Discussion topic: 'What we Wore'
The Medway Discussion Group had an enjoyable afternoon sharing both photos and reminiscences about clothing from the past. Between us we shared tales of a surprisingly large number of dressmakers in our families, who made everyday clothing and attire for special occasions both professionally and within the home.
One member’s father forbade her from wearing trousers… until her mother made her a pair! She recalled skirts getting shorter in the sixties, and the bank where she worked being decidedly unimpressed with this turn of events. She recalled woollen jumpers being unpicked during the war and re-knitted, and parachute silk being used to make underwear.
Another member recalled her mother using the fabric from existing pieces of clothing to make new garments. She recalls her father in a suit in family photos from days out at the beach and the family being very smartly dressed for Sunday afternoon trips out. Hats, hat pins and stoles were often worn.
Another member had been sorting out her husband’s collection of ties. She had used many of them to weave a throw - not an easy task when one considers the changing widths along the length of each one. She also shared photos of several family weddings, where the same tie pin had been used down the generations.
Memories of school clothes were shared, from navy blue gym knickers to gym slips and liberty bodices. When shopping for uniform, correctly-fitting uniform items were often returned to the rack, with the next size up being purchased. “You’ll grow into it”, was the phrase often used.
When one group member’s grandmother died, her knickerbockers were discovered amongst her possessions - two separate legs with a string around the waist.
We shared memories of various sewing machines which had been used to make items from underwear to wedding dresses. Two matron of honour dresses had been made in 1944 using pink net curtains, as no coupons were needed! One member had an aunt who worked for pattern makers Vogue. Tales were shared of patterns being re-used and altered by generations of women whose skills seemed to know no bounds.
Report by Helen Stenhouse