As I stated in my last post it was particularly difficult finding good reference of civilian fashion in WWII Germany. Especially toward the end of the war when material shortages started to become acute! Unlike the US. where I can literally find republishing of old Sear and Roebuck catalogs from the war years. At least in English language publications I had to instead rely on reading accounts of survivors from the war and examining photos from wartime archives.

I wanted Shamira's clothing to reflect the simple garb that I commonly found in my research of women who were working on the farms and villages helping the war effort and trying to hold their communities together. By 1944 everything was getting scarce. I am left with the impression that Shamira's leather shoes would be something she would cherish and take great care of, because her chances of replacing them would be very slim. Also bright color fabric dyes and brightly colored fabrics were precious commodities.