W.A.V.E.S. coat...any help appreciated!

denisebrain

denisebrain

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VFG Past President
This is a coat that is clearly labeled as US Navy W.A.V.E.S. Could anyone point me to a site that might help me with dating and other info? It sure looks WWII-era to me. The coat is obviously missing its belt...but it has a button-in lining still along for the ride.

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I thought WAVES were a WWII-only group, and according to Wikipedia that is correct.

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAVES">The WAVES began in August 1942...With the passage of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act (Public Law 625) on June 12, 1948, women gained permanent status in the armed services. Although the WAVES officially ceased to exist, the acronym was in common use well into the 1970s.
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Even if the acronym was in common use, I wouldn't expect it to be on the label except during the division's official existence (1942-1948). It is a fabulous coat - I love the style - and I think you're safe saying WWII.

You might be able to find photos of your coat (and date it more precisely) at this site:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/females/wave-ww2.htm
 
Dynamite coat, Maggie! Love those gloves--they look perfect with the coat. I agree it's hard to date military clothing--sometimes there's a label in it with the serviceperson's name and date, but lacking that, it can be difficult. (I had pea coats from 2 different wars, and they looked almost identical.) Though in this case, it would seem that Laura's info pinpoints it pretty well.
 
Yes, thank you very much for the great info and photos Laura!

I do have a name from the coat, but not a date. The servicewoman was H. Hecht, prominently stamped in the lining and coat.
 
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