Excerpt from Term Paper

I found descriptions of temperature a useful clue in deciphering what kind of clothing the women may have chosen to wear. Certainly, the temperature helped to dictate fabric choices for the women at Bletchley. The old wooden huts at Bletchley Park were eventually moved and more modern hut buildings were built during the war. Staff generally did not like these new huts, “it was even colder than the earlier one. Freezing air seemed to rise from the concrete floors with their scant coating of red tile paint the unshaded light bulbs added to the atmosphere of discomfort, and the ‘heating’ system was inadequate; the odd inefficient electric fire or coke stoves with metal chimney went up through the asbestos ceilings many of those who worked around its wooden trestle tables wore overcoats and mittens.” (Trumpington, 2014, 51.) Elements of this quote are reflected in most of the books I read.

In Debs at War, Anne de Courcy gives an example of an undergarment. Daphne Brock was in the Wrens. She described standing in the Wren barracks where she lived and was getting dressed. She was checking if the hem of her petticoat, “black silk I remember,” (de Courcy, 2005, 456.)
was straight, when another Wren tried to sexually assault her. She was able to get out of the situation unharmed. This minimal description of her petticoat tells me two very important things. The first, is that from my own experience wearing petticoats, it is unlikely that the petticoat was like a slip with a bodice if she had to check if the hem was straight. The second, is that silk is a very warm base layer and expensive, likely only worn by those women who came from wealthier backgrounds. It therefore follows logically that women at Bletchley may also have worn an undergarment such as this, as many had come from the same circumstances as Brock and were working in very cold conditions.

What I have discovered is that the women of Bletchley Park dressed for comfort. I use the word comfort in a few ways. One, is dressing for the temperature that they were working in. The second, is dressing in items that made them socially comfortable, with Mair Thomas (Russel-Jones) and Sarah Norton (Baring) not taking part in the colourful mismatched stockings. It can be assumed that the women who did wear those kinds of stockings must have felt comfortable enough to wear them to work. Lastly, is the effort to remain fashionable, like Jean Campbell-Harris (Trumpington) spoke about with swapping clothes for variety. The final ensemble I made is very comfortable to wear. It fits me well, and the silk petticoat keeps the wool skirt from itching. I also have a full range of motion in the blouse, unlike some bodices from other eras. The cardigan keeps me warm without overheating and feels comfortable when buttoned up. Perhaps the only thing that feels a little foreign, although not uncomfortable, is the girdle and stockings. I think though, that if I were to wear them every day, I would most probably get used to the feeling.