Many children did not have money or ration coupons for new clothes or shoes. Sometimes they had to wear hand-me-downs or clothes they did not like. This excerpt about life during World War II describes what one girl thought of the fashion:

I took note the first day [of school] that things were going to be pretty different… I had a problem. First of all, I didn’t have shoes. We got only two shoe-ration coupons a year, and I had spent mine on the farm on cowboy boots and ice skates and I promised I wouldn’t complain about not having shoes. My brother donated his black high-top basketball shoes, and I had to wear them. They looked really great along with my chickenfeed-sack dresses (which were common on the farm) and my country braids and no makeup. I realized right away at school that I was not going to be a social success.

However, some people (like the woman shown in the image) were able to make due with flour and feed sacks by making quite fashionable dresses!