Forties fashion : from siren suits to the new look / Jonathan Walford.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-205) and index.

Introduction -- Dressing the nation : preparing the home front for conflict -- Kangaroo pockets and siren suits: dress, patriotism, and propaganda in the first year of war -- Rationing, utility, and austerity: The British way to winning the war in fashion -- Independence and limitations: the rise of the American designer under wartime restriction -- Zoots and zazous: anti-fashion in a time of crisis -- Beauty on duty: the war effort and the pursuit of novelty and beauty -- Making do: creative solutions for dire shortages -- Pacific fronts: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada -- Occupation culture: Paris ignores the war -- Pieces of resistance: new regimes and everyday apparel -- Fashion among the ruins: the German home front -- New looks: rebuilding fashion in the post-war world.

A comprehensive look at the fashions and styles that emerged around the world during the 1940s from practical and smart-looking attire for air raids (hooded capes with large pockets and zippered jumpsuits) to street fashion and the creation of Christian Dior's "New Look" collection in 1947.