ABSTRACT
As the 1930s turned to the 1940s, how people dressed and the style of clothing they wore still tended to be determined by factors connected to tradition, etiquette, behavior, social status, and cultural expectations. 1 While haute couture existed and even flourished during World War II, for everyday people apparel was strictly regulated. Shortages led to more streamlined silhouettes as clothing materials became rougher and thicker compared to what had been available in prewar years. The lack of material, the ration card system, and the increasingly severe restrictions placed on supply exerted a strong influence on fashion that in turn determined how clothes were produced. As a result, not only style and fashion, but also the customs, habits, and expectations that surrounded clothing underwent various transformations. Uniforms, for instance, grew in prestige as patriotic motifs became fashionable. Primarily in cities, apparel began to be the means for otherwise very disparate social groups to bridge class divisions, at least as far as appearance was concerned. Partly as the result of joining the workforce, women abandoned corsets and long hair. While women in cities increasingly chose to wear hats, traditional garb continued to be the norm in villages, where women covered their heads with kerchiefs and wore multiple layers of pleated skirts; riding breeches and hats were customary for rural men. Personal hygiene naturally remained important for women, but men became increasingly concerned with maintaining a neat appearance. At this time in Hungarian history, neither a public servant nor even a shop clerk could have appeared at work unshaven or wearing anything less than a full suit, necktie, and vest. Symbolic of middle-class clothing styles, a suit was not only the necessary garb for white-collar professionals but also a garment that a large segment of skilled workers could afford to purchase. Public and political ceremonies demanded that male attendees don evening tails, tuxedos, or even díszmagyar, the ceremonial attire worn by Hungarian noblemen for occasions of great pomp. 2
