Patriotic Clothing Trends during WWI: A Peak into an American Trade Magazine | Inside Adams

This post was Business Reference and Research Specialist in the Science & Business Reading Room

is year, the Library of Congress has commemorated America’s 250th anniversary by looking at how fashion has connected us through the decades.While browsing through the Library’scollections, we found evidence of these connectionsduring World War I in our fashion trade publications.The United States officially entered WWI on April 6, 1917. Patriotic and military–inspired fashion very quickly became trendy in the women’s clothing industry, as clear throughout the May 12, 1917 issue of Nugent’s: The Garment Weekly.  

Nugent’swas a weekly trade publication that covered industry trends for clothing manufactures, buyers, and retailers published in the early 20thcentury. In 1917,the trends were highly influenced by According to an article from the May 12, 1917 issue, which discussed military inspired women’s clothing, “khaki …As if the manufacturer thoroughly believed in preparedness.” The article went on to elaborate, “that is, women’s preparedness for gardening work, for hiking and tramping, for automobiling and for the strenuous efforts that she may take this summer—they are all showing the khaki suit, some in more military fashion than others” (p. 23). Another article, on women’s coats, observed, “the manufacturers seem almost limited to khaki and military features, both in coats and capes, if not in style than in color” (p. 24). 

Patriotic clothing was also on trend. An article describing printed georgettes, polka dot patterns and the resurgence of gingham also mentioned “a most remarkable shirtwaist dress…in the national colors,” featuring a skirt of red, white and blue stripes, a white satin blouse, blue belt and red and blue suspenders over the shoulders (p. 22). And an article detailing bathing suit trends featured the photo shown at the start of this post. The model wore a bathing suit of stars and stripes and carried a matching “Colonial Tricorne” hat (p. 42). 

While patriotic colors and motifs were catching on, it seems manufacturers were more hesitant about printing a depiction of the flag itself on clothing. One article noted, “Many manufacturers and retailers…are greatly interested at the present time in the interpretation by various states of the law with regard to use and misuse of the flag” (p. 40). Indeed, there were a patchwork of state flag laws in 1917. To get some clarity,Nugent’s publishing company sent a telegram to all 48 State Attorneys General, and to the Attorney General of the District of Colombia, requesting a response to the question, “is it illegal to manufacture or sell in your state a woman’s or child’s garment on which is embroidered or appliqued a representation of the American flag?” (p. 39).  

The responses to Nugent’s inquiry were predictably mixed, and the publisher suggested that a federal law should be made to end the confusion. A new federal law would need to wait for another war, though – the U.S. Flag Code was adopted in 1942 to set guidelines on the appearance and display of the U.S. flag. However, these regulations are generally considered advisory and manufacturers still use their discretion when creating patriotic clothing. 

You can learn more about the “Fashion at the Library” initiative here: Fashion at the Library: The Threads that Connect Us. The Fashion Industry: A Rer re

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