogging bottoms) adopted by so many all day every day. Yes, I wear jeans & tee shirts when necessary (ie doing ‘mucky’jobs. But I rarely wear them all day every day.
Unfortunately, those who didnt live in the country or have large gardens to grow their fruit and veg themselves were not so lucky. I was a member of 5 lucky children who ate fresh fruit and veg grown from seeds.
in Finland, during the war, fabric was made in factories from people's hair, hair was collected from hairdressing salons, there was its own paper collection bag and rags/wool were put in with the hair fiber. summer shoes were made of paper and soles were made of wood
I’m an American living in a small village in SW France. I do repairs on my clothes and my husband’s clothes. My mom was just here visiting and was surprised and pleased to see me doing repairs. There is a recyclerie in the next village that has great deals on old clothes. My mother and I got 4 pieces and a pair of shoes for 5€!
With the way the economy is heading. We all might need to get some serious tips here about fashion on a tight budget. The prices of everything these days seems to be heading absolutely bonkers up and up!!👏😺
It is very fascinating to know how long the rationing really lasted, but I lived all of my childhood in the 1980s in a country where rationing stopped sometime in the '90s. It was difficult to get any fabrics, cosmetics, or any kind of Western thing. Borders were closed; no traveling for normal people. You even needed to have permission to buy a car or an apartment, house, or land-even if you had the money. But my childhood was not unhappy; we learned how to cook real food, knit and sew clothes, build furniture, etc. And now it feels like this time never existed...we have all the modern luxuries, we produce a lot of waste by buying things we really do not need. I also sometimes buy things that I really do not need or rarely use just because I can now. I would really like there to be some kind of a middle road to all this...because not having your size shoes in shops when you were little is a real problem, and having too much choice is a problem too, because now we buy new shoes because the other ones are out of fashion. But handmade items are still very precious to me, and nowadays the materials to make your own clothing are much more expensive than buying a ready-made item; it has become a luxury...go figure.
I grew up in Poland in the 80s so I also rememeber rationing and big queues for everything, including toilet paper. Sounds so strange now... My mum told me a story about how she got some veal for me, but she left if out (to defrost?) and flies laid their egss in it, so she had to throw it out. She said she cried then. Because meat was rationed and it was hard to get a nice piece that wasn't all bones. But I also have to say I had a very happy childhood, I never felt deprived of anything. You just made do.
I was born in 2000, so very far removed from the times of rationing. But my grandma often proudly tells the story of her mother, a dressmaker, getting the whole family through the war with her sewing skills and upcycling of old clothes and later uniforms. I have a deep respect for these generation(s) and what they got through.
I knew a woman who , liking the suit her sister had bought carefully and with permission of course unpicked the suit made a pattern and made another suit for herself. Going to all that trouble was dedication.
I really loved how in this and the other capsule video you included all of the items each woman had in her wardrobe. It's soo eye-opening how much things have changed. I would rather have quality pieces then tons of cheaply made pieces.
Cutting down men's suits into women's suits was popular - my dad was REALLY annoyed at his sisters because he went into the navy and found out on a home visit that all his suits (he was a travelling salesman) were now their suits.
Fantastic video, lovely! I’m in the CWA (Sort of like the Aussie version of the WI) I’m 33 and all of the other ladies are in their 70s - 90s. We often chat about how wasteful today’s society is. Every single one of them made their children’s clothes. They all knit, sew, etc. They had to because it was cheaper then, whereas these days it costs far more to make a garment than to buy it. Sad really!
The supplies to knit yourself are indeed more costly then a sweater from H&M, Zara or Shein. But it’s still cheaper to knit your own cashmere/silk sweater or cardigan then to buy one with the same percentage of cashmere and silk (the big chains excluded since they call something ‘cashmere’ with less then 5% of cashmere in the fibers 😮). Plus, your own handmade will last longer (construction stitch by stitch done by hand) and you’d wear it more often (tailored to your size and preference). I learned knitting, crochet and sewing from my grandmother and I still knit my own sweaters, vests and cardigans. In the long run it’s cheaper.
@@ikkelimburg3552 Oh I totally agree! I crochet myself and make some clothing for my children (we have 6!) I’m in the middle of doing rainbow slippers at the request of my 4 year old 😆 But overall, for the average person, making clothes isn’t an option. Many skills like sewing/knitting/crochet aren’t passed down any more, and even if they are, most people work full time and don’t have the hours in the day to make as much as our mothers and grandmothers did. I purchase a lot of stuff second hand and make as much as I can. Using things like thrifted bedsheets or fabrics are a great way to cheaply make clothes because even fabric prices are crazy for good quality! 🩷
@@PeachesJess. Making clothes for six children, ever growing, would indeed be a full time job. I only have one so that’s doable next to a full time job. When my son was small, I used to make woolen duffel coats for him out of woolen coats for adults from the thrift shop and line them with a piece of colorful flannel sheet and do a little machine quilting on the lining. Dungarees out of a jeans from my husband or myself. Even now I make jeans shorts out of jeans he has outgrown (he seems to gain height but not so much width 🤭). The only ‘knitted by mom’ things he still wears are scarfs, hats and mittens. He has set the limit for just one homemade Aran sweater each winter.
My mother made all her and our clothes, baking, my father had his own "Last" that he repaired our shoes on. We had home grown fruits and vegetables. What a wonderful time we kids had growing up in the late 40s/ 50s.1 bicycle between 5 kids at first, and 1 roller skate each (to make it fair), 😂. I wish they made those onesies with the panel today.
In communist Cuba 1970's I remember waiting from my uncles to return from the revolution square were they were required to attend Fidel's speaches, so I could get a half a yard solid color thin cotton flag, so I could gather two of the same color- if I were lucky, and make myself a mini-skirt! That has NOT changed for cubans, except now the flags are made of paper. I am in heaven wenever I visit a fabric store in America since.
