Casgliadau Arlein

Waistcoat of a demob suit issued to Robert Percival Chappell of Cardiff on his dembobilisation from the Army at the end of the Second World War.

Cotton fabric lined, wool waistcoat, with matching jacket and trousers. Grey with white pinstripe. Six buttons down the front. Four pockets, two on each side - stacked one above the other. Two darts tailor the waistcoat to fit, one on each side. The back of the waistcoat if formed of a synthetic material-unidentified. Four panels form the body of the waistcoat. CC41 label sewn inside.

At the end of the Second World War, men leaving the armed forces were issued with new clothes to ease their progression back into civilian life. Demob suits came in a veriety of different colours and sizes. If the full suit, including waistcoat and other items, such as shoes and hat, were purchased, the customer had bought the Full Monty (a term derived from Montague Burton, the main stockist for demob suits).