A Blog About Women Who Were Homefront Heroines: the WAVES of World War II
Rounded shoulders, fuller skirts, nipped-in waistlines and high-climbing throat-lines . . . these are the new silhouettes to look for.
Consider these highlights when shopping, but don’t be a slave to the mode if it’s wrong for you.
From the booklet “Back to Civvies,” held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
Always remember that simplicity is the keynote of dressing smartly. Avoid choosing fashions that were “in” when you went into the Navy; chances are they’re “out” now. Here’s where your study of fashion magazines comes in.
Try to get clothes that are coming into fashion. You will be happier with them longer.
Avoid the fashion you meet on every third woman. When you see the same dress in every shop window, you may be sure it has reached its peak of popularity, and is not going to last as long, fashion-wise, as something which is in far less quantity.
Avoid the pitfall of exaggerated fashions; the too-wide shoulder, the too-nipped-in waist. The too-deep armhole. When in doubt, always take the middle of the road.
From the booklet “Back to Civvies,” held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The Navy gave women three options for their personal “look” after getting out of the military: pretty, smart or crisp:
If the answer is:
- “Pretty”–then choose a feminine hat, soft dresses,
- “Smart”–the a few very smooth clothes for you,
- “Crisp”–then stick to tailored clothes.
From the booklet “Back to Civvies,” held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
From the booklet “Back to Civvies,” held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The Navy’s help for women heading back to civilian life extended beyond just the practical information needed to muster out of service. Remember, the WAVES were consider the most fashionable and best dressed branch of the service, with couture uniforms designed by Mainbocher.
So it should come as no surprise that the Navy offered women suggestions for how the former WAVES could remain fashionable after they returned home.
This booklet is held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The Navy also offered advice to help women keep track of their military records after returning to civilian life:
Have the Recorder of County Clerk record your discharge certificate. You can then obtain a certified copy any time in the future if the original is lost or destroyed.
This image comes from the Women’s Reserve Information Separation Pamphlet. It is held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
Just as potential WAVES received a personal interview when they began in the service, the soon-to-be civilians would have an interview about options after they left the service.
The sage advice from the Navy?
Make sure you are fully informed.
This image comes from the Women’s Reserve Information Separation Pamphlet. It is held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
Upon arrival at the Separation Unit, you have reported to the Initial Receiving Point, where you turned in your Service Record and papers.
This image comes from the Women’s Reserve Information Separation Pamplet. It is held by the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College.
The Navy gave women this pamphlet as they were leaving the military at the end of the war to:
assist such personnel in their readjustment to civilian life.
It comes from the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
The reality is that a group of women hoped to remain with the Navy after the war – while others were looking forward to returning home. So in the articles discussing the possibility for a post-war Women’s Reserve, the Navy had to strike a careful balance, as illustrated by this article. While the article discusses how women might be able to continue to serve, it also reassures them that “no one now in the Women’s Reserve could be assigned to active duty in peacetime without her consent.”
It comes from the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College.
Hinges of History 