Coat thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Coat

autumn 1942 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This coat is from the Utility Collection by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers for the Board of Trade. The simplification and economy of material match the conditions laid down by the Board in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing during the Second World War of 1939-1945. Then, both hand-crafted and mass-produced tailoring was as important as it is today. But, despite the best efforts of the fashion designers to be inventive without wasting precious fabric, there was a very limited choice. The Utility Scheme was introduced by the Board in 1941 to ensure that low- and medium-quality consumer goods were produced to the highest possible standards at 'reasonable' prices. These standards complied with restrictions and rationing of raw materials. The word 'Utility' was applied to garments made from Utility cloth, which was defined in terms of minimum weight and fibre content per yard. Utility clothes were usually identified by a distinctive double crescent CC41 (Civilian Clothing) label.

When offering this coat to the Museum in August 1942, Sir Thomas Barlow explained that it conformed 'in simplification and economy of material to the conditions laid down by the Board of Trade in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool, partially lined with rayon
Brief description
Coat, 1942, English; Utility, probably designed by Elspeth Champcommunal for Worth. Mustard milled wool. Board of Trade pattern 27
Physical description
Mustard milled wool coat, partially lined with yellow rayon and fastens with a single button at the neck and a tie belt.
Dimensions
  • Back length: 116.2cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • Across shoulders width: 43.2cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
Credit line
Given by the Board of Trade, through Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing
Object history
The Utility Collection, produced in 1942 by the incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers, was distinguished by its elegant simplicity. It complied with restrictions governing the number of buttons and the amount of material used.
Summary
This coat is from the Utility Collection by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers for the Board of Trade. The simplification and economy of material match the conditions laid down by the Board in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing during the Second World War of 1939-1945. Then, both hand-crafted and mass-produced tailoring was as important as it is today. But, despite the best efforts of the fashion designers to be inventive without wasting precious fabric, there was a very limited choice. The Utility Scheme was introduced by the Board in 1941 to ensure that low- and medium-quality consumer goods were produced to the highest possible standards at 'reasonable' prices. These standards complied with restrictions and rationing of raw materials. The word 'Utility' was applied to garments made from Utility cloth, which was defined in terms of minimum weight and fibre content per yard. Utility clothes were usually identified by a distinctive double crescent CC41 (Civilian Clothing) label.

When offering this coat to the Museum in August 1942, Sir Thomas Barlow explained that it conformed 'in simplification and economy of material to the conditions laid down by the Board of Trade in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing'.
Collection
Accession number
T.50-1942

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
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