This coat and hat for a little girl were made under the Utility Scheme, the UK government's regulations to control manufacturing and eliminate waste of resources during World War Two (1939-45) and the period of austerity afterwards. The Utility scheme launched in 1941 with the distinctive logo 'CC41', designed by Reginald Shipp, for use by manufacturers whose products met the rules. It used standard designs to avoid waste of materials and the use of un-necessary details in manufacturing: this coat has only one row of buttons instead of the two that would be usual for the style. The inclusion of the hat probably indicates that it dates from the early years of Utility clothing.

The coat and hat are probably former shop stock which failed to sell, and were stored away when fashions changed. The wartime 'Make Do and Mend' campaign had encouraged restraint, repair and re-use wherever possible: because of their smaller size and simpler construction, children's clothes for this age group were particularly likely to be made at home by their families rather than bought in shops. Buying new garments at this time was quite difficult, needing coupons from the limited number issued to each person, as well as the monetary cost. Families sometimes had to use the adults' coupons to get new shoes or winter coats for their children who had outgrown their old ones. The alternative was to buy second-hand garments, or to go to a dealer who was willing to break the government regulations - technically a criminal offence.