Describe what changes in women’s clothing came about as a result of two World Wars.

The following changes in women’s clothing came about as a result of two World Wars :
(i) Many European women stopped wearing jewellery and luxurious clothes.
(ii) Upper class women mixed with other classes. As a result of it, social barriers were eroded and women began to dress in similar ways.
(iii) During the war, women started working and by 1917, over 700,000 women in Britain were employed in ammunition factories. This necessitated a change in their dress because they had to wear a working uniform of blouse and trousers with accessories such as scarves. This was later on replaced by khaki overalls and caps.
(iv) Bright colours were discarded and sober colours were worn as the war continued. Thus, clothes became plainer and simpler.
(v) Skirts became shorter.
(vi) Trousers became a vital part of Western women’s clothing because it gave them greater freedom of movement.
(vii) Most important change was that women took to cutting their hair short for convenience.
(viii) By the twentieth century, a plain and sustere style came to reflect seriousness and professionalism
(ix) New schools gave too much importance to plain dressing. Ornamentation was discouraged. This resulted in a plain and austere style of clothing for women.
(x) Moreover, gymnastics and games were included in the school curriculum for women, Thus in sports, women had to wear clothes that gave them freedom of movement. When they went to work they needed comfortable and convenient clothes. All these factors led to changes in clothes of women.