A wartime "utility shirt" from the 1940s.

This is a good quality striped shirt by Mentor.

The label is marked:

Mentor REGD

A PRODUCT OF BRITAIN

This is a collarless "grandad" tunic shirt (it was worn with a separate collar, which would have been held in place with a pair of collar studs).

(Collars and studs are available  on my other listings.)

Colour:   White, with a black woven stripe.

The cloth composition is not marked (the shirt was obviously made long before the days of compulsory fabric labelling).

It appears to be wool, or a wool blend.

Long sleeves,

Convertible cuffs - they have slots for cufflinks, but are also fitted with buttons. The cuffs are single cuffs (not the modern "double cuffs" that fold back).

Size (from garment measurements)

Collar size: 14 1/2 inches

Chest measurement, armpit to armpit: 42 inches

Length, neck to hem at the back: 36 inches

Length of sleeve, shoulder to end of cuff: 21 inches

Length of sleeve, armpit to cuff: 18 inches

Shoulder to shoulder: 17 inches

Weight 300g approx.

This shirt was made during the period of Second World War clothes rationing in Great Britain.

Clothes rationing was introduced to ensure that everyone had an equal opportunity to buy clothing.

Much of the available resources were used to make uniforms and blankets for the armed forces, leading to shortages of cloth and clothes.

Civilian clothing had to conform to the government's official economy standards.

The CC41 mark on the label of this shirt shows that it met these requirements.

Like all civilian clothing during rationing, people buying shirts needed to pay for them in the normal way, but each purchase had to be accompanied by the appropriate number of clothing coupons.

  

Note: this shirt needs a separate collar (stiff or semi-stiff according to personal preference), and a pair of collar studs to attach the collar to the neckband of the shirt.

I have plenty of collars and studs available on my other eBay listings.

Condition:

This is an original shirt from the 1940s.

It has had at least two owners, but is in superb condition.

It has just been laundered, so it is clean and fresh.

The buttons need to be replaced - it has lost some of its original buttons, and one of the cuff buttons is a replacement.

There is no major damage, and no repairs except for the button, and some pinholes over the label, where the previous owner's laundry label has been removed.

There are a few marks on the back, about 7 inches below the collar, and a weaving fault in the back of one sleeve.

These are shown in the close-up photographs.

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Postage

UK buyers: First class post
All other countries: Airmail (please allow 14 days)

Non-UK buyers, Paypal only, please.