Since starting watching your channel I have been reminded and am more conscious of the "make due and mend" philosophy, and the art and fun of second-hand shopping. Second-hand/charity shop shopping is much more satisfying than just running off to Amazon or a local big-box store. Making due just makes more sense than filling our homes up with STUFF. Well done, Hannah!
I mentioned to a younger adult to take boots to a cobbler and the response was, "why should I do that when I can just buy another pair for the same price?" Sigh...
My grandmother was a seamstress during the war. Most of her business was cutting down adult clothes for children's clothing, turning collars, etc. Toward the end of the war, she had a huge business making wedding dresses out of parachute fabric.
There is a book I've had for about 40 years called "How we lived then. A history of everyday life during the Second World War" by Norman Longmate. It inspired me as a younger person to appreciate the 'make do and mend' and simpler 'classic' styles. A lot of what you have shared in this post can be found in the fascinating chapters.
Love that you gave the number of items because I have wondered for years the number of items. My mom told us what they had in the country but I wondered about the rest of the country. Even me growing up we had "play" clothes and clothes you only wore on Sunday and to special occasions. Clothes you wore at HOME only like your PJs and nightgown...SMH...your house shoes you would be scolded if wore outside because dirty the house floor!
Amazing historical content. It is fascinating how the peoples coped with the situation ( pre- during-post war) and always looked so well dressed, ate the best they could and overcame all sorts of difficulties.
Those "utility suits" are so sharp, crisp, and stylish! They look so put-together that you would never suspect they were the product of strict material controls. I imagine they could have continued that style indefinitely, if people had access to a wider range of accessories or different fabrics to make garments such as blouses. Even a bit of braided yarn appliqued to a suit jacket and skirt hem would have made a "plain, utilitarian" suit look quite fresh and new. Thank you for this video! It is fascinating and educational. 👗 🥻 👚 👔
Hiya! I loved this video! Totally agree about the elegance of 1940's fashion! still a source of regret for me, that I didn't get to The 'Fashion on the Ration'Exhibition, in London, some years ago-but THIS made up for it! More like this, please-I am so impressed with your authoritative presentation, meticulous research, and in-fa-a-dig, about how 'difficult' the shorter sock privation must have been for such delicate 'flowers'!! Keep up the good work! love sue xxx
I wore a crushed velvet skirt for 20+ years. I replaced the waist elastic several times. I made many repairs when the fabric started to develop runs. Eventually enough of the fibres had come off that it was getting literally threadbare. Now I have kept two pieces to make a pattern, and I'm cutting the rest up into tiny bits to use as filing in a patchwork puff quilt - an idea I got from a reprinted book on how to Made Do and Mend, which I bought second hand. It's not as lost an art as some may think!
Here in the States my mom was one of the older girls of a large family. Most of her brothers were serving. She use to tell us about rationing and how she wore shoes made from cardboard so that her coupons for leather shoes could be used for her younger siblings.
Interesting to know that an average 1940’s woman would’ve had an even smaller wardrobe than what is now considered a ‘minimalist capsule’ wardrobe of 30-40 pieces!
my mum loved cammy knickers her brother was serving in France with the RAF and would send his two Sisters french fashion ❤mum would make all her own make up and face treatments ❤
I absolutely love that blue dress with the hat and the shoes. That outfit is absolutely gorgeous. I know it’s a 1940 style, but it is absolutely timeless.
Hello, new subscriber here. your channel reminds me a lot of my Mum, who sadly passed away in 2004. she was born in the 1920's and worked in the "naffi" in the 1940's, i was born in the early 1960's but have always been interested in older history and heritage, especially industrial heritage and transport. i am tempted by some of your 1940's recipes and may give them a go as i am on benefits, so income etc is quite low. looking forward to future videos. Reu. xxx
It feels so appropriate to be cutting up men's shirts to make patchwork skirts while watching your video. I never took to fast fashion or how flimsy modern fabrics, used to make everyday clothing is. So I buy ethical quality, rarely ,and make it last. Now I have taken up sewing in the last 6 months and started repurposing quality second hand fabric. I could easily live on a rationing system.
Though I was born just after rationing ended, I remember as a child how my mother used to remove the waistbands on my skirts and resew them in a different place so that I would get the most 'wear' out of the skirt fabric. She also taught me how to alter old bedsheets so that the less worn sides of the sheet were turned into to middle, sewn together and re-hemmed to get the most out of every sheet. Both my mother and grandmother were 'Landgirls' during the war and the ways they came up with to manage with what they had was absolutely astonishing. Great vid!
I love the 40's & 50's fashion! If I could go back in time for one week I would go back to the 40's. My love for the 40's came about when I saw my grandmother's photo's....she was absolutely beautiful! Ugh those were the days....to me today's fashion is boring.
I remember my mum talking about rationing. She was a nurse during WWII. My grandmother got through the depression where she made dresses for her two daughters out of her old dresses.
Yes to everything in this video 💞 we live in such a hyperconsumeristic world. Learning how to ration, conserve, and make do and mend are much needed today.
I am restarting rations in October. When i do this i do the washing , cleaning products rationing, and the clothes rationing. A lot was free of coupons. I include my wool on the rations. I got my information from the Imperial War museum.
I make all my own clothes. Modern dress, basic style uses about 3.5 mtrs 1950s dress 7 mtrs if doing a full skirt 1940s dress 2.5 mtrs I mainly use these patterns now, they are stylish and much cheaper to make
@@rubylace9963 charm patterns have good tutorials and retro patterns - more 50s/60s. Constant Tolbat's, Book of better Sewing (1942) is a great resource and copies are still around. Check out your local library as well for Sewing books that can help you get started. I always suggest starting with a A line skirt as it's an easy sew
So interesting. Thank you. 40s clothing is the most beautiful of the 20th centurty to me. The Siren Suit is everything! The Beauty is Your Duty movement was meant to be stirring and inspiring at the time, but today if feels creepy, as if women's looks are a commodity to be used as a means to men's end. I've often wondered why clothing rationing was such a big deal. Things like suits, dresses and coats can last a long time, especially the quality back then. It seems that people could have just continued to wear most of their 30s clothing, and just replaced things like underwear and pajamas. I have clothing I've been wearing regularly for a really long time, and I don't know how to mend the way people did back then. Last observation--I would think that the lack of stockings would have created an appreciation of the bare leg, but instead women went right back to them when they became available again. It wasn't until the mid-90s that hosiery lost popularity (there's a very funny SNL skit about irrelevant modern day L'eggs representatives trying to sell their wares.)
