Dressed for War

very good for history buffs

(To be posted on Amazon.co.uk when the book is released)

'What people wear matters'

This is an accessible, popular look at how clothes were used during the period of the First World War. Edwards offers a survey-style approach without academic analysis: the chapters are relatively short, and the whole text (excluding notes) only about 200 pages.

Taking her starting point from the assumptions that what people wore had an effect on how they understood themselves, Edwards explores army uniforms, the cross-gendered clothing of women, and the new dress codes that ushered in a modern era.

Expanding beyond the war itself, this also takes in changing attitudes to the body and sexuality, and the clothing of entertainers such as the Ballet Russe.

This is a light read which pulls together a lot of material, some of it relatively well known, without being challenging or controversial. A good starting point for anyone interested in the social history of dress.

Dressed for War: Uniform, Civilian Clothing & Trappings, 1914 to 1918, written by Nina Edwards. Much of the information in the book is about dress in Britain, though Ms. Edwards includes information about clothing in Germany and the US and in the other participating countries. It’s about so much more than clothing, and it paints a vivid picture of the hardships both at home and in the trenches.

WWI is now 100 years in the past, and that is a very long time. People who can actually remember the conflict are pretty much gone, and as for my own experience, the shared memories of my father and his contemporaries of WWII (which had ended only ten years before I was born) greatly overshadowed any tales I might have heard from a WWI soldier. My grandfather and great uncles were of that magic age where they were too young for WWI, but too old for WWII.

So while WWII seems so real to a Baby Boomer like me, WWI seems so very long ago. It is important to read books like Dressed for War, because the author drew heavily from the diaries and written records of people who experienced life during that horrible conflict. We need to remember that wars are not just dates to memorize in history class. It is from the stories of history that we can truly learn.

What a fascinating book this is! Nina Edwards maintains that what people wear matters and that much can be learnt from the tilt of a hat, the fabric of a dress, the length of a skirt. What we wear reflects who we are and the age we live in. This book is the story of what people wore during the First World War both at home and on the front line, in the UK and overseas. It’s lavishly illustrated, clearly and succinctly written and a treasure trove of trivia and interesting facts. Nina Edwards sheds fresh light on clothes and fashion, uniforms and civilian dress, taking in accessories on the way, to give a complete picture of the clothing of that era. A compelling and illuminating read.

Dressed For War is a thoroughly researched discussion on what clothes meant in the World War I period. The topics range from supply to cigarettes, body consciousness, shortages, manufacturing, underwear, dentistry, and more. There are a 42 small black and white photographs/illustrations/cartoons to underline the points. It should be noted that this is definitely a wordy academic book on society and not a coffee table book on fashion.

The book breaks down as follows: Introduction; Prelude;, Uniform chivalry, and doing one's bit; Men in civvies, women in uniform; The fabric and furbelows; attitudes to the body; Entertaining costume; Manufacture and the home; Death, marriage, and identity; O brave new world; Epilogue/Notes/glossary/Bibliography/Index.

A more accurate title would be along the lines of how clothes affected and were influenced by World War I era society. The book is multinational and discusses the different countries and how clothing was affected by the war years. Full backgrounds are given - e.g., to understand the World War 1 British uniform, you need to go back to the uniforms that preceded it and see how they organically grew from there. Then the author discussed fabric dyes in the uniforms, why the colors were chosen, how the dyes were obtained (blockade running, u-boat smuggling), and even a chapter on why being clean had an impact on the way uniforms were designed.

For women, social mores, attitudes as the war progressed, availability of materials, appearing patriotic, greeting returning soldiers and wanting to look feminine, and much more are covered in detail. The book gives equal discussions to men and women, with children discussed a bit at the end.

What you won't find in this book is discussion of fashion or fashion styles. This is a book about clothing for the average person - not robes a la mode, Vogue, designers, or the different types of dresses or styles. Nursing, missing limb attachments, dentistry, knitting, children at home and war, etc. are the discussions. As an example, in the wedding dress section, there is only one image, and that's of a non-traditional toga type dress to give an example of romantic type dress preferences.

Although the information is well researched, the presentation does leave a lot to be desired. Images are small, typically 1/4 or 1/2 page, the type face is boring and laid out in a standard and unfriendly manner. It can look and read a lot like a home typed dissertation rather than something that has at least gone through any kind of design process. But for those wanting to put into perspective 1914-1918 life across the world, this is a very well researched resource.

Reviewed from an ARC.

‘Dress, from uniform to everyday civilian accommodations, to high fashion, has meaning for our interpretation of the First World War.’

Men wearing grey and khaki in the trenches, women working in factories wearing overalls and trousers. People making do with existing clothing, adapting it to new requirements, being thrifty rather than fashionable. In this well-illustrated book, Ms Edwards writes about what people on both sides of World War I wore both on the home front and the front line.

‘What people wear matters. This book examines what was worn for its significance, calling on what is revealed in the smallest details of personal dress ...’

Clothes, hair and accessories are covered in both uniform and civilian wear: how people achieved either individuality or uniformity depending on opportunity and taste. Practicality was important, as was thrift. Women wore trousers, hemlines lifted and men’s suits were made using less material. And in keeping with the need for increased durability and practicality, fabrics evolved as well.

‘Thrift had become a patriotic duty.’

But this book is not just about what people wore during the war years, it touches on the changes to society which had an impact on why people made the choices they did. More women were working outside the home, fewer people were available for domestic employment.

And while I knew about white feathers as a symbol of cowardice (in Australia as well as in Britain), I never knew that this was the reason why:

‘The white feather was a long-established symbol of cowardice in Britain, stemming from the adage that a fighting bird with white feathers in its tail was of inferior stock, and thus unfit to fight.’

I found this book interesting reading on a number of fronts, particularly: the social and practical considerations of clothing during World War I; the evolution of women’s involvement in work outside the home; and the ways in which people adapted both individuality and uniformity. The photographs and drawings augment the text well.

‘This has been a book about appearance. What appearance can reveal about even such a time as the First World War.’

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I. B. Tauris for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Detailed look at clothes and costume during World war 1 - an international look. A look at how people dressed, especially for occasions, and how they used their dress as political or social statements.

From the common folk to the military, to the socially affluent, new rules, new dress codes are explored.

Well worth the read for those into social history or the history of clothes and costume.