Impact of World War Two on Women's Fashion in America

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2 SUMMARY While studying evolution of women’s western wear; we cannot ignore the impact of both world wars; inspiring new trends and entire era of fashion; which was minimalistic at its best and heavily influenced by military uniform. Investigative research consisted secondary sources. Firstly, research took place on the internet in order to find more about the war and how they affected women’s fashion. Also books borrowed from the library contained very useful information on this topic. As most of the research material found online was related to United States of America; report mainly discusses trends in America; and how people accepted war-time restrictions and set new fashion trends. The influence of World War II is evident through the photographs and information that depict the variation in the styles and trends of women’s fashion throughout the decade. Not only does this include a change in fashion when the United States first became involved in the war, but also during the post-war years when signs of people’s desire for luxury and fashionable items caused by the restraints of the war became noticeable. Therefore, the argument arises as to whether the influences and changes had a positive or a negative impact on fashion. People in the United States may have recognized it as a negative short term impact due to the many strict limitations and sacrifices that had to be made. Even though the wait was long and often times challenging, in the long run it seems to have made a positive impact on women’s fashion as new styles and trends resulted from the cause of the war. 3 INTRODUCTION “If you don’t need it. DON’T BUY IT” – a rather “foreign concept in today’s society” (Sexton), but a well-known one among all Americans during the 1940s as it was seen on every single ration booklet. This slogan had a great impact on the mindset of the people back

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