Even in wartime there was still time for dinner, dancing and other special occasions; time for the 1940s woman to get dressed up and go out on the town. This elegant dress is dusky pink and made from polyester with sequins and embroidered flower details. It was worn in the daytime, or in the evening with a jacket or coat, and a hat. This dress is simple and plain in design, with a round neck, slightly gathered waist and a calf-length skirt.
This dress is called a Utility Dress because it was made under the Utility Scheme. This scheme was introduced in 1941 when the British Government rationed clothes. Since there was less fabric available, clothes had to be simpler and plainer in design. The government provided clothes patterns to tailors and factories to make clothes that followed their rules. The rules limited the amount of fabric that could be used, along with a limit on the number of buttons, pleats and pockets.
Inside the dress is the label 'CC41' which stands for Civilian Clothing 1941. This shows that the dress was from a government-approved pattern in 1941. The government involved famous fashion designers to make the Utility designs popular. Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell were among those 1940s designers who created streamlined and stylish dresses with the CC41 Utility Mark.
This dress was worth 7 clothing coupons in wartime. (A coat was worth 14, while a pair of socks was 1 coupon.) In 1941, each person had 66 coupons for the year.
