Board of Trade Pattern No.17.
Skirt Suit
autumn 1942 (designed)
autumn 1942 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This Utility Suit is from the Utility Collection by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers for the Utility Clothing Scheme introduced by the British Board of Trade during the Second World War of 1939 to 1945.
The Utility Clothing Scheme was introduced by the Board in 1941 to ensure that low- and medium-quality consumer goods were produced to the highest possible standards and sold at what were considered widely accessible prices. The clothes needed to comply with restrictions and rationing of raw materials.
The venture was backed by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers through their collection of prototype garments designed by a number of leading creatives. A Press Handout states that 'The Chairman of the Society is Capt. Molyneaux, and the members taking part in the scheme are Hardy Amies, Creed, Bianca Mosca, Digby Morton, Peter Russel, Victor Stiebel and Worth'. The document goes on to say that 'Templates in all sizes for which the style is suitable have been manufactured by makers up accustomed to mass production, and garments made from these different size patterns have in each case been passed by the designer. Good foundation patterns for the different sizes required by the public will therefore be available for use by any firm'. Firms had to purchase the patterns.
The word Utility was applied to garments made from Utility cloth, which was defined in terms of minimum weight and fibre content per yard. The designs by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers could be made up of either Utility or non-Utility cloth. Utility clothes were usually identified by a distinctive double crescent CC41 label. The CC stood for Civilian Clothing. 41 was a reference to 1941, whent the initiative was introduced.
When offering the group of prototypes associated with the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to the V&A in August 1942, Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing, wrote: 'The Board of Trade, in connection with the production of Utility clothing, has instructed eight members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to design a number of women's garments for use as models by makers-up of Utility clothing. These garments include coats, suits and blouses of wool, rayon and cotton, and there are about 40 in all. They confirm in simplification and economy of material to the conditions laid down by the Board of Trade in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing.'
The Utility Clothing Scheme was introduced by the Board in 1941 to ensure that low- and medium-quality consumer goods were produced to the highest possible standards and sold at what were considered widely accessible prices. The clothes needed to comply with restrictions and rationing of raw materials.
The venture was backed by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers through their collection of prototype garments designed by a number of leading creatives. A Press Handout states that 'The Chairman of the Society is Capt. Molyneaux, and the members taking part in the scheme are Hardy Amies, Creed, Bianca Mosca, Digby Morton, Peter Russel, Victor Stiebel and Worth'. The document goes on to say that 'Templates in all sizes for which the style is suitable have been manufactured by makers up accustomed to mass production, and garments made from these different size patterns have in each case been passed by the designer. Good foundation patterns for the different sizes required by the public will therefore be available for use by any firm'. Firms had to purchase the patterns.
The word Utility was applied to garments made from Utility cloth, which was defined in terms of minimum weight and fibre content per yard. The designs by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers could be made up of either Utility or non-Utility cloth. Utility clothes were usually identified by a distinctive double crescent CC41 label. The CC stood for Civilian Clothing. 41 was a reference to 1941, whent the initiative was introduced.
When offering the group of prototypes associated with the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to the V&A in August 1942, Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing, wrote: 'The Board of Trade, in connection with the production of Utility clothing, has instructed eight members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to design a number of women's garments for use as models by makers-up of Utility clothing. These garments include coats, suits and blouses of wool, rayon and cotton, and there are about 40 in all. They confirm 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 | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Board of Trade Pattern No.17. |
| Materials and techniques | Scottish woollen tweed |
| Brief description | Skirt suit made up of a jacket and skirt, Scottish woollen tweed, Elspeth Champcommunal for Worth London, London, England, autumn 1942, Utility Clothing Scheme collection by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers |
| Physical description | 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. The long, fitted jacket, lined with fawn rayon, has wide padded shoulders which make the waist look small in contrast. It has two deep and wide patch pockets. The skirt consists of four flared panels. Measurements recorded at the time of acquisition. Jacket back length: 2 feet, 2 1/2 inches Jacket shoulder width: 1 foot, 3 inches Skirt length: 2 feet, 4 1/2 inches Skirt waist circumference: 26 1/4 inches |
| Dimensions | |
| Credit line | Given by the Board of Trade, through Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing |
| Object history | This skirt suit was donated to the V&A by the Board of Trade through Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing, in 1942 as part of a group of prototype garments designed by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers for the Utility Clothing Scheme. Board of Trade Pattern Number: 17. The following details appeared in the Press Handout: 'The Suit is shown in size 38 hips. / The material used is a 16/17 oz Tweed specification 208. / The Retailers maximum selling price for the garment in this material is 82/2. / Templates will be available for sizes hips 38, 39, 40, 41, 42.' Registed Papers 1300/1942. |
| Production | Original inventory tag found in jacket pocket is marked with a W, for Worth. The British-born Elspeth Champcommunal was leading on design at Worth London at this time. |
| Summary | This Utility Suit is from the Utility Collection by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers for the Utility Clothing Scheme introduced by the British Board of Trade during the Second World War of 1939 to 1945. The Utility Clothing Scheme was introduced by the Board in 1941 to ensure that low- and medium-quality consumer goods were produced to the highest possible standards and sold at what were considered widely accessible prices. The clothes needed to comply with restrictions and rationing of raw materials. The venture was backed by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers through their collection of prototype garments designed by a number of leading creatives. A Press Handout states that 'The Chairman of the Society is Capt. Molyneaux, and the members taking part in the scheme are Hardy Amies, Creed, Bianca Mosca, Digby Morton, Peter Russel, Victor Stiebel and Worth'. The document goes on to say that 'Templates in all sizes for which the style is suitable have been manufactured by makers up accustomed to mass production, and garments made from these different size patterns have in each case been passed by the designer. Good foundation patterns for the different sizes required by the public will therefore be available for use by any firm'. Firms had to purchase the patterns. The word Utility was applied to garments made from Utility cloth, which was defined in terms of minimum weight and fibre content per yard. The designs by the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers could be made up of either Utility or non-Utility cloth. Utility clothes were usually identified by a distinctive double crescent CC41 label. The CC stood for Civilian Clothing. 41 was a reference to 1941, whent the initiative was introduced. When offering the group of prototypes associated with the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to the V&A in August 1942, Sir Thomas Barlow, Director-General of Civilian Clothing, wrote: 'The Board of Trade, in connection with the production of Utility clothing, has instructed eight members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers to design a number of women's garments for use as models by makers-up of Utility clothing. These garments include coats, suits and blouses of wool, rayon and cotton, and there are about 40 in all. They confirm in simplification and economy of material to the conditions laid down by the Board of Trade in relation to the manufacture of civilian clothing.' |
| Bibliographic reference | Features in the V&A's Four Hundred Years of Fashion publication. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.42&A&B-1942 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
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