Fashions for Men

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 As with many instructional films of the period, the film reflects now outdated gender stereotypes, showing women working in assembly lines sewing on buttons, while men work with steel machinery.