The role of clothing and fashion in the household budget and popular culture, Britain, 1919-1949
The central theme of the thesis is how clothing and, to a lesser degree, fashion affected the lives of women in the period from 1919 to 1949. The practical impact of clothing on women is rarely assessed to the same degree as other essentials of life such as food and housing, yet obtaining, maintaining and renewing clothing stocks were issues of the utmost importance to women, particularly those from low-income households, in the inter-war period and the Second World War. The first half of the thesis concentrates upon the role of clothing in the home and in popular culture in the inter-war period. Of particular importance is the role of clothing in the household budget, a subject which has received limited attention from social historians. In households with limited incomes, finding the means to purchase clothing was problematic, and women often resorted to unconventional methods of saving and spending. The role of clothing in middle-class households is examined as well, with an emphasis on the many varieties of shops which supplied ready- to-wear clothing, as well as souces of made-to-measure clothing. And, while antiquarian and sociological studies of fashion abound, little has been written on the practical
Robson, Jennifer Margaret
Clothing and dress ; Fashion ; History ; Home economics ; Popular culture ; Great Britain ; 20th century
The role of clothing and fashion in the household budget and popular culture, Britain, 1919-1949. The central theme of the thesis is how clothing and, to a lesser degree, fashion affected the lives of women in the period from 1919 to 1949. The practical impact of clothing on women is rarely assessed to the same degree as other essentials of life such as food and housing, yet obtaining, maintaining and renewing clothing stocks were issues of the utmost importance to women, particularly those from low-income households, in the inter-war period and the Second World War. The first half of the thesis concentrates upon the role of clothing in the home and in popular culture in the inter-war period. Of particular importance is the role of clothing in the household budget, a subject which has received limited attention from social historians. In households with limited incomes, finding the means to purchase clothing was problematic, and women often resorted to unconventional methods of saving and spending. The role of clothing in middle-class households is examined as well, with an emphasis on the many varieties of shops which supplied ready- to-wear clothing, as well as souces of made-to-measure clothing. And, while antiquarian and sociological studies of fashion abound, little has been written on the practical
role clothing fashion household budget popular_culture britain central_theme clothing less degree fashion affect life woman period practical impact clothe woman rarely assess degree essential life food housing yet obtain maintain renew clothe stock issue importance woman particularly low income household inter_war_period second_world_war first_half concentrate_upon role clothing home popular_culture inter_war_period particular_importance role clothing household budget subject receive_limited attention social historian household limit income find mean purchase clothing problematic woman often resort unconventional method save spending role clothe middle_class household examine well emphasis many variety shop supply ready wear clothing well made measure clothing antiquarian sociological_study fashion little write practical