Thats were alot of suits went

[DamianM]

---Don’t confused the Victory Suit with the “utility suit,” which was the UK’s more strict version of what a patriotic World War II suit should be. These were often made from men’s suiting, who had left for the war and therefore left their good clothes in closets behind. So rather than make a new style of more conservative clothing, women in the UK made a utility suit from pre-existing materials because their coupon system strongly prevented them from buying anything new.---

Found this on a blog and it makes sense. I knew things where used to help the war effort after the depression when men wore there 1 suit to death. But to make matters worse they go to war and the ladies hack the suit up to make it for themselves!

The fate of late 30s suits were not bright

 

[Fastuni]

In 1942/43, when the Germans occupied all of France, Frenchmen who wanted to buy one new suit or coat had to hand in two old suits or coats. They were, depending on their condition, sold off cheaply to poorer costumers to be worn off or "recycled"/shredded. That's were a lot of pre-war French suits went.

In Germany as in all war-affected countries garments were reused/cut-up/recycled on an extensive scale. As one German tailor related in a tailoring newspaper during 1941 or 42, numerous used suits were collected that costumers could choose from. They were then re-cut according to the specs of the new wearer. Essentially this meant a lot of larger suits were downsized.

Tragic... yes. But without a doubt one of the least tragic aspects of WW2.

 

[DamianM]

Tragic... yes. But without a doubt one of the least tragic aspects of WW2.

wholeheartedly agree

 

[Baron Kurtz]

In working class climes in the UK, this was standard practice, pre-war and post-war, and for a long time in the past. Dad's old jacket was cut down for the son. This was certainly the way in both sides of my family. My paternal grandfather's demob suit was cut down in 1960 to fit his first son when he turned 16, then cut down again to fit my father when he turned 16 in 1963. It didn't need to be cut down again for the third son as he was the same size as my father, but it got passed on to him.

The problems with clothing in the early war years were severe. Due to worries of loss of stock through damage, all the major tailoring houses and fabric merchants/dealers were forced to take out massive insurance policies at usurious rates within weeks of the outbreak of WWII, thereby driving prices through the roof. They were then forced to put most of their production facilities almost exclusively over to the production of cloth for uniforms, meaning that civilian cloth became EVEN MORE expensive.

 

[Dinerman]

As Fastuni says, reprocessed wool was also common in this era. Old suits were shredded down and the fibers re-woven into new, inexpensive cloth.

 

[Two Types]

The reprocessing of wool still sees the death of some old clothing. I spoke to a vintage dealer who sources clothing from northern Italy. I bought three pairs of trousers from him (circa thirties/forties?) that had all been heading for a wool reprocessing plant before he rescued them.

 

[Fastuni]

I shudder every time I think of it...

 

[Two Types]

Fastuni, If that makes you shudder I guess I shouldn't mention that the clothing that goes to the Italian wool reprocessing plants also comes from Switzerland, Austria and .... Bavaria!

 

[DamianM]

Fastuni, If that makes you shudder I guess I shouldn't mention that the clothing that goes to the Italian wool reprocessing plants also comes from Switzerland, Austria and .... Bavaria!

Oh god no!