There was a Land Army uniform of green jumpers, brown breeches or dungarees, brown felt hats and khaki overcoats. As the Land Army was not a military force, however, uniform was not compulsory. The WLA badge depicted a wheat sheaf as a symbol of their agricultural work. There was also an official magazine The Land Girl, and a special song:

Elsie and she were together in what was a time of great joy, according to mum: living an outdoor empowered life away from home, and being part of a collective harnessed to a cause they believed in. They also met a lot of foreign men — Ooh — including Italian POWs. What an education. Vintage stylein the 1940s focused on a narrow waist worn withfull skirtsthat were pleated, flared or gathered and fell below the knee, with belts emphasizing an hourglass figure.

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Complete your Land Girl ensemble with thoughtful accessories. Practicality was always prioritised over fashion, but Land Girls found ways to add personal touches to their uniform. Headscarves were a common accessory as they helped to keep their hair out of the way while working. Consider donning a patterned vintage scarf to add a touch of personality to your look. Additionally, Land Girls would wear wide-brimmed hats for extra protection from the sun or rain. A vintage style basket bag would be the perfect way to carry your belongings. fashionalso saw the widespread adoption of the shirtdress. This40s ladies fashionstyle was available in many patterns and fabrics and with the40s fashionsilhouette of belted waist overfull skirts. Although the Women’s Land Army is often associated with the Second World War, it was first formed in 1917 by the Board of Agriculture, and then disbanded until June 1939. The government initially asked for volunteers, but later moved to conscripting women. The Land Army was to be disbanded for the final time in 1950. Women’s Land Army girls practicing milking. Catalogue ref: MAF 59/154

Theland girlwould also swap out her regulation40s stylegreen sweater for a bobble-embellished or popcorn knit confection in bubble gum pink or sky blue, layered over her sensible brown overalls. The index cards only contain information about those individuals who participated in the Land Army in the Second World War. The online images and indexes exclude individuals born less than 100 years ago. To learn more about the Women’s Land Army in general, read this blog on the The Women’s Land Army in eight documents. The WLA had originally been set up in 1917 but disbanded at the end of the First World War. It reformed in June 1939. Women were initially asked to volunteer to serve in the Land Army and, from December 1941, could also be conscripted into land work. At its peak in 1944, there were more than 80,000 women – often known as 'land girls' – in the WLA. Sometimes these Land Girls expressed a preference for the type of work they would do, desiring to work particularly with the land, animals or machinery. For other women this type of work would have been entirely new to them. Despite the positive, jolly image of the Land Army we often see portrayed, the work itself was hard and often very physical. fashionranged from the glamour of the Hollywood pin-up starlet to the working wear of theland girl.

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Combine40s ladies fashionaccessories like sparkling costume jewellery, or avintage inspiredtrench coat with a belted waist ala40s style, with your favourite blue jeans and button-down white shirt. Mum (23) and Elsie (21) are both smiling and happy atop their vehicle. Mum’s in dungarees that she cut down for dungarees for me, 10 years later. I wonder if Elsie did the same for her kids. Land girls did a wide variety of jobs on the land. They worked in all weathers and conditions and could be directed to work anywhere in the country. Land Girls were expected to work long hours for the war effort with very little free time. Some had one day off per week but others might only get one weekend off per month. It was not until 1943 that Land Girls had the legal right to one week’s paid holiday time per year. In their very limited leisure time, Land Girls were encouraged to do whatever they could for the war effort with many of them putting on events as a fun way of fundraising. This included dances, quizzes, tea parties, whist drives, sports tournaments, stage productions and craft fairs. During these events many Land Girls would continue to wear their uniforms but some would opt for tea dresses or two-piece skirt suits. Our very appropriately named Lumber Jill dress would be a perfect example of the kind of dress they would wear outside of work.