The war years of 1939 to 1945 were filled with romance amid pain and suffering. During World War II many women arranged wartime weddings within a few days to accommodate a boyfriend coming home on a 24 hour leave, before being sent to combat. Frequently there was no time to get a special dress and often women could not afford the clothing coupons needed for a wedding dress.
Nevertheless happy weddings took place, with family members donating small amounts of staples like sugar, flour and eggs so that the war bride could bake a wedding cake.
Women borrowed hats, raided gardens for flowers and loaned wedding dresses. Bridesmaids reused dresses worn to other weddings. This sometimes gave a mix and match look to bridal group photographs. Most brides wore clothes so that every item could be used again in a different venue. Friends and family rallied around loaning a hat, a bit of lace, or a dress.
A bride often wore her hair high on top of her head in a waved roll. Abundant hair was helpful, but lack of it did not stop women from adopting the style. Ever resourceful, they used old stockings rolled up to create foundations to be covered by their own hair. This style became popular since it offered the glamour lacking in other areas of wartime life. The look is film star glam.
Army, Navy and Air Corps personnel usually wore their uniforms when they wed.
In 1944, an American B-29 pilot was returning with his crew from a bombing raid over Japan, when the plane’s engine caught fire. The pilot used his parachute to jump from the burning aircraft. Later the chute helped him survive by providing shelter until he was rescued. After returning home from war, he proposed to his girlfriend. She used the life-saving parachute as material for her wedding dress. She modeled her dress on one which appeared in the movie Gone With The Wind. The bride used the original parachute strings to create the train in the back. A person can think of no other wedding dress that would be as meaningful as one that saved the life of the groom. (www.hhhistory.com)
Discover more from Yesterday Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
