What did women wear in the 1940s?
What did women wear in the 1940s?
Inspired by IWM's collections, the brilliant Spirit of Britain explain why the 1940s was such an exciting time for fashion.
Tutorial: How to achieve a 1940s hairstyle
Tutorial: How to achieve a 1940s hairstyle
Learn how to achieve the perfect victory roll, an iconic element of women's 1940s fashion.
Try out your look
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© IWMDuxford Battle of Britain Air Show
Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 September 2022
Dust off your tea dresses, shake out your tweed and show off your victory rolls for a fabulous vintage day out at IWM Duxford.
Step back to summer 1940 and enjoy all the action in the skies and on the ground with live entertainment and special activities for all ages.
Join our eNews for ticket alerts.
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© IWMOperation Black Door | Immersive Event
After hours: 10, 11, 12 March 2022
Step into Operation Black Door, a brand-new theatrical event experience filled with characters with secrets to discover. Will you be one of them?
Immerse yourself in a time when every second mattered, every decision is crucial and every act counted.
Be the first to enter the world where history was made at Churchill War Rooms.
Tutorial: The 1940s make up look
Tutorial: The 1940s make up look
The war brought many changes for women, including a shortage of cosmetics. As a result, make up in the 1940s was pared back and simple, which makes it an easier look to replicate.
Images of 1940s fashion from our collection
Images of 1940s fashion from our collection
A young model poses on a small flight of steps in the Bloomsbury area to show off her checked suit, costing 18 coupons.
A classic wool suit
A classic wool suit
A model wears a brown and beige all-wool checked suit by fashion designer Hardy Amies. She is wearing a matching coat. An angled hat completes the outfit.
Colourful 1940s dress by Norman Hartnell
Colourful 1940s dress by Norman Hartnell
Although certain design details were forbidden as they were a waste of valuable raw materials, wartime "austerity" fashions were not drab, as this purple, green and mauve dress (which cost 7 clothing coupons), designed by Norman Hartnell, testifies. The model is standing on a windy rooftop in Bloomsbury, London. Senate House, the headquarters of the Ministry of Information, is clearly visible behind her.
The utility frock
The utility frock
A model sits on a plinth beside some steps to show off her scarlet wool Utility frock by Dorville at John Lewis and Co. Ltd., with front-gathered skirt and shirt-waist top (cost: 11 coupons and 60/-). With this dress, the model is also wearing a white silk jersey turban, white gloves and shoes. This dress is also featured in D 14780, but accessorised differently to illustrate the versatility of the garment.
Don't forget the hat!
Don't forget the hat!
Four young ladies enjoy a stroll in the Spring sunshine along a shopping street in the West End of London. Two are wearing fancy hats, proving that wartime clothing doesn't have to be drab! Cars and other pedestrians go about their daily business behind them.