Just proves that all of our modern garbage is just that. My mom was a young wife and mother during the 1940s. I am glad because she taught me to do things that most modern people can't even comprehend. I can survive most things and even thrive. I have taught this to my children and grandchildren. If you waste not you will want not.
That sounds right. From what my mom said. I think I might mentioned in some of your other videos how my grandma kept the utility blankets. And oh my goodness. Have you ever slapse onto one of those pieces of sandpaper with large stitching around the edges and they didn't cover the body as well as blankets today. My mom said after being born in 1948 that my grandma was still using ration books even years after the war was over. Almost until she was 8 years old from what she told me.
Or around that age? I can't remember her exact age but I'm pretty sure she said around the age of eight maybe 9 when my grandma stopped using ration books. My moment was always saying make do amend and she was all about saving and although I don't completely adopt her series today I do like mending things because I have items I just don't want to give up or I want to alter things and make them into something else. It's my creative side which is almost like recycling in some sort of way I guess?
This is something that so many people are doing! No one really wants to live like this all the time. It should stay your choice, life is too much for lots of people, sadly. Well done on the video, Blessings.
Love this! I remember my grandparents and parents talking about having to ration in Seattle in the US back during the war. I don’t remember them talking about clothes rationing, but there was definitely food rationing!
I have to say I'm really happy that I'm not caught up in the disgusting movement of fast fashion and flippant consumerism. Every item of clothing i own has come from an Op shop. If I have to buy something from a "store" I will only purchase from an Australian owned small business. My washing machine died 18 months ago and I was using a laundromat but for the last month I've been handwashing and the water goes into my garden. Hard work but worth it. I think people would absolutely freak if things were rationed. Society has become very greedy and wasteful. Thankyou for another wonderful episode 🤗 xx
Did you grow up this way or learn it later in life? I’m realising the way I was taught to live was still wasteful, even though we couldn’t afford to be as wasteful as most people around us. But I don’t know any different and it’s difficult to learn what I need to know to make better habits!
@@EmL-kg5gn I learned this on my own, through necessity and a desire to be better. I've been homeless, with 4 small children, lived below the poverty line and then did everything I could to finally be able to purchase my first home 6.5 years ago. Also knowing that women and children are forced into slave labour to provide for society's greed and throwaway culture, really drives me to not add to that. I took small steps to change what was drummed into my head by corporations and media. My advice to anyone who wants to change is do it one thing at a time. Like decide to not purchase any new clothing from retail businesses, but instead go to the Op shop, clothing swap markets, even between family/friends. Recycle items, if you need new wash cloths, cut up a worn towel. Rather than order fast food make it yourself and maybe have just a treat once or twice a month. I've taught myself how to make or repair clothing and accessories. How to cut hair, grow food, build or repair furniture. I've even learnt how to change the oil/plugs/filters in my car so it only needs the major service every 18 months. I'm not saying everyone needs to do the same but even if each person changes a couple of habits to not be as wasteful or reuse/recycle/repurpose it would help the environment, save money and it honestly makes you feel so good 😊 PS. Still learning new ways to be more mindful also x
I love how you have learned how to do so many things through poverty and necessity - me too! I really want my daughter and I to change over to hand washing (to be honest the washing machine just bashes the clothes and doesn't get them clean where they are the dirtiest, like under the arms etc.) I've been trying to source a washboard and mangle and its on my wish list when I can afford it. We're going to change over to fridge free living too (didn't have obe for a while abd actually regret buying the bar fridge we got in a way) Sadly I can't buy stuff from the local OP shops here because the ladies who volunteer there are literally spraying perfumes on the clothing etc! I tried to politely tell them that's not a good idea (causes cancer, migraines, asthma attacks etc and once its on the fabric you can't get the wretched stuff out! My daughter and I are both asthmatics and I suffer chemical sensitivity so exposure to that stuff can literally make me collapse or end up really sick with a migraine.) So we've had to resort to making our own clothes- making adjustable waist skirts and would you believe it vintage style "stays" instead of bras! We make soap, deoderant and all our food from scratch. Anyway I think you are an amazing lady! I often tell people prosperity is a bad thing- people get lazy, everythings too easy and comfortable- they become selfish and like consuming locusts! When people don't have a lot of money and or people to help they have to get motivated and use their brains and work some stuff out. They often become nicer, selfless, generous, skilled and resilient. I'm not very smart, skilled or wise but I have an amazing God who has answered prayer after prayer abd with His help I've managed to do stuff I could never of dreamed of.😊
@@lianapalumbo8457 You have a lot to be proud of but I’m also very sorry you went through such difficult times ❤️ Thank you so much that’s really good advice. I’ll keep learning, recently I’ve picked up crochet and sewing! I think clothing’s a good priority since ill-fitting clothes are a trigger (ptsd) for me and it’s tempting to impulse-buy in a deluded attempt to calm myself if anything no longer fits. Tbh things got out of hand during the pandemic, I got stuck overseas and bought doubles of things I had back home when we couldn’t stay with friends/family anymore (kitchenware, clothes etc). When I returned home I brought as much of it as I could so that was added to my old stuff and now it’s overwhelming. I hate getting rid of stuff but I think a declutter is necessary because sometimes I forget what I have and spend more as a result. So I think that and sewing will be my next focus
I want to make a siren jumpsuit! I’m going to ask my 98 year old client about this today.I have fewer clothes than the 40’s middle class woman and I can wear the same dress four days in a row. I have two pair of shoes and one coat and one Mac. When they wear out I’ll go back to the charity shop. Surely there are other people like me.
