#recruitingposters

Uniforms are one of the ways I show my students that men have cared about clothing. And as women got recruited into the armed forces, giving them natty outfits was one of the ways of coaxing them to choose one branch of the services over another. This poster from the Library of Congress dates to 1943. The model’s dark uniform and hat and the serious expression on her carefully made up face balance between the sober nature of her work and the persistence of femininity that was valued at the same time. Women remained in skirt suits unless the nature their work required pants. Of course, WWII engaged an enormous number of men and American women were needed for all kinds of support services, and each branch created an auxiliary force.

I give you a US Navy recruiting poster from 1917 by James Daugherty. Sailor suits became popular for children in the late 19th century, and women’s wear took up the sailor collar too, and designers created many variations on it. So the look had a wide appeal as play wear. But the bulging muscles, gear, and weaponry depicted here make it clear that this was an outfit meant for battle.