Local costume expert, Lee Ault, gave us a lively and entertaining talk on the 1940s - ‘Rationed Fashion’.
She produced from her vintage trunk many original clothes and memorabilia from the time - including gasmasks, official advice, identity cards, ration cards and clothing coupons. These brought back many memories for older members of the audience.
Although Dior’s New Look in 1947 reintroduced a touch of glamour, rationing continued after the War, so the whole decade was very much one of ‘Make do and Mend’.
Michael Lucas