I have a couple of dressmaking books from this period, that show you how to turn men's shirts into blouses and children's clothes. But yes, you would re-use anything reusable. Buttons, zips, laces and trims. Mum was darning the holes in Dad's socks well into the 1970s. If sheets got thin in the middle, she cut them lengthways down the middle and stitched them back together with the outsides in the centre.
Do you think we may well get rationed again? I think so, just a matter of time with increasing conflict. Videos like this and also your preparing the house for Autumn are invaluable. I'm not wanting to cause panic I just think we need to acknowledge it's a strong possibility.
@NA-bm7ep you are in good company. I've been following geo political and world economics for a while. No expert but have been watching brics or brics plus now for a while. Seen the gold price the last few days wow. Something is definitely afoot and I agree with all you have said.
Were those "glow in the dark" accessories radioactive by any chance? You know, like the paint on watch faces that caused hideous disfigurement of the girls who painted them. Oh, the glamour!
Do you happen to know how they did laundry? You mentioned that a poor woman only had three dresses. Do you think she would wear the same dress 2-3 days in a row or did she wear it once and just do laundry multiple times a week?
Let's see... Twice turned sheets became shirts, blouses, underwear, slips, handkerchiefs, bras, nightgowns/pajamas etc. Moms and grandmother's old trunk of Stuff from the attic might well yield old drapes, uncles/grandad's or some male family members offcastt suits, plus whatever fabric was tucked away all of which could be made over or made into something currently useful. Old men's hats were remade into a fashionable ladies hat. Carpets, rolled up and stored away for another day, were cut down into slippers for winter, insoles for when soles got a bit thin, a suitcase or purse if needed. Yarn samples were never on ration (argyle jumpers, socks and general mending, new bra/knickers (there are knitting patterns so presume they existed) or, with enough-a new knitted blanket), fabric ditto, second hand clothing swaps were VERY popular and useful. Most larger towns had a general swap meet either weekly or monthly. Larger families did hand me downs between siblings, cousins or whoever. Women would turn dresses, blouses, skirts. Or combine 2 dresses and end up with one dress for mom and another for the daughter. I still turn my husband's collars and cuffs when needed.
Plus size people were a rarity in 1940's 50's and 60's People got more exercise people walked to work or school, because food was rationed didn't over eat. the only take away was the fish and chip shop sweet rationing, everything was rationed here in the UK coal electricity petrol clothes, I started school in 1950 we didn't have paper to do our sums on or write on we had a small black slat and a piece of chalk, to read the teacher had the book and copied it onto the big blackboard and had a wooden pointer to point out the words we were to read , there was no such thing as waste when I was a child.
They dropped the calorie intake by about 1000 calories. From 3000 to 2000. Fat chicks were an extremely rare bird. If you were a bit plump, about as far as people got, you lost the extra.
@@christine899 I think you will find there were plenty of overweight people especially in the poorer classes. Emphasis of fashion was the same as now. Slim people.
Great video . Regarding the small amount "smalls" during that time , my grandmother and her family including all of us , were taught to hand wash smalls in the bathroom sink every day and dry them in there. She did this her entire life despite her last few years of living in an assisted home and having them to do all her laundry . It drove them nuts but it cemented deep respect from me. It comes in super handy to do this anytime we travel or go camping. It's so familiar to us all that it's no issue. She loved her quality clothing, especially her Tweed outfits ,so found rationing very hard. Her lessons to us will always be remembered though as she never made a fuss about anything, just figured out ways to make life comfortable and fun despite challenges. That beautiful woman was an incredible matriarch of our family and is sorely missed. Thank you for sharing lovely ❤
My nan was the same, she is still missed very much.
@@lesleyharris525My grandmother too; just the same. Matching tweed jackets and skirts and above all, very good ladies’ leather brogues that were resoled at the cobblers when the soles wore out. She always looked so timelessly stylish on a small wardrobe. Everything beautifully repaired when needed. As a nation we seem to have completely forgotten the common sense of this approach. She was highly influential example to me.
2024 women's clothes: dresses either halfway or not lined, no pockets, trousers that cut off above the ankle, cheap zippers and buttons, ribbon strips for belts, and fabric with such a low thread count that it disintegrates. How wonderful it would be if we could find clothes as beautifully made as those from the 1940s! I would only wear them, even having fewer items.
clothes nowadays are literally made from plastic too
My Mother hated rationing, so did my sister, l don't think they could get sweets until the 50's. I definitely don't want it, l do think though, that we should support British farmer's, eat less from abroad, eat seasonally and shop less in supermarkets.
I so agree
Being married to a farmer I couldn’t agree more xx
In Australia my grandmother showed me the special ration coupon she received so she could buy enough flannel as an approved pregnant woman, to sew cloth nappies for a baby. I've also seen her cyanide tablets issued by the government incase the US was defeated by the Japanese.
@@grannyannie2948 l never knew that about the tablet's. My father was a Chindit, fighting the Japanese. I try to remind young people, that although the fashion's were better, the war year's were terrible for those who lived through them. I love 1940's fashion's and the music, but l pray to God we never have a time like that again , before the sixties, life was not so great in Britain, let's not go back to that time of want . Capitalism gave us much better lives, made us healthier, gave us better living conditions, a chance to see different countries. Choosing to cut down on thing's yourself is a lot different than having to cut down because those thing's are simply not available, or you don't have the means to purchase them.
@@joanmatchett8100 You must be rightly proud of your father. The tablets were because America could not defend Australia
above the Brisbane line, and before she was married my grandmother lived and worked beyond this point.
Britain had rationing for so long, it must have been bleak before the 1960s. I think things brightened up in the 50s. I know my grandparents got electricity in 1950. I wonder how many young couples today could live together without electricity for six years.
