‘Fashion on the Ration’ exhibition goes to Manchester

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
May 24, 2016

The street style exhibition exploring how women dressed in the 1940's is scheduled to open its doors in Manchester on 27 May at the Imperial War Museum, North.

The showcase, originally presented in London in 2015, analyses how fashion survived and even flourished under the strict rules of rationing and how despite the restrictions, austerity did not put an end to creative design or fashionable trends on the British home front.  

Wartime exhibits on display include clothing, accessories, photographs and film, official documents and publications, artworks, letters, interviews and ephemera.

Curated by Amanda Mason, the exhibition is divided into five main sections: Into Uniform, Functional Fashion, Rationing and Make do and Mend, Utility Clothing, Beauty as Duty, Peace and new look? and Legacy.

Among the show’s highlights are a bridesmaid dress made from parachute silk, a respirator/carrier bag and a wide-brimmed Women’s Land Army hat.

‘Fashion on the Ration: 1940's Street Style’ will run until 1 May, 2017.