Novelty print: What do you see?

denisebrain

denisebrain

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Rayon outfit, dating from the early 40s, maybe a little earlier. The print's figure can be seen turned in various directions, and I think I am rooting for a soldier with his thumbs up. In that case the helmet looks like WWI to me. Any thoughts about the print and what it portrays?

navywh40sthumbsupsuit1v.jpg


navywh40sthumbsupsuit4v.jpg


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P6215539.JPG
 
Ah, so! I was wondering if a WWI soldier with thumbs up was something dredged up at the time of WWII. I appreciate your help!
 
Maybe this is stretching it too far, but it could be promotion of the black out - the air raid wardens who enforced the black out (at least in the UK) wore helmets like that which were often white. I was reminded of this due to the recent death of Dad's army actor Bill Pertwee who's famous line was 'Put that light out!' but it would fit with the dress's colour scheme too.
 
Great print - I think it may be inspired by wearing white for blackouts - and the helmet does resemble a WWII ARP (air raid patrol) helmet which looks like a WW1 soldier's helmet. The thumbs up isn't a motif I have seen used during WWII but if this is early war it could be revived from WW1. The style of the dress looks pre 1942 to me, so that fits. Most of the air raid precautions in the U.S. were done at the very beginning of U.S. involvement, winter 1941/42, by 1943 it was clear there weren't going to be any aerial bombings and ARP got slack. If this dress is English, or the fabric is English, then it could be 1940-41. Wearing white at night during blackouts was recommended to avoid being hit by cars.
 
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