Joanna Lumely advocated rationing during the pandemic as so many were bulk buying toilet rolls, soap amongst other things. I’ll never forget the video released by an exhausted nurse having just completed a 12 hour shift & needed something to eat but there was very little to be had in the supermarket so late at night. It was heart wrenching. Thank you for this, I agree, we all over spend, over consume & too quick to dispose. x
Ps and yes, everyone looked so much smarter in the 40’s despite having so little. I loathe the jeans and tee shirt uniform- (or worse jogging bottoms) adopted by so many all day every day. Yes, I wear jeans & tee shirts when necessary (ie doing ‘mucky’jobs. But I rarely wear them all day every day.
@@soomay9855 I never really found jeans to be comfortable. I feel much more productive in a dress!
my poor mother went thru things she never spoke of.....thanx for this!
Unfortunately, those who didnt live in the country or have large gardens to grow their fruit and veg themselves were not so lucky. I was a member of 5 lucky children who ate fresh fruit and veg grown from seeds.
in Finland, during the war, fabric was made in factories from people's hair, hair was collected from hairdressing salons, there was its own paper collection bag and rags/wool were put in with the hair fiber. summer shoes were made of paper and soles were made of wood
I’m an American living in a small village in SW France. I do repairs on my clothes and my husband’s clothes. My mom was just here visiting and was surprised and pleased to see me doing repairs. There is a recyclerie in the next village that has great deals on old clothes. My mother and I got 4 pieces and a pair of shoes for 5€!
With the way the economy is heading. We all might need to get some serious tips here about fashion on a tight budget. The prices of everything these days seems to be heading absolutely bonkers up and up!!👏😺
It is very fascinating to know how long the rationing really lasted, but I lived all of my childhood in the 1980s in a country where rationing stopped sometime in the '90s. It was difficult to get any fabrics, cosmetics, or any kind of Western thing. Borders were closed; no traveling for normal people. You even needed to have permission to buy a car or an apartment, house, or land-even if you had the money. But my childhood was not unhappy; we learned how to cook real food, knit and sew clothes, build furniture, etc. And now it feels like this time never existed...we have all the modern luxuries, we produce a lot of waste by buying things we really do not need. I also sometimes buy things that I really do not need or rarely use just because I can now. I would really like there to be some kind of a middle road to all this...because not having your size shoes in shops when you were little is a real problem, and having too much choice is a problem too, because now we buy new shoes because the other ones are out of fashion. But handmade items are still very precious to me, and nowadays the materials to make your own clothing are much more expensive than buying a ready-made item; it has become a luxury...go figure.
I grew up in Poland in the 80s so I also rememeber rationing and big queues for everything, including toilet paper. Sounds so strange now... My mum told me a story about how she got some veal for me, but she left if out (to defrost?) and flies laid their egss in it, so she had to throw it out. She said she cried then. Because meat was rationed and it was hard to get a nice piece that wasn't all bones. But I also have to say I had a very happy childhood, I never felt deprived of anything. You just made do.
I was born in 2000, so very far removed from the times of rationing. But my grandma often proudly tells the story of her mother, a dressmaker, getting the whole family through the war with her sewing skills and upcycling of old clothes and later uniforms. I have a deep respect for these generation(s) and what they got through.
I've watched so many video's on this topic that I was going to skip it, however, your title hooked me! Glad I didn't miss out! Well done!
I knew a woman who , liking the suit her sister had bought carefully and with permission of course unpicked the suit made a pattern and made another suit for herself. Going to all that trouble was dedication.
I really loved how in this and the other capsule video you included all of the items each woman had in her wardrobe. It's soo eye-opening how much things have changed. I would rather have quality pieces then tons of cheaply made pieces.
Cutting down men's suits into women's suits was popular - my dad was REALLY annoyed at his sisters because he went into the navy and found out on a home visit that all his suits (he was a travelling salesman) were now their suits.
Fantastic video, lovely! I’m in the CWA (Sort of like the Aussie version of the WI) I’m 33 and all of the other ladies are in their 70s - 90s. We often chat about how wasteful today’s society is. Every single one of them made their children’s clothes. They all knit, sew, etc. They had to because it was cheaper then, whereas these days it costs far more to make a garment than to buy it. Sad really!
The supplies to knit yourself are indeed more costly then a sweater from H&M, Zara or Shein. But it’s still cheaper to knit your own cashmere/silk sweater or cardigan then to buy one with the same percentage of cashmere and silk (the big chains excluded since they call something ‘cashmere’ with less then 5% of cashmere in the fibers 😮). Plus, your own handmade will last longer (construction stitch by stitch done by hand) and you’d wear it more often (tailored to your size and preference). I learned knitting, crochet and sewing from my grandmother and I still knit my own sweaters, vests and cardigans. In the long run it’s cheaper.
@@ikkelimburg3552 Oh I totally agree! I crochet myself and make some clothing for my children (we have 6!) I’m in the middle of doing rainbow slippers at the request of my 4 year old 😆 But overall, for the average person, making clothes isn’t an option. Many skills like sewing/knitting/crochet aren’t passed down any more, and even if they are, most people work full time and don’t have the hours in the day to make as much as our mothers and grandmothers did. I purchase a lot of stuff second hand and make as much as I can. Using things like thrifted bedsheets or fabrics are a great way to cheaply make clothes because even fabric prices are crazy for good quality! 🩷
@@PeachesJess. Making clothes for six children, ever growing, would indeed be a full time job. I only have one so that’s doable next to a full time job. When my son was small, I used to make woolen duffel coats for him out of woolen coats for adults from the thrift shop and line them with a piece of colorful flannel sheet and do a little machine quilting on the lining. Dungarees out of a jeans from my husband or myself. Even now I make jeans shorts out of jeans he has outgrown (he seems to gain height but not so much width 🤭). The only ‘knitted by mom’ things he still wears are scarfs, hats and mittens. He has set the limit for just one homemade Aran sweater each winter.
My mother made all her and our clothes, baking, my father had his own "Last" that he repaired our shoes on. We had home grown fruits and vegetables. What a wonderful time we kids had growing up in the late 40s/ 50s.1 bicycle between 5 kids at first, and 1 roller skate each (to make it fair), 😂. I wish they made those onesies with the panel today.
