How did the average couple dress for weddings?

[GHT]

Here the toile comes into it's own. The bride prefers the back of the dress plain, so the rear pleats have gone and the pleated shoulder straps have been replaced, although they might still be the choice. Lots of experimentation, lots of hard work too, but it's slowly getting a shape.

 

[GHT]

Tina took a break last night, I don't blame her. She has been working on the dress until the small hours every night just lately. This is the lovely lady for whom Tina is putting in so much effort. A photo that I love, taken at her daughter's recent wedding.

 

[GHT]

Back in Tina's cabin and she's been hard at work correcting, altering and adjusting. Next week the bride will be here for a fitting, then the dress proper can be started on.

 

[Edward]

Enjoying seeing that dress come together. It's interesting to see the work that goes into recreating original designs and styles that no longer match modern construction approaches. It looks fabulous already.

Since all able-bodied men were in uniform during the war, most got married in it.

Not all by any means! Many, certainly. Again, it would also vary with place: very few on my generation in Northern Ireland had grandparents who fought in WW2 (or great grandparents in the Great War) because conscription - the single biggest reason for enlisting in either war - was never extended to Ireland. By contrast, probably a majority of my English friends had a grandparent who was in the forces in ww2 because of conscription. There were, of course, very many able-bodied men in the UK at least who were excuse conscription because theirs was a 'reserved' occupation. Worst off were probably the Bevan Boys, whose role was neither properly appreciated at the time nor fully recognised until much later.