‘Breeched, Booted and Cropped’: a dress historical analysis of the uniform worn by members of Britain’s Women’s Land Army 1917-1919

In War Memories of David Lloyd George the former British Prime Minister (December 1916-22), evoked the Land Girl (as they were known and described themselves) thus, ‘Breeched, booted and cropped, she broke with startling effect upon the sleepy traditions of the English countryside.’ (Lloyd George, David War Memoirs of David Lloyd George Odhams Press, volume 2 1938: 770) His depiction of a dashing, somewhat dislocated and solitary figure is significant. Whereas many wartime service personnel were regularly viewed as part of an army en masse, members of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) often worked alone or in small groups, occupying, geographic and socially isolated, rural spaces. Furthermore, their uniformed bodies rendered them entirely conspicuous. The mostly natural palette of the textiles from which it was made might have camouflaged with the natural hues of the countryside, but the sight of women wearing leather-belted, tailored ‘elephant ear’ breeches did not.

Uniform formed part of the Land Girls daily lives. It re-shaped their bodies and identities and influenced broader perceptions of them. This text analyses the design of WLA uniform, how it was worn, customized and, sometimes combined with luxurious personal garments, and the resulting implications.