In communist Cuba 1970's I remember waiting from my uncles to return from the revolution square were they were required to attend Fidel's speaches, so I could get a half a yard solid color thin cotton flag, so I could gather two of the same color- if I were lucky, and make myself a mini-skirt! That has NOT changed for cubans, except now the flags are made of paper. I am in heaven wenever I visit a fabric store in America since.
Since starting watching your channel I have been reminded and am more conscious of the "make due and mend" philosophy, and the art and fun of second-hand shopping. Second-hand/charity shop shopping is much more satisfying than just running off to Amazon or a local big-box store. Making due just makes more sense than filling our homes up with STUFF. Well done, Hannah!
I mentioned to a younger adult to take boots to a cobbler and the response was, "why should I do that when I can just buy another pair for the same price?" Sigh...
My grandmother was a seamstress during the war. Most of her business was cutting down adult clothes for children's clothing, turning collars, etc. Toward the end of the war, she had a huge business making wedding dresses out of parachute fabric.
There is a book I've had for about 40 years called "How we lived then. A history of everyday life during the Second World War" by Norman Longmate. It inspired me as a younger person to appreciate the 'make do and mend' and simpler 'classic' styles. A lot of what you have shared in this post can be found in the fascinating chapters.
Love that you gave the number of items because I have wondered for years the number of items. My mom told us what they had in the country but I wondered about the rest of the country. Even me growing up we had "play" clothes and clothes you only wore on Sunday and to special occasions. Clothes you wore at HOME only like your PJs and nightgown...SMH...your house shoes you would be scolded if wore outside because dirty the house floor!
I'm really enjoying these videos. Thank you for doing this!
That was really interesting, thank you😊
Woman's clothing were so elegant then.
Amazing historical content. It is fascinating how the peoples coped with the situation ( pre- during-post war) and always looked so well dressed, ate the best they could and overcame all sorts of difficulties.
Those "utility suits" are so sharp, crisp, and stylish! They look so put-together that you would never suspect they were the product of strict material controls.
I imagine they could have continued that style indefinitely, if people had access to a wider range of accessories or different fabrics to make garments such as blouses. Even a bit of braided yarn appliqued to a suit jacket and skirt hem would have made a "plain, utilitarian" suit look quite fresh and new.
Thank you for this video! It is fascinating and educational. 👗 🥻 👚 👔
Hiya! I loved this video! Totally agree about the elegance of 1940's fashion! still a source of regret for me, that I didn't get to The 'Fashion on the Ration'Exhibition,
in London, some years ago-but THIS made up for it! More like this, please-I am so impressed with your authoritative presentation, meticulous research, and in-fa-a-dig, about how 'difficult' the shorter sock privation must have been for such delicate 'flowers'!! Keep up the good work! love sue xxx
I wore a crushed velvet skirt for 20+ years. I replaced the waist elastic several times. I made many repairs when the fabric started to develop runs. Eventually enough of the fibres had come off that it was getting literally threadbare. Now I have kept two pieces to make a pattern, and I'm cutting the rest up into tiny bits to use as filing in a patchwork puff quilt - an idea I got from a reprinted book on how to Made Do and Mend, which I bought second hand. It's not as lost an art as some may think!
Here in the States my mom was one of the older girls of a large family. Most of her brothers were serving. She use to tell us about rationing and how she wore shoes made from cardboard so that her coupons for leather shoes could be used for her younger siblings.
Would love to see videos where you alter & mend clothes to give them a new lease of life xx
You're so lucky you have that vintage beauty or look that I'd die for 😊
Interesting to know that an average 1940’s woman would’ve had an even smaller wardrobe than what is now considered a ‘minimalist capsule’ wardrobe of 30-40 pieces!
Women also used tea leaves to dye their legs for stockings too ❤
my mum loved cammy knickers her brother was serving in France with the RAF and would send his two Sisters french fashion ❤mum would make all her own make up and face treatments ❤
I absolutely love that blue dress with the hat and the shoes. That outfit is absolutely gorgeous. I know it’s a 1940 style, but it is absolutely timeless.
Hello, new subscriber here. your channel reminds me a lot of my Mum, who sadly passed away in 2004. she was born in the 1920's and worked in the "naffi" in the 1940's, i was born in the early 1960's but have always been interested in older history and heritage, especially industrial heritage and transport. i am tempted by some of your 1940's recipes and may give them a go as i am on benefits, so income etc is quite low. looking forward to future videos. Reu. xxx
It feels so appropriate to be cutting up men's shirts to make patchwork skirts while watching your video. I never took to fast fashion or how flimsy modern fabrics, used to make everyday clothing is. So I buy ethical quality, rarely ,and make it last. Now I have taken up sewing in the last 6 months and started repurposing quality second hand fabric. I could easily live on a rationing system.
I was missing seeing you on TikTok and found out you have a TH-cam channel! Never hit that follow button faster 😂
Though I was born just after rationing ended, I remember as a child how my mother used to remove the waistbands on my skirts and resew them in a different place so that I would get the most 'wear' out of the skirt fabric. She also taught me how to alter old bedsheets so that the less worn sides of the sheet were turned into to middle, sewn together and re-hemmed to get the most out of every sheet. Both my mother and grandmother were 'Landgirls' during the war and the ways they came up with to manage with what they had was absolutely astonishing. Great vid!
I love the 40's & 50's fashion! If I could go back in time for one week I would go back to the 40's. My love for the 40's came about when I saw my grandmother's photo's....she was absolutely beautiful! Ugh those were the days....to me today's fashion is boring.
I remember my mum talking about rationing. She was a nurse during WWII. My grandmother got through the depression where she made dresses for her two daughters out of her old dresses.
Another excellent and informative history lesson Hannah! I had no idea that the British population was subjected to this much rationing.
Great episode. I’m really loving your page ❤
Yes to everything in this video 💞 we live in such a hyperconsumeristic world. Learning how to ration, conserve, and make do and mend are much needed today.
