Dressed For The War:
Daywear Dresses

Please note: The vast majority of women wore one-piece dresses with bodice and skirt of the same material, not separates. Only a very few fashionable young women wore white shirts & skirts combinations.

Necklines:

     Jewel:
           Most common style for day wear
           Fits close to the base of the neck
           Often has fine self-fabric piping

     White collars:
           Fairly narrow, detachable
           Of fine cotton, linen or lace (fashion & to keep dress clean)
           Working impression option: White kerchief tied or tucked around neck in lieu of white collar

Bodice Seams:

      Shoulder:
            Starts just behind top of shoulder and angles further back to dropped armscye

     Armscye:
            Fits quite close under the arm and forming almost horizontal seam line well below point of
                shoulder.
            Generally includes very small self-fabric piping for reinforcement, not decoration

      Side back:
            Form a vaguely “Y” shaped center panel. Top arms of “Y” extend from back of armscyes in                 sweeping curves to form narrow, roughly parallel seams down to waist
           No matter the dress size, parallel portion of the seams generally end up no more than 1” or so apart
           Side back ‘seams’ can also be created by tiny tucks top stitched in place
           Neither seams or tucks are piped, only top stitched

      Side:
            Generally further to the back than on modern garments

     Waist:
             Straight across, slightly above natural waist

Bodice Closures:

       Center front openings (Back closures were for formal evening wear and children’s dresses)
       Fasten with hooks & eyes with optional decorative buttons very typical
       Functional buttons & button holes also used

Bodice Styles:

       Darted or fitted: Very popular style
             Two long darts either side of center front
             Generally “flat lined." (lining and dress fabric are sewn as one piece)
             Fits as close to the waist and midriff as possible

      Gathered or tucked:
             Slightly more common on younger women
             Two small sections of gathers either side of center front, instead of darts
             Center back sometimes gathered instead of having side back seams
             Darted lining often only attached to dress at side seams, shoulders and part of waist and neck.
             Lining often hooked closed separately from dress fabric

      Fan front:
             Rather old fashioned
             Fabric gathered or pleated at center front & often stitched down in rows near waist
             Earlier versions also included pleats at shoulders (rare except on very elderly women)

Sleeve Styles:

     Coat:
             Similar to sleeve on men’s coats. One or two piece versions
             Full at elbow and narrower at wrist
             Maintains a slight curve when hanging empty
             Often have fine self fabric piping at wrist
             Detachable cuffs or narrow undersleeves can be worn with this style
             Very typical of work dresses as uses the least amount of fabric and easy to push up

     Bishop:
             One piece, gathered at top & at wrist, generally set into self-fabric cuff
             Slightly fuller undersleeves for added fullness or detachable cuffs appropriate

     Pagoda:
          Wide variety in length, fullness and shape, but all wide open at bottom edge
          Most formal style because of extra fabric required. For ‘best dress’ only.
          Most appropriate in silk or other very fine fabric
          Requires full undersleeves, preferably of delicate material and trim

    Common variation:
          Sleeve cap, jockey or epaulette among other names
                  Short piece set into the armscye and extending out at least a few inches over top of sleeve
          Plain or with various trims

     Puffed top:
          Generally two full puffs of fabric at upper part of sleeve with lower portion fairly narrow
          Least common style, but an interesting variation

Skirt Linings &/or Hem Treatments:

     Silk skirts generally fully lined
     Fine brown polished cotton lining typical on better dresses or any scrap fabric on work dresses
     If skirt is unlined, 2”-4” hem facing usually added
          Protected bottom of skirt & gave added weight to skirt
     Wool hem braid frequently added
          Protected edge of fabric & gave added weight to skirt
          Various ways of attachment

Skirt Length:

     Skirt hems were finished, then length adjusted at waist

     Hooped dresses:
          From touching floor to 3”-4” off ground

     Work dresses:
          From brushing top of shoe to ankle length

Skirt Openings:

     Better dresses:
          Generally opened to left of center
          Faux waistband added to support skirt where it extends past the bodice opening

     Work dresses:
           Occasionally opened at center front (fewer panels, pocket placement easier?)
          Apron would hide any potential unseemly gaps at skirt opening

Waist Treatments:

     Skirts frequently attached directly to bodice without separate waist band

     Directional knife pleats:
          Typical for 'better' dresses, especially silk
          Generally point to center front w/ inverted box pleats, often changing direction again at sides & back

     Gauging:
          Modern term: cartridge pleating, a very controlled form of gathering.
               See Gauging web page for 'how to' details
          Typical on prewar dresses, but rather unfashionable by the war years. Occasionally used for sheer                dresses or less fashionable dresses with narrower skirts such as dresses worn for work

     Plain gathering:
          Limited to work garments of very coarse fabric not conducive to gauging

     Box pleats:
          Not common till very late war when narrower hips became fashionable

     Belts:
          Generally worn with dresses with visible waistbands
          Fabric or ribbon belts, fastened in the back, were most typical.
          Avoid double pointed ‘Medici’ type belts unless very young and very 'trendy'

Pockets:

     Set into right side seam (unless for ‘lefty’?)
     Suspended at the top edge from the inside of the waistband
     Very long and deep
     Made of polished cotton or scrap material

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Copyright: Glenna Jo Christen, 1999