Make & Mend for Victory, 1942
Ever since I found it on eBay, I’ve been dying to post some peeks into this great little booklet from 1942! It was published in the US by Coats & Clark, and it’s optimistically entitled Make & Mend for Victory. (“Making do” obviously not being a state of affairs Americans were prepared to accept.)
Cover
The tone is altogether more pumped than that of similar British publications from the war. The first page includes a “consumer’s victory pledge”, which implies voluntary rather than enforced austerity.
The booklet includes detailed instructions on how to alter, mend, maintain and refashion women’s clothes, as well as patterns and instructions for hats, collars and other accessories to brighten up an old outfit. Best of all, it shows in detail how to cut down men’s clothes to make garments for women and children, and suggests which patterns to use for the job. But more about this in a minute.
The illustrations are darling and beautifully depict the style lines of the time. Love that sunburst suit and snood in view A!
The booklet also features a spunky model I’ve dubbed Dolores. That’s her with the dark hair:
I bet Dolores’s phone never stops ringing. Check out that saucy smile!
I imagine Dolores to have a boyfriend in the Navy. God knows what he’s up to out in the Pacific, but meanwhile, Dolores is getting her own back by cutting down his suits to make chic little numbers for herself.
The pamphlet gives layout and cutting instructions for making women’s suits from men’s. Patterns used include Advance 2997, Hollywood 682, Simplicity 3652 and others still available online! I am strongly tempted to have a crack at it, although I’d have to steal a suit off a strapping GI — the booklet stresses that it’s no good attempting the project if your boyfriend isn’t considerably bigger than you, and James is a compact European model.
Here’s a sample layout for Vogue 9137 and Vogue 9001:
There’s also instructions for making women’s blouses and children’s suits, underwear and pajamas from men’s shirts:
And here are the layouts:
I’m happy to upload more scans for anyone who wants to attempt one of these projects. Enjoy!
I was doing some searching the archive where you got the latest photos and I found my way to… http://www.costumes.org/HISTORY/100pages/sews4victory.htm
This is about the American war effort. it was interesting that even though they didn’t have ration books in the USA, they did do without since many or most manufacturers were producing for the military. The government made a big push to make it a patriotic thing. Hope you find it interesting even though it’s about the USA instead of Britain.
Oh, this looks really interesting! Thanks for the link!
I am interested in American wartime clothing too — I will be posting the L-85 orders in the next few days.
I have an old sewing manual, with many of the same illustrations ad layouts. Probably published by the same company, just post-war. Now I’ll have to dig it out and look!
I’d love to see the rest of the pages of this booklet. (I wait with bated breath) LOL kitty
I just discovered your blog and I love it! It’s as if you write exactly what I have in mind.
Anyway, I’ve always wanted to do that, including sewing my own clothes. I’ve always found the fact that the war ladies managed to look their best during such difficult times, while being classy al the time. I love the 40s style!
I’ve tried to do something similar in the past, but temporarily gave up. You are inspiring me to start again. Cheers!
Oh, totally start again! Sewing can be frustrating at times, but with so much help available from books and the internet, there’s no reason to give up.
You all are making me want the whole pamphlet…sigh…
Oh, I love this one!! I was collecting WWII era pamphlets for a while, I didn’t keep much unfortunately but this was a fave, I’ve got it somewhere. You are right, most of the US booklets and catalogs I had definitely imply a “let’s all do this out of our patriotism” with no sense of having to buckle down and make do.
This looks awesome!! I don’t think I would try any (I don’t know how to use patterns) but to think you can make over all the men’s stuff to womans is awesome!!
Ahhhh! This booklet is straight up TOO GOOD! My god, you must have been on such a high after recieving it! I love the illustrations and photos and the detailed layout advice for refashioning mens garments, they would be useful for people doing the Wardrobe Refashion challenge or similarly thrifty seamstresses today. So interesting as well what you pointed out about the difference in feel regarding the language compared to UK versions. x
I’ve got this one too! I bought it especially for the pledge.
I’m just picturing the poor GI who comes home from the war to find that all his favorite suits and shirts have been repurposed.
OOHHH Fab! I am so glad you posted this! I saw your comment on my blog regarding a swap! I’m totally up for it…..how about a 1940′s pattern? I poke around and send you some pics!
Yes please! I’d love to see what you’ve got.
Oh, I’d love to try some of those children’s projects! Now if only my husband would stop wearing his shirts before they turn to rags…
I would love to try out the children’s patterns as well! Maybe thrift stores might have shirts we can cut up? While that may not be totally in the spirit of the phamplet, at least it isn’t new?
Refashioning thrift-store clothes is exactly what I have in mind! It’s nice to think that an unloved cast-off man’s shirt or suit could find new life as a favorite blouse or vintage-style suit.
This is such a great find! And I feel pretty dumb considering that the idea of making blouses out of men’s dress shirts never occurred to me – the fabrics are so gorgeous and they’re dirt cheap and plentiful at thrift shops.
Anyway, I’d love to see more scans from that booklet!