Tailoring clothes for spies

[St. Louis]

I'm not positive that this is the right folder for this thread (?) I found this article intensely interesting, since I make virtually all of my own clothes from 1930s and 1940s patterns. The specific information about how to deal with buttonholes, seams, and all the other tiny tailoring details is extremely useful. This is for both ladies and gentlemen:

https://daily.jstor.org/clothing-britains-spies-wwii/

 

[RedDoll46]

I'm not positive that this is the right folder for this thread (?) I found this article intensely interesting, since I make virtually all of my own clothes from 1930s and 1940s patterns. The specific information about how to deal with buttonholes, seams, and all the other tiny tailoring details is extremely useful. This is for both ladies and gentlemen:

https://daily.jstor.org/clothing-britains-spies-wwii/

I didn't realize how much work (to THAT level) went into the clothes. I have read other WWII spy books where the SOE made sure to include "pocket trash" such as ticket stubs, etc. to help fill out the persona.

 

[GHT]

Spying has been a British/English art for centuries, it's something that we do well by not leaving anything to chance. If you read up on the S.O.E. you will find that women made up more than 50% of the agents, very brave ladies they were too, a lot didn't live to tell their tale.
The history books won't tell you that there were plain clothed Gestapo everywhere, as well as Nazi sympathisers, all of which were well known to the agents spy masters.
If you have seen the film: "The Man Who Never Was," you will get some idea of the lengths that British went to in the detailed minutiae, from authentic clothing to pocket and wallet contents.

 

[St. Louis]

I've immediately put that on my netflix list. I would also recommend "Wish me Luck," which does get into some of those details, including dentistry (ugh) and learning the continental style of knitting.