TRWBM:1994.225 – child’s dress made from parachute silk by the donor 1951
Today’s randomly chosen object is a handmade child’s dress made from parachute silk with silk smocking details made in 1951. This piece is such a perfect example of the attitude of the time and the ingenuity of those who were living through rationing and the post war years. Before we have too close a look at the dress itself, we need a bit of background on silk parachutes.
Parachute silk was natural silk from which parachutes were made in pre-WWII era -it was fine silkworm silk woven into airtight fabric. It was durable, light, easy to pack and, unlike its main competition of nylon, was very fire resistant. Silk also has a comparable strength to steel and some 10 times stronger than nylon. When woven in a plain weave it is resistant to tears and this weave also created the correct air permeability, controlling the pressure differential across the canopy. It was hands down the more practical choice and as such, the US, UK, and German militaries all coveted this already precious material for their respective war efforts.
Before the Second World War, the majority of the world’s silk had originated in Japan, so with the outbreak of the war the material became even more precious. The parachutes had to be perfect though, any tiny fault in the seams or damage to the canopy meant the parachute was unusable. This meant that there was a market to be had in unusable parachutes. Many soldiers also sent home the parachutes that had saved their lives to their sweethearts. Parachutes were also scavenged from enemy planes and even from parachute mines.
Clothes rationing was introduced in Britain on 1 June 1941 and materials like silk were heavily regulated. Textiles in general were also rationed during the war, and this meant that ladies had to make do with what they had or adapt their dressmaking to the resources they did have. Many women would recycle these parachutes in wedding dresses, lingerie and other garments. Newspapers and magazines gave tips and suggestions on how to remake, remodel and adapt clothing.
This example in our collection in a child’s dress which also features extensive smocking. Smocking is done by gathering fabric in regular folds and stitching them with patterns of different shapes, colours, and designs. It was originally in the 15th century as a practical method for making garments more flexible, with designs becoming increasingly decorative in the Elizabethan era. Smocking began to appear on cuffs, collars, and bodices, adding an elegant touch to clothing.
Our garment features extensive decorative smocking around the chest – front and back, and on the sleeves. Pink stitching is seen around the collar and shoulder seams and pink stitched loops were made for the buttons at the back of the dress. The dress is so beautifully detailed it was likely for special occasions – perhaps the child’s ‘Sunday best’.
