Clothes Rationing in Britain: Make Do and Mend | Archive Film Favourites

From June 1941 until 1949 during the Second World War, buying new clothes was rationed in Britain. This newsreel trailer, made by the Ministry of Information in 1943, is called ‘Make Do and Mend’. It was part of the Government's campaign urging people to repair, reuse and reimagine their existing clothes during the Second World War. Film curator Michelle Kirby introduces us to this delightful and humorous short film.

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[RandiPoitras]

“I’d like to be a nightdress and panties!”
🤣🤣🤣🤣

[jo]

All these things are on the way back be prepared

[adrianaadnan]

People in 2023 has no idea what saving or thifty means. My grandma told me everyone knew how to sew in the past everyone had a metal pedal sewing machien.. They just do. If there was a war in 2023. Most people will die not out of weapon but out of inability to function without supermarket or convenience.

[NesconProductions]

LoL..! Feel bad for the kid in this one. Dad making him wear a tie & sport jacket to the dinner table :-P. I'd re-purpose that tie for a Rambo style bandana. It's wartime you know.. ;-).
PS - Should commend all those around the world who are using their sewing skill to make face masks these days. Different sort of war (COVID-19) but a similar & valuable contribution..

[Ghargr]

1:45 cutting up your wedding dress to make underpants? I bet lots of women struggled with that...

[colleencupido]

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." In addition, the old ABBA song Waterloo line " The history book on the shelf, is always repeating itself." Loved your video! I was born in 1966, but both my Dad's parents were born in 1888. When my Father passed away in 2010, I found a large brown manila envelope full of HIS dad's B&W photos taken.of him at boot camp for World War I. He told his son, my Dad "Never go in the infantry!" So my Dad went in the Navy at age 18 for WW II. I may be an American, but I'm also an Anglophile with a degree in History. Thanks again!

[jeffreyhodge]

Britain and westernised world has an insatiable appetite for new clothes, look at the bags of clothes picked up by charities all over the world, look at the amount of clothes in charity shops, look at the number of retail outlets selling clothes, we’ve got to look the part, so let’s bang it on the credit card, oh look that celeb is wearing that, I must be like her/him, me .i couldn’t give a fig what people think about what I wear !i I wear it out, sow it up and start again, !

[roxannlegg]

The promotion of making a new young womens suit out of dads old one, assumed the girl was a good deal smaller than dad. Fair enough - would suit (no pun intended) about half of young ladies and even fewer would have the skill and time to do it. ANd if one sweater was fully ok, why "remake" it. Ok, if the jumper is full of holes and no longer fitting anyone - in which case it should be moved on to someone whom it would fit., Unraveling the wool is time consuming. WHat they actually did was unravel worn out jumpers, and knitted socks out of the smaller lengths of wool, often pieced and multicoloured.. However the time is another. As a seasoned sewer, but a big fan of history, I do plan on trying it, but i am not hopeful...I find it hard to think many women had the time during the day (being recrutied into factory work, and in the evenings electricty was rationed. Im not sure it worked as well in practice as in theory.

[bryangayo]

Who in the world would make panties out of wedding dresses???

[kerryjames]

These ration books look similar to food vouchers and clothing vouchers from welfare

[kerryjames]

Extra material from making shorts from pants can be used for something else

[praxisfurnaturheilkunde]

Hmm, die Eltern sehen eher aus wie Großeltern. Sie sind zu alt, um einen Sohn im Teenageralter zu haben!

[lisascenic]

I can’t understand what the wedding dress suggestion is.

[emmaaustin]

The return of jumble sales would be a good thing.

[robertwalker]

We do not need someone to explain the obvious to us. We all know what our families did during the war. JUST SHOW THE ORIGINAL FILM WITH NO ONE EXPLAINING IT TO US THE FILM SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

[prashsmurdermap]

Thanks for the video. Very interesting. Always good to see these old news reels from the war. Completely off topic but you have a very vocal green finch making its wheezing call in the background along with a wren chiming in a few times. They sound like they are competing to be heard. Nice!