A while ago I posted about my Aurora Luft suit, inspired by the character from the Canadian TV show X Company. When I finished that suit, I found that I had a little over a meter left of the fabric, and when I had dropped by the local fabric store that I found it at and discovered that they only had two meters left, I had to pick that up and make another little suit. I made this skirt suit with pattern 8462, a Vintage Simplicity pattern. The skirt is a half circle, and it is paired with a fully lined matching bolero.
I am no tailor, but I am incredibly interested in tailoring's part during World War Two. It may seem like sewing has absolutely nothing to do with any wars, but seamstresses and tailors have always played important roles during wars. To begin with, there is always need for more uniforms. During both WW1 and 2, each country needed different uniforms for each part of the army, as well as dress uniforms versus regular uniforms. Different ranks had different styles, and the uniforms ideally had to be changed to match the weather. The lack of resources meant that winter uniforms were often delayed and many suffered from frostbite.
The most interesting role that sewers played during WW2 (in my mind) was in the resistance of occupied countries. Papers, photos, and other important things could be sewn into the canvas of a coat or jacket. Jewels, money, and other heavier but small items could be sewn into hems. Hem weights were commonly used through the 1940's, and seamstresses would just replace those with whatever mementos or wealth that the person wanted to smuggle out of the country. Also, sewers were allowed to receive packages from unoccupied areas, especially those who created garments for Nazi officers or their wives. This gave them a slight amount more of freedom, allowing them to smuggle messages and items across Europe and often making them important players in resistance cells.
After the war ended, there were many displaced persons strewn throughout Europe. Those whose houses had been destroyed during the war, those who had been forced to move to different areas, and survivors of the Holocaust were trying to find family members and a new place to live. During the late 1940's, many survivors tried to immigrate to Canada, but Canada did their best to restrict entrance. In order to get Jewish survivors to the relative safety of Canada, a few Jewish Canadian men created a program that involved bringing skilled tailors in from Europe to supply the demand in Canada. There was no true demand for skilled tailors in Canada, but the garment districts were convinced to ask for more workers in order to force the Canadian government to allow Jewish immigrants across the border.
A sort of task force was created to find Jewish tailors in DP camps across Europe. They did their best to bring as many to Canada as possible, and to help them sponsor their families once they had lived in Canada for long enough.
I am a firm believer that hand crafts such as sewing are important parts of history, even though they are often overlooked. Those who have created the clothing that was worn during major events have stories that are not always considered, but are always fascinating glimpses into regular peoples lives during unsettling (or terrifying) times.
Thank you for reading!
~Katherine
