A very important point we wish to stress is that no one should feel compelled to spend gobs of cash on actual, artifactual clothing articles from 1939-1945, or enlist the $2000+ aid of a professional tailor to get clothes of the proper fit and cut. Bob and Kass kitted themselves out entirely by trips to our best friends: the thrift stores and vintage clothing shops. Thrift stores, such as Goodwill and ones run by various charitable organisations, usually have quite an array of options for the WWII reenactor. Our local store (Good Shepherd) had such a selection that Bob strode forth with three jackets (one an actual Harris Tweed), three sweaters, several pairs of trousers, and shoes. All for less than $20. Besides, if he ever wore his tailor-made suits to events, Kass would emascualte him in public. Kass will do the same for you, if you're caught doing this! Same for actual WWII-era items, especially in the field. Don't feel compelled to soil and destroy a wonderful artifact out of authenticity's sake. If you want to own vintage items or have replicas professionally made, be our guests (and bring 'em to events, so we can "Ooh" and "Aah" over them)! But please don't le'ts assume this is a requirement. And please protect artifacts like the antiques they are. Okay? Right. Moving on...

• Simple, straight cut dress
      or
• Blouse and straight skirt (matching jacket or blazer optional)
• Anklets or bare legs or cotton stockings (not sheer)
• Ugly shoes (loafers)

The fabric options available to us are just astounding. Modern shoppers can choose from dozens of different fabrics from which their clothing is made. The WWII-focused reenactor is not so fortunate.

Luckily, veterans of other, earlier periods of reenacting will be coming back to an old friend: Wool. Countless items were made from this most versatile fabric, from the slickest of city suits to the roughest of farmer's tweeds.

Silk and cotton, while common enough before the War, rapidly became rarer than rare when War-geared industry began to commandeer the entire supply. Thus, a more threadbare than not cotton collared shirt is a better choice than a brand-new one, especially if portraying a late-War impression -- you haven't been able to buy a shirt for three or more years. Silk ties were scarce as hen's teeth during and after the War, so a rather spotty necktie is better than a natty one.

Given the importance of the stuff to the Belgian economy, some shirts in Belgium were made of linen, but to find shirts of the right cut (like modern shirts worn under suit jackets) is next to impossible. Besides, virtually all linen not destroyed by the Resistance was exported to Germany.

Synthetic and reconstitiuted cellouse fabrics, such as rayon, viscose, polyester, etc. should be, to the best of our knowledge, restricted to Americans and British, as those textiles were relatively rare on the Continent.

Unfortunately, ladies, this is not where we get to shine. WWII-era clothing in Europe, particularly in the Occupied Countries, is pretty dull. Although women took an unusual amount of care with their hairstyles and makeup, their clothing comes under the description "dowdy". Never forget that during this period cloth was rationed in America and there were severe shortages all over Europe. Where do you think the Nazis got the cloth for those dashing uniforms (it's been rumoured that one of the incentives to join the German military was the well-cut uniforms). A new suit of clothes was unattainable even for the wealthy. So we see many late 30's styles still being worn in the mid-forties. Shoes were scarce. A nice pair of dressy shoes probably wouldn't have lasted until 1944. So most women are wearing "functional" shoes, even with their Sunday best (see Photo #). Many women in the photographs are wearing loafers with either anklets or bare legs. Silk and nylon were unattainable so stockings were out of the question. However, wool or cotton stockings were sometimes worn, particularly in colder weather.

The most important thing you can do to give the impression of being a Wartime woman is your hair and makeup. Fortunately, unless you have a very radical modern style, 1940s styles are achievable with modern hairlengths. Contrary to what you may think, women did not all have shoulder-length hair. An American pamhlet on the war effort encouraged female volunteers to have their hair cut to a uniforn length of three inches. Even with this short length, the tyical 1940's styles could be achieved. See So-and-So's website and Daniela Turudich's book 1940s Hairstyles for great directions and ideas. Makeup: Vintage Face by Angela Bjork and Daniela Turudich.

In period photographs, the women we see who are "all dolled up", wearing expensive minks and fancy shoes, are literally "sleeping with the enemy". In France, many of these female collaborators had their heads shaved as punishment after the War. Of course, not all well-dressed women were collaborators. Indeed, some of those fraternizing with the Krauts were Allied operatives who used their proximity to important Nazis to obtain coveted information about troop movements, etc.

The most important bit of research you can do is look at period photographs. lease be aware, this doesn't mean finding 1940s-era Vogue magazine and copying the styles worn by the models. The clothing in Forties Vogue was a different from what real people wore as the clothing in 2002 Vogue is today. Pictures of "real people" are your best source. Of course, they are scarce. Also remember that typical dress in America was different from typical dress in England and on the Continent. SOE workshops in England painstakingly reproduced clothing in the styles worn on the Continent so their agents there would blend in with the native population. A woman wearing 1940s Hollywood style dress just isn't going to be inconspicuous as a housewfie in rural Belgium!

Have look at some 1940s vintage dress patterns to get an idea of the silhouette of middle class dress during wartime.

[1] - The Resistance, Russell Miller (Time-Life, 1992)
[2] - World War II In Photographs, Richard Holmes (Carlton, 2000)