Clothing Goes to War

'Clothing Goes to War is a sound contribution to the ever-expanding body of literature on the interactions between material culture, social history and war. Turner explores the roles of different textiles in war — jute, cotton, wool, nylon and even rubber (never underestimate the prevalence of girdles in wartime) — and the ways in which female ingenuity battled scarcity. Her narrative is a successful interweaving of personal stories and historical analysis, sharing experiences of women across different social classes and nationalities in a way that is both moving and insightful... The book’s broad overview of national policies on thrift in both Allied and Axis countries, balanced with individual interviews by the author, makes clear that traditional female thrift and women’s unpaid labour were both crucial factors in government economic policies... What sets this book apart from many histories of wartime apparel are the connections made across different classes, races and nations, and the comparison it draws between thrift practices then and now. Turner draws our attention to parallels between wartime crafting necessities and recent pandemic responses. Times of crisis focus consumers on issues of hoarding, scarcity and adaptability — very much features relevant to the Second World War as well as current global issues of conflict and deprivation... Clothing Goes to War is a call for greater awareness of textile sustainability practices, and a fine tribute to so-called ordinary people who persevered through the hardships of the 1930s and 1940s.' -- Lucy Adlington, Textile History