Original U.S. WWI National League for Women's Service Uniform & Boot Grouping with Workdress and Cap

Original Items. Only One Group Available. The National League for Women's Service (NLWS) was a United States civilian volunteer organisation formed in January 1917 to provide stateside war services such as feeding, caring for and transporting soldiers, veterans and war workers and was described as "America's largest and most remarkable war emergency organization."

This is a very scarce uniform grouping for a member of the NLWS. The National League of Women's Services (NLWS) was established in early 1917 in conjunction with the Red Cross and in anticipation of the US entering the First World War. The League was created from the Woman’s Department of the National Civic Federation readiness and relief activities and was modelled on a similar group formed in Britain, the Voluntary Aid Detachments, and was formed at the National Security League Congress of Constructive Patriotism.

The object of the NLWS was to coordinate and standardize the work of women of America along lines of constructive patriotism; to develop the resources, to promote the efficiency of women in meeting their every-day responsibility to home, to state, to nation and to humanity; to provide organized, trained groups in every community prepared to cooperate with the Red Cross and other agencies in dealing with any calamity-fire, flood, famine, economic disorder, etc., and in time of war, to supplement the work of the Red Cross, the Army and Navy, and to deal with the questions of "Woman's Work and Woman's Welfare." The slogan of the organization was "for God, for Country, for Home."

The grouping consists of:
- NLWS uniform jacket with large National League of Women's Services buttons. The cuffs have green piping and there is minor mothing across the exterior. A very iconic look. Tailored by Hertz of New York. 
- NLWS Workdress, moderate mothing and no markings we could find. Buttons are mostly retained and this is a fantastic display item.
- NLWS worker’s cap. No markings or liner.
- Female long boots with retained laces. Marked 60 33515 / (LOGO) 2018 on interior with Goodyear heels. 
- Small size female brown leather gloves, still attached to each other near the edge. 
- Tan female shirt by Hertz of New York. Buttons retained. This shirt 100% matches the jacket as they are by the same tailor. 
- Rare female working trousers, only for use during work.
- Female skirt to match the jacket. Same amount of mothing.

There’s no name we could find with the set, but it is an outstanding group of items that are very difficult to find on their own. A great opportunity to complete a mannequin display.

Ready for further research and display!

The object of the NLWS was to coordinate and standardize the work of women of America along lines of constructive patriotism; to develop the resources, to promote the efficiency of women in meeting their every-day responsibility to home, to state, to nation and to humanity; to provide organized, trained groups in every community prepared to cooperate with the Red Cross and other agencies in dealing with any calamity-fire, flood, famine, economic disorder, etc., and in time of war, to supplement the work of the Red Cross, the Army and Navy, and to deal with the questions of "Woman's Work and Woman's Welfare." The slogan of the organization was "for God, for Country, for Home."

The League was divided into thirteen national divisions: Social and Welfare, Home Economics, Agricultural, Industrial, Medical and Nursing, Motor Driving, General Service, Health, Civics, Signalling, Map-reading, Wireless and Telegraphy, and Camping.

It also sponsored the women who formed the Women's Reserve Camouflage Corps, working to disguise both equipment and soldiers through the art of disguise. Generally, the NLWS was predicated on a military-type regimen of training and drilling. When unrestricted submarine warfare was initiated by Germany in January, 1917, the NLWS accelerated their plans to register women and prepare them to take the place of men that would be needed for fighting. Some members of the NLWS wore uniforms and used military designations.