English v. American Fashion in WWII

[Eliza Blue]

Could one of you knowledgeable ladies explain the differences between the everyday fashions of English and American women of the homefront? Of course, rationing on clothing was stricter in the UK, but other than that, I don't know much else!

Thanks in advance!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the main period of difference was 1940-41, where in the US you could still have eight-gore skirts, and extra ornamentation on clothing. Styles in the US were getting much more "no nonsense" during 1941 -- and when clothing restrictions went into full effect in the US in 1943, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between an American "victory dress" and a British CC-41 model. By 1944, you'd be hard pressed to find any dress in the US that used more than 2 3/4 yards of fabric, and there were no frills, extra pockets, fancy collars, or any other such ornamentation. Skirts were right at the knee, and remained there into 1946.