Abstract
This paper aims to clarify advances in research concerning Japanese clothing between the Second World War and the post-war period of rapid economic growth. After Japan's defeat, the circumstances of the transitional period, from the time when there was a shortage of clothing until it became possible to freely obtain clothing, are not sufficiently clear. Through an analysis of articles from the monthly women's magazine “Fujin Asahi” around 1950, this paper clarifies how women remade clothes. At first, women were making western-style clothes by altering second-hand clothes and kimonos with skills and techniques that they had acquired from dress-making schools and books. After clothing regulations were abolished in 1950, new fabrics became available and the variety of clothing increased. Meanwhile, women were not merely imitating American and French fashion, as it has been said up until now. In particular, because much value was attached to work both in and outside the home, it has become clear that clothes specifically intended for work were designed, and the merits of Japanese clothing were taken into account.
