‘Hospital blues’ necktie

THE FIRST W RLD WAR IN OBJECTS

NO.35

As the First World War progressed, and the numbers of wounded and ill men mounted, the sight of convalescing service personnel wearing their distinctive ‘hospital blues’ became increasingly common. Also known as the ‘blue invalid uniform’ or ‘convalescent blues’, ‘hospital blues’ were first introduced during the Crimean War. The general design of a single breasted suit and trousers with a white lining, made from flannel and flannelette type materials in an Oxford blue colour, with a white shirt, remained little altered until after the Second World War.

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