During World War II the U.S. War Production
Board (WPB) was responsible for insuring that certain critical fabrics
and materials – to include nylon, rubber, silk, leather and wool – were
reserved exclusively for combat or combat support purposes. These
military priorities caused WPB to enact Limitation Order L-85 (see 2009
May II column) imposing material restrictions on the design and manufacture
of feminine apparel. Parts of the actual text of this order are reproduced
here as follows:
“(e) General
Restrictions on the Manufacture and Sale of All Articles of Feminine
Apparel. Except as otherwise herein expressly provided, no person shall,
after the effective date of this Order with respect to such person, put
into process any cloth for the manufacture of, or sell or deliver any feminine
apparel with:
(1) more than two articles of apparel at one
unit price, except when specific restriction herein has limited the sale
of any article of apparel to one unit at one unit price.
(2) any garment of multiple units, any of which
contain wool cloth to be sold at a unit price, if they were not in jobbers
or retailers stock at the time this Order became effective on the manufacture
of such garments made of wool cloth.
(3) French cuffs on sleeves.
(4) double material yokes.
(5) balloon, dolman, or leg-of-mutton sleeves.
(6) fabrics which have been reduced from normal
width or length by allover tucking, shirring, or pleating, except for minor
trimmings.
(7) inside pockets of wool cloth.
(8) patch pockets of wool cloth on a lined
wool cloth garment.
(9) interlinings containing any virgin or reprocessed
wool.”
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Captions
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Click image to enlarge
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Regulations for the American clothing industry
were established by U.S. War Production Board Limitation Order L-85.
Two models exhibit the same basic dress. However, the one on the left has
eliminated extra pleating above the hem and saved one-half yard of 39-inch
material over the unsatisfactory version shown at the right, marked by
a white "X" in the photograph.
(Collection Shelby Stanton) |
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| The original fashion sketch at the upper left
was not allowed under U.S. War Production Board Order Limitation Order
L-85 because 1,400 square inches of trimming was required. However, the
final dress photographed on the left, as well as the alternative sketches,
conformed to the order by saving more than half the material used for trimming
(from top to bottom, using 364, 650, 240 and 320 square inches).
(Collection Shelby Stanton) |
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Click image to enlarge
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Click image to enlarge
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Under the general provisions of U.S. War Production
Board Limitation Order L-85, the dress in the upper left used a prohibited
amount of material. This dress was altered in conformity with WPB
dictates by eliminating the bows at the cuffs, shortening the sleeves to
elbow length, simplifying the trimming and reducing the “sweep” or fullness
of width around the dress bottom. The final satisfactory version
is shown on the right.
(Collection Shelby Stanton) |
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| The difference between these two blouses may
appear slight. However, the pleating of the garment on the right used eight
inches of fabric and is marked with an “X” to show nonconformity to U.S.
War Production Board Limitation Order L-85 standards. The blouse at the
upper left conforms to WPB mandates by tucking half the amount, or only
four inches, of material into the pleats.
(Collection Shelby Stanton) |
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Click image to enlarge
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Note: The next few columns will be devoted
to a detailed survey of Limitation Order L-85 and wartime feminine dress,
along with illustrative examples. My information for this column is based
on personal research in U.S. National Archives Record Group 179.2. |