Super Rare Original 1940s Vintage Mustard Yellow CC41 Dress By Norman Hartnell CC41

This exceptional dress was made in the 1940s from mustard yellow wool crepe. It was cut in the classic hourglass silhouette of the period with strong padded shoulders and a nipped waist. A circular shoulder yolk extends all the way around the dress and is delineated by two decorative fabric strips. The small collar creates a high neckline which fastens with six small bronze coloured glass buttons arranged in a double breasted configuration. Clever darting brings the dress in at the waist and opens up into inverted pleats at the hip to add volume to the skirt. The waist can be further nipped in with the beautiful chocolate brown suede belt (we are not sure if the belt originally belonged to the dress but it works well and is period correct). Inside, the dress is unlined and bears the CC41 utility tag as well as a maker’s label for Berkertex Designed By Hartnell. 

This dress is a true piece of history as Sir Norman Hartnell was one of the original designers commissioned by the British government to create a line of iconic, high quality garments made to the CC41 rationing requirements. Hartnell was the dress maker to Queen Elizabeth and a number of other royals and received the Queen’s endorsement to design clothes for the government's Utility campaign. These garments were produced by Berketex, with whom Hartnell entered a business relationship in 1942 that continued into the 1950s. Through this partnership, he became the first leading mid-20th century designers to design widely accessible ready-to-wear clothing and his name features on a special Berkertex label specifying Designed by Hartnell.

Bust: 38”

Waist: 30” (Belt does not have holes go fasten but could be made on the thin fabric strip anywhere between 26”-30”)

Hips: 42”

Shoulders: 15” seam to seam

Length: 41 1/2” plus 3” hem

The dress is in very good condition with only a few extremely minor flaws as pictured. 

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This garment is available to purchase with or without dress shields. These clever little contraptions have been made by our seamstress to an original 1940s pattern and can be simply attached to your garment by tack stitching at the corners of the underarm seam, pinning (we wouldn’t recommend that, it hurts if it goes wrong, so if you try this, it is at your own risk only) or inserting tiny poppers. They then stand ready to absorb any sweat and body odours as needed and you can simply detach and launder them instead of your garment, saving you a fortune in dry cleaning bills.

They are equally suitable for suits, blazers and dresses and come in pure white cotton.

They are universally sized and super easy to use even for a sewing novice as only a couple of tiny stitches are required at each side to secure them.

We sell Dress Shields as a standalone item or at a discount if you purchase them with a garment. We will select the appropriate type to match the garment you have purchased.