074933 - KITTED OUT: Style In The Second World War

By Caroline Young

Uniformity tells the story behind what people wore during the Second World War – the uniform, the style and the self-expression. During those extraordinary times, new identities, factions and hierarchies were created as young people put on uniforms, went to war and took the opportunities that they could to express themselves or to send out secret codes of rebellion and resistance. From the British Tommies and the American GIs to the female munitions workers and members of the French Resistance, this book takes a fresh new look at the Second World War through a fashionable eye, and how swing music and popular culture played their part in shaping the lives of young people. Painting a picture of the war through costume, this book will explore how style flourished and military-issue items were adapted, from the men and women showing their pride in uniform, to those in the home front who adapted to changing roles and rationing. Such was their influence, these uniforms would continue to make an impact on fashion after the war, with leather bomber jackets, brothelcreepers and the RAF insignia all later being adopted by youth groups.