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1939-45  • Overcoat Portraits

One overcoat would take about a third of the whole year's clothing coupons
Portrait of girl sitting in buttoned up overcoat
In a significant number of portraits from this time the sitter is wearing an overcoat. When we speculate Guess why a woman would pose for a studio portrait in an overcoat, there may be many reasons. There was a war on.
  • Heating fuel was in short supply and in winter studios were cold.
  • Any person would be grateful and proud to own a warm overcoat.
  • A coat would cover up any worn,shabby or misfitting clothing.
  • It was partly a trend which had begun in the 1930s.
This girl is also wearing both black lisle stockings and woollen ankle socks either because her feet are cold or her shoes are the wrong size; or both .
Wartime sitter are often seen wearing knitted gloves and scarves in studio portraits.This was a time when clothing was in consideration, practicality usefulness was preferred to appearance.

Another indication that this is a wartime print is that it is not on a postcard. It is a Jerome photo smaller in size, than a postcard print.
This would indicate a date from the late thirties & throughout the war years.

Photo:Jerome• Date stamp on the back:4 April 1941

Date 1941: Age about 14 years old  • Estimate: born 1927 ± 3 years