The Parachute Dresses of World War II: A Story of Resilience, Romance and Resourcefulness
Posted by: Kerry Ward
This post recounts three stories of formal dresses that were made out of World War II silk parachutes. In two cases, they were wedding dresses, meaning that silk once intended for war had been transformed into a symbol of new beginnings. These stories are striking reminders that history isn’t just found in archives or interviews—it’s stitched into uniforms, tucked into footlockers and woven into parachute silk transformed into wedding gowns. These everyday artifacts speak volumes, capturing emotion, memory and meaning in ways words sometimes cannot. The stories come from the collections of the Veterans History Project.
Posted in: Oral History, Photographs, Veterans History Project, Weddings, Women's History, World War II