I recently had the good fortune of being asked to reproduce a wearable WWI Era nurse’s uniform for a collector and military interpreter in Florida. He was kind enough to lend me a few of his originals to study. Here are some images of his original WWI Army issued nurse’s uniform in navy blue wool.
The uniform consists of a belted jacket and skirt. The skirt is on an elastic waistband and opens at the side. It closes with snaps. Skirt measurements are approximately 28″ waist/32″ hem length. Jacket is 36″ bust.
The uniform is surprisingly made of lightweight wool and is fully lined in black satin.
Detail of original insignias and smooth weave matte wool. There is little interfacing and no padding in this jacket.
This jacket is cut without a center back seam and has gussets at the center back seams. Four eagle buttons adorn a false cuff.
Love the jacket weights at the center front to assist the flat lay of the jacket skirting.
A very big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. H for lending me this uniform over the summer for study and replication!
My interest in historical costume began at a very early age. I knew by age 5 I wanted to be a designer. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to turn my passion into a full time business. You can find my costumes onstage in NYC, on the big screen, and in museums around the globe. View all posts by Susan