I am restarting rations in October. When i do this i do the washing , cleaning products rationing, and the clothes rationing. A lot was free of coupons. I include my wool on the rations. I got my information from the Imperial War museum.
I make all my own clothes. Modern dress, basic style uses about 3.5 mtrs
1950s dress 7 mtrs if doing a full skirt
1940s dress 2.5 mtrs
I mainly use these patterns now, they are stylish and much cheaper to make
that's actually really cool! I want to learn how to make my own clothes too because I'm picky.
@@rubylace9963 charm patterns have good tutorials and retro patterns - more 50s/60s.
Constant Tolbat's, Book of better Sewing (1942) is a great resource and copies are still around.
Check out your local library as well for Sewing books that can help you get started.
I always suggest starting with a A line skirt as it's an easy sew
So interesting. Thank you. 40s clothing is the most beautiful of the 20th centurty to me. The Siren Suit is everything!
The Beauty is Your Duty movement was meant to be stirring and inspiring at the time, but today if feels creepy, as if women's looks are a commodity to be used as a means to men's end.
I've often wondered why clothing rationing was such a big deal. Things like suits, dresses and coats can last a long time, especially the quality back then. It seems that people could have just continued to wear most of their 30s clothing, and just replaced things like underwear and pajamas. I have clothing I've been wearing regularly for a really long time, and I don't know how to mend the way people did back then.
Last observation--I would think that the lack of stockings would have created an appreciation of the bare leg, but instead women went right back to them when they became available again. It wasn't until the mid-90s that hosiery lost popularity (there's a very funny SNL skit about irrelevant modern day L'eggs representatives trying to sell their wares.)
Just proves that all of our modern garbage is just that. My mom was a young wife and mother during the 1940s. I am glad because she taught me to do things that most modern people can't even comprehend. I can survive most things and even thrive. I have taught this to my children and grandchildren. If you waste not you will want not.
That sounds right. From what my mom said. I think I might mentioned in some of your other videos how my grandma kept the utility blankets. And oh my goodness. Have you ever slapse onto one of those pieces of sandpaper with large stitching around the edges and they didn't cover the body as well as blankets today. My mom said after being born in 1948 that my grandma was still using ration books even years after the war was over. Almost until she was 8 years old from what she told me.
Or around that age? I can't remember her exact age but I'm pretty sure she said around the age of eight maybe 9 when my grandma stopped using ration books. My moment was always saying make do amend and she was all about saving and although I don't completely adopt her series today I do like mending things because I have items I just don't want to give up or I want to alter things and make them into something else. It's my creative side which is almost like recycling in some sort of way I guess?
I recently replaced a coat zipper by hand I saved a serviceable item of clothing from the landfill
This is something that so many people are doing! No one really wants to live like this all the time. It should stay your choice, life is too much for lots of people, sadly. Well done on the video, Blessings.
Love this! I remember my grandparents and parents talking about having to ration in Seattle in the US back during the war. I don’t remember them talking about clothes rationing, but there was definitely food rationing!
I have to say I'm really happy that I'm not caught up in the disgusting movement of fast fashion and flippant consumerism. Every item of clothing i own has come from an Op shop. If I have to buy something from a "store" I will only purchase from an Australian owned small business. My washing machine died 18 months ago and I was using a laundromat but for the last month I've been handwashing and the water goes into my garden. Hard work but worth it. I think people would absolutely freak if things were rationed. Society has become very greedy and wasteful. Thankyou for another wonderful episode 🤗 xx
Did you grow up this way or learn it later in life? I’m realising the way I was taught to live was still wasteful, even though we couldn’t afford to be as wasteful as most people around us. But I don’t know any different and it’s difficult to learn what I need to know to make better habits!
@@EmL-kg5gn I learned this on my own, through necessity and a desire to be better. I've been homeless, with 4 small children, lived below the poverty line and then did everything I could to finally be able to purchase my first home 6.5 years ago. Also knowing that women and children are forced into slave labour to provide for society's greed and throwaway culture, really drives me to not add to that. I took small steps to change what was drummed into my head by corporations and media. My advice to anyone who wants to change is do it one thing at a time. Like decide to not purchase any new clothing from retail businesses, but instead go to the Op shop, clothing swap markets, even between family/friends. Recycle items, if you need new wash cloths, cut up a worn towel. Rather than order fast food make it yourself and maybe have just a treat once or twice a month. I've taught myself how to make or repair clothing and accessories. How to cut hair, grow food, build or repair furniture. I've even learnt how to change the oil/plugs/filters in my car so it only needs the major service every 18 months. I'm not saying everyone needs to do the same but even if each person changes a couple of habits to not be as wasteful or reuse/recycle/repurpose it would help the environment, save money and it honestly makes you feel so good 😊
PS. Still learning new ways to be more mindful also x
I love how you have learned how to do so many things through poverty and necessity - me too! I really want my daughter and I to change over to hand washing (to be honest the washing machine just bashes the clothes and doesn't get them clean where they are the dirtiest, like under the arms etc.) I've been trying to source a washboard and mangle and its on my wish list when I can afford it. We're going to change over to fridge free living too (didn't have obe for a while abd actually regret buying the bar fridge we got in a way) Sadly I can't buy stuff from the local OP shops here because the ladies who volunteer there are literally spraying perfumes on the clothing etc! I tried to politely tell them that's not a good idea (causes cancer, migraines, asthma attacks etc and once its on the fabric you can't get the wretched stuff out! My daughter and I are both asthmatics and I suffer chemical sensitivity so exposure to that stuff can literally make me collapse or end up really sick with a migraine.) So we've had to resort to making our own clothes- making adjustable waist skirts and would you believe it vintage style "stays" instead of bras! We make soap, deoderant and all our food from scratch. Anyway I think you are an amazing lady! I often tell people prosperity is a bad thing- people get lazy, everythings too easy and comfortable- they become selfish and like consuming locusts! When people don't have a lot of money and or people to help they have to get motivated and use their brains and work some stuff out. They often become nicer, selfless, generous, skilled and resilient. I'm not very smart, skilled or wise but I have an amazing God who has answered prayer after prayer abd with His help I've managed to do stuff I could never of dreamed of.😊
@@lianapalumbo8457 You have a lot to be proud of but I’m also very sorry you went through such difficult times ❤️ Thank you so much that’s really good advice. I’ll keep learning, recently I’ve picked up crochet and sewing! I think clothing’s a good priority since ill-fitting clothes are a trigger (ptsd) for me and it’s tempting to impulse-buy in a deluded attempt to calm myself if anything no longer fits.
