Competition: Fashion on the Ration at IWM North

In which G.M. Norton visits the new northern home for Fashion on the Ration (and has a super giveaway!).

Despite loving bygone eras, I’m enormously thankful to be living today. With my growing love of clothes, I’m not sure how I would have coped if I’d been around in the summer of 1941 when clothes rationing was introduced to Britain. Well, I suppose I’d have been trying to keep my military uniform looking as pristine as possible while trying to stay alive…

Clothes rationing didn’t just last for the duration of the Second World War, it went on for nine years, long after the war had been won.

Of course, it wasn’t all bad. While men were forced to forgo turn-ups on their trousers, it also meant that fair maidens revealed a little more leg as hemlines were raised for the war effort. That was when they weren't slipping into trousers themselves, to carry out the manual jobs, that men across Blighty had left behind. 

That’s what I like about the way Britain reacts in a crisis. We make the best of things, keep our collective chins up and try to see the funny side.

I was tickled pink to be invited to the Imperial War Museum North for a private view of the acclaimed ‘Fashion on the Ration: 1940s Street Style’ exhibition. This follows a successful stint in that there London last year.

The Fashion on the Ration exhibition’s new home at the Imperial War Museum North also coincides with the 75^th anniversary since clothes rationing was first introduced, on 1^st June 1941.

The private view was held last Thursday, with the exhibition officially opening to the public yesterday. It will run in Manchester until 1^st May 2017.

I absolutely adored the exhibition. Travelling to Londinium is a little tricky (and expensive) so it’s marvellous that it has now reached the other end of the country, which knows a thing or two about making clothes.

Fashion historian Amber Butchart was there to officially open the exhibition and I got to meet some old chums, including Sue off of Old Fashioned Susie. 

The exhibition is made up of six different sections – Uniforms, Functional Fashion, Rationing & Make Do and Mend, Utility Clothing (my favourite), Beauty as Duty, and Peace & a New Look.

It was so fascinating to learn about the resourcefulness of British people when faced with rationing on items we take for granted today. The perfect example is the underwear set and dressing gown which were made out of silk maps - astonishing!  

Of course, the exhibition is dominated with dresses for ladies to fawn over. But it was my turn to salivate at the military uniforms, CC41 menswear and a pristine looking demob suit. 

Now, onto the competition!

To celebrate Fashion on the Ration opening at Imperial War Museum North, the museum has very kindly put together a prize bundle for one lucky reader.

The prize bundle, worth £79.99, is as follows: 

·       A pair of exhibition tickets - £12

·       Fashion on the Ration hardback book - £8.99

·       Shoe shine kit - £15

·       Blimey mug - £9

·       Bader silk aviator scarf - £35

I particularly love the Bader scarf, a polka dot scarf famously worn by RAF pilots, named after war hero Douglas Bader.

To enter, simply leave a comment below, sharing why you would like to win this Imperial War Museum prize.

You may also enter using Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Just tag @nortonofmorton in, telling me why you would like to win the prize. Simple enough? Extra brownie points for following Imperial War Museum North on Twitter @IWMNorth and signing up to their e-newsletter.

The competition ends at midnight on Friday 10th June 2016 (only open to UK residents - sorry!). I was contemplating using Rafflecopter to run the competition but decided to keep things traditional - entries will be put into my straw boater and the winner will be picked out at random by my four-year-old.

Fashion on the Ration runs from now until 1st May 2017. It's £6 for adults, £3 for children and £4.50 for concessions. 

G.M. Norton

Protagonist of 'Norton of Morton'

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