In 1940 Britain silk stockings were in short supply. So to take their place different brands of leg make-up appeared on the market and women resorted to drawing seams with eyebrow pencil down the back of each leg to give the appearance of wearing stockings.
The fashion was for short skirts, sensible ‘flat heeled’ shoes and square shouldered jackets that recalled the cut of uniforms – these were the basic features of the wartime ‘Utility fashions’. But soon women of Britain were asked to help with the war. Short skirts were out and trousers or dungarees were in and a scarf was tied around the head to protect against the risk of hair getting caught in the machines.
The government then tried to encourage everyone to make do and mend the clothes they already had. Lots of tips were available on how to revamp old clothes in Women;s magazines. Some of the ideas were to convert heavy blankets into fashionable coats and unpicking old jumpers to convert to new ones was the order of the day.
There were even knitting patterns for slippers, socks and jumpers, all of which are coming back into fashion again at the moment. Even sewing patterns were available free inside women’s magazine. Anything and everything to encourage women to ‘make do’.
http://www.1940.co.uk/history/article/fashion/fashion.htm
Crafted By B Studio 
Imagine putting eye pencil on your legs and even gravy to colour them – gross! Love some of the fashion though
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I know, mum used to put it down her leg. I guess it was not as messy as the ones we use :):)
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The smell can’t have been great!
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lol, never thought of that 😉
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Don’t think about it?
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ha, ha – that’s how they did things then, lol :)):)
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My Mum used to do that….draw a line down the back of her legs…she said it was better than stockings as the line stayed straight!!! lol xxx
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My mum did to, like I said to bda it must have been a different type of liner to the one we use today as it would smudge :):)
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I just LOVE this wonderful idea of yours. To go back into the 1940’s plus. Those ladies showing their shoulders and upper arms at the top, reminds me of my mother. That is what she would wear in the evenings as a manageress of a 3-star hotel. She would wear ‘marquisite jewelry’ (no idea!! And yes, she too would draw a perfect line up her legs at the back, to simulate stockings. Red lipstick, a little brush for her eyelashes, and the same pencil that drew her stockings for her eyebrows. I still have photographs of her dressed that way in long-ago Christmas parties with the Staff and Guests! Late at night, I could hear the old Majors and such talking about their experiences in the War overseas, such as Borneo, Malaya and other exotic places. Thank you again for all these memories, dear Barmac. JW XXX
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