Tbh things got out of hand during the pandemic, I got stuck overseas and bought doubles of things I had back home when we couldn’t stay with friends/family anymore (kitchenware, clothes etc). When I returned home I brought as much of it as I could so that was added to my old stuff and now it’s overwhelming. I hate getting rid of stuff but I think a declutter is necessary because sometimes I forget what I have and spend more as a result. So I think that and sewing will be my next focus
Really enjoyed this thank for sharing, please can we have more like this ❤
This would be a great short video to show to a class studying rationing of clothing. Been really enjoying uour content recently ❤
fashion on a ration, your a poet and didnt even know it! lol
Excellent video
Love these videos ❤
Thats more than i buy now
I want to make a siren jumpsuit! I’m going to ask my 98 year old client about this today.I have fewer clothes than the 40’s middle class woman and I can wear the same dress four days in a row. I have two pair of shoes and one coat and one Mac. When they wear out I’ll go back to the charity shop. Surely there are other people like me.
I love your channel
I have a couple of dressmaking books from this period, that show you how to turn men's shirts into blouses and children's clothes. But yes, you would re-use anything reusable. Buttons, zips, laces and trims. Mum was darning the holes in Dad's socks well into the 1970s. If sheets got thin in the middle, she cut them lengthways down the middle and stitched them back together with the outsides in the centre.
Love your blanket.
My husband's mother, who was from England, would send his outgrown clothes to her sister in England, for her son to wear.
This will be why my mother made her 1971 wedding dress imto my Christening dress in 76 when i was born .
It's traditional to do that
Love your videos.x
Do you think we may well get rationed again? I think so, just a matter of time with increasing conflict. Videos like this and also your preparing the house for Autumn are invaluable. I'm not wanting to cause panic I just think we need to acknowledge it's a strong possibility.
@NA-bm7ep you are in good company. I've been following geo political and world economics for a while. No expert but have been watching brics or brics plus now for a while. Seen the gold price the last few days wow. Something is definitely afoot and I agree with all you have said.
There are some great prepper channels you may find helpful
@@joanmatchett8100 I'm probably already on them lol
@@stephieann6844 👍 dig for victory
@@NA-bm7ep Thank you. I will check it out.
Great
Well said. I'm sick of this throwaway society we have.
Were those "glow in the dark" accessories radioactive by any chance? You know, like the paint on watch faces that caused hideous disfigurement of the girls who painted them. Oh, the glamour!
"Use it up and wear it out. Make it do or do without".
My mum said there was rationing when i was born in 1951.
I think it ended just before l was born, so l was lucky .
Do you happen to know how they did laundry? You mentioned that a poor woman only had three dresses. Do you think she would wear the same dress 2-3 days in a row or did she wear it once and just do laundry multiple times a week?
Did you receive the parcel? I did email you hun xx
Let's see... Twice turned sheets became shirts, blouses, underwear, slips, handkerchiefs, bras, nightgowns/pajamas etc. Moms and grandmother's old trunk of Stuff from the attic might well yield old drapes, uncles/grandad's or some male family members offcastt suits, plus whatever fabric was tucked away all of which could be made over or made into something currently useful. Old men's hats were remade into a fashionable ladies hat. Carpets, rolled up and stored away for another day, were cut down into slippers for winter, insoles for when soles got a bit thin, a suitcase or purse if needed. Yarn samples were never on ration (argyle jumpers, socks and general mending, new bra/knickers (there are knitting patterns so presume they existed) or, with enough-a new knitted blanket), fabric ditto, second hand clothing swaps were VERY popular and useful. Most larger towns had a general swap meet either weekly or monthly. Larger families did hand me downs between siblings, cousins or whoever. Women would turn dresses, blouses, skirts. Or combine 2 dresses and end up with one dress for mom and another for the daughter. I still turn my husband's collars and cuffs when needed.
If you were well heeled enough to have that in the first place.
@@juliaforsyth8332 have which? Family? A second hand shop? A couple old dresses? A threadbare rug?
I thought sugar was the last thing still on ration ? ❤
This is similar to those awful rough blankets.
All there in favor for upcycling clothes and accessories?
I do not like modern clothing anymore. It seems to get worse year after year.
And the styles are awful! The last time I entered Nordstroms here in the U.S. the only word that came into my mind was, "Blah."
Ha! Try walmart clothes! 😬😳😝 worst junk ever!
anoniem9007 totally agree.
@@NaneeH63 I don't even bother! 😆
If you plus size woman back in the 40s how did they cope
Plus size people were a rarity in 1940's 50's and 60's People got more exercise people walked to work or school, because food was rationed didn't over eat. the only take away was the fish and chip shop sweet rationing, everything was rationed here in the UK coal electricity petrol clothes, I started school in 1950 we didn't have paper to do our sums on or write on we had a small black slat and a piece of chalk, to read the teacher had the book and copied it onto the big blackboard and had a wooden pointer to point out the words we were to read , there was no such thing as waste when I was a child.
They dropped the calorie intake by about 1000 calories. From 3000 to 2000. Fat chicks were an extremely rare bird. If you were a bit plump, about as far as people got, you lost the extra.
@@christine899 I think you will find there were plenty of overweight people especially in the poorer classes. Emphasis of fashion was the same as now. Slim people.
@@athenathegreatandpowerful6365 Still plenty of overweight then.
Hand sewing and markets.
You can't blame capitalism, because they were not less capitalists, ;-)