Fashions for Men

Australia, 1942

Film
Fashions for Men thumbnail image.

Produced by the Department of Information, this government propaganda film shows the manufacture of uniforms in factories for the Australian armed forces serving in the Second World War. The film begins with an opening sequence that chronicles the development of Australia’s armed forces since colonisation in 1788, showing the styles of uniform worn over the decades by soldiers making “glorious history”. The film then explores the mass production and assembly lines of the various equipment required for contemporary uniforms including silk parachutes, khaki wool clothing, brass badges, tin and felt hats, and gas masks. The film is a fascinating insight into factory production of the period, and an example of propaganda encouraging patriotic values in support of Australia’s armed forces. As with many instructional films of the period, the film reflects now outdated gender stereotypes, showing women working in assembly lines sewing on buttons, while men work with steel machinery.

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Credits

director

Mel F. Nichols

editor

Winifred Lade

production company

Department of Information

writer

Frank Coffey

John Maynard

Duration

00:11:07:00

Production places
Australia
Production dates
1942

Appears in

Group of items

Agricultural Collection

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If you would like to cite this item, please use the following template: {{cite web |url=https://acmi.net.au/works/119307--fashions-for-men/ |title=Fashions for Men |author=Australian Centre for the Moving Image |access-date=29 March 2024 |publisher=Australian Centre for the Moving Image}}