Anyone who watches old war movies is familiar with the shortage of silk stockings, if you were lucky enough to have a pair, and unlucky enough to get a run, you darned or crocheted the hole closed. Most girls made do with leg dye concocted of cold tea, or ersatz coffee (comprised largely of ground chicory or roasted dandelion roots) or leg makeup purchased at a pharmacy and painted on seams with eyebrow pencil. This made splashes of rain water a dreaded thing, as it would cause the illusion to melt away with embarrassing speed.
All textiles were in short supply, men's trousers were cut with no cuffs or pockets and women's skirts were very narrow. Oiled wool, however, was not rationed, school girls used it to knit waterproof hats, gloves and socks for men serving at sea. Fabric for home furnishings, curtains, towels, blankets and the like, including furniture, were on special coupons and stamped with a utility symbol. Flannelette, for baby clothes, was diverted to hospital use. Cellulose fibers, such as those used in bandages today, were not introduced until the end of the war and hospital dressings were not disposable.
Gasoline and rubber for tires were strictly rationed and reserved almost exclusively for emergency and military use. Anyone who owned a car simply put it up on blocks for the duration. People still visited with one another, however. The coal ration was very small, and when you went to someone else's house, you took a lump of coal with you as a sort of hostess gift. Coal fires were the most common form of home heating, staying warm was often a problem.
