September 4, 1943



RESTRICTIONS ON GARMENTS IN EFFECT
Conservative Groups Rail for Modesty


SPRINGFIELD, ILL—The War Production Board (WPB) issued limitation order eighty-five (L-85) on March 8, 1942, effective August 17, 1942, to “conserve material for victory.” This order freezes the silhouette of garments so no major changes can be made. Among restrictions, hems on skirts and dresses cannot exceed seventy-two inches from the collar and only one and three-fourths yards of fabric can be used in a garment. Some groups, such as the National Catholics Women’s Union, urge modesty. Speaking from its annual meeting here last week, the Union asserts that “…costumes for sport and play are shamelessly brief.” Instead of seeing the conservation as patriotic, the Union sees the “…moral breakdown of the people in an act of treason, not one of patriotism.”

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