Around 250,000 people attended yesterday's anti-austerity march in London to oppose the Tory government’s program of social benefit cuts and privatisation. There was actually a time in history when the word "austerity" also referred to clothes: in the early 1940s the Utility Clothing Scheme introduced in the United Kingdom measures to restrict the number of elements such as buttons and features like pockets and pleats in response to the shortage of clothing materials and labour due to the requirements of the war effort.
The Board of Trade set the rules for "utility clothing" in the "Making-up of Civilian Clothing (Restrictions) Orders", also known as the "austerity regulations", indicating the specifications regarding materials and labour.
Single-breasted suits prevailed, while other features introduced smaller lapels, a limited number of pockets, no turn-ups on trousers, and shorter men's shirts. Though made by following the austere specifications, utility clothing designs were actually commissioned from leading fashion designers including Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell.
Utility and austerity seemed to be the key words on the Jil Sander's runway. Designer Rodolfo Paglialunga's second collection included indeed geometrically cut garments, mid-calf length trousers and suits with knee-length shorts.
Paglialunga didn't follow any austere specifications when it came to patch-like pockets, though, and freely added them on shirts and jackets. He also experimented with materials that included liquid (and clinging…) parachute nylon, light leather, and a rigid coated canvas (we already saw waxed denim on Arthur Arbesser's runway, so this may be a trend come next year) that hinted at perversion.
The collection palette was rather subdued (but that could also be a trend for next year, as even Versace seemed to have opted for a calmer palette) and included pale grey, olive green, and black, and pockets and utility straps (running along the sleeves) where the only decorations allowed, though a variation was introduced via a floral print, on denim shirts and tops.
The result was maybe not too summery, but none of the collections seen so far seem to be focused on extremely high temperatures, after all, who knows what the climate changes may reserve us for next year, so a long, stiff and geometrical fisherman's anorak may come in handy (but, if you want, you can anticipate the trend maybe with a Muji Freecut Raincoat…).
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