Dressed for War Uniform, Civilian Clothing, and Trappings, 1914 to 1918 by Nina Edwards (2014)

Not long ago I read a very good and quite detailed biography of the great translator C. K. Scott Moncrieff    who served in World War One with great distinction.  It tells us nothing about what he wore, why he combed his hair in a certain style, what colognes he used, let alone anything about his watch, his shoes, and his undergarments.  How one dresses opens up to more options as one's wealth and creativity increase.  Dress style offers many cultural and identity signals.  Nina Edwards in Dressed for War Uniform, Civilian Clothing, and Trappings, 1914 to 1918 answers these questions and details the social climate of the period and how it both produced and was shaped by clothing styles.  

One of my favorite literary works is Ford Madox Ford's tetralogy set in WWI Parade's End, recently made into a very well done H B O series.  

Be honest, didnt you wonder what was under these beautiful garments worn so elegantly by Slyvia and Christopher Tietjens.  Read Edwards book and you will have a pretty good idea.  

One of the biggest social changes in England was brought about by the great need for women to fill the vacant spots in factories, trains, street cars, and many other once all male jobs.  Women did not want to just wear men's clothings but they needed outfits practical for work that were still a bit traditionally feminine.  Edwards shows us how these changes in dress blurred older sexual locked in stereotypes among women.  In a way, this opened the door for an acceptance of greater rights for women.  Of course clothing is a huge indicator of social standing and wealth. The affluent still had servants to help them dress and care for their clothes.   The poor have few options.  Edwards also talks about hairstyles and accessories.  

During the war, in Germany and England, cloth became scarce and skirts in consequence got shorter.  Everybody felt the need to economize and Edwards deals with this in some detail. 

This is a serious very well documented book all interested in the history and literture of the period will profit from.

Nina Edwards is a freelance writer and actor living in London, UK, and the author of On the Button: The Significance of an Ordinary Item.

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