Original Item: Only One Set Available. This is a very attractive and unusually complete U.S. WWII WAVES Service Dress Blue uniform grouping named to E. TORRES, consisting of the blue service coat, matching skirt, garrison cap, and an original studio portrait of the wearer. Both the jacket and skirt are stenciled E. TORRES, providing an excellent opportunity for further research into the service history of the woman who wore the set. WWII WAVES uniforms have become increasingly difficult to find, and named examples retaining multiple matching components and an original portrait are especially desirable.

WAVES, or Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, was established as the women’s branch of the U.S. Naval Reserve in July 1942. The program was created to place women in shore based positions so that more male sailors could be released for sea duty and combat assignments. Growth was extremely rapid. By the end of 1942, the WAVES included approximately 770 officers and 3,109 enlisted women, and by 1945 the organization had expanded to roughly 8,475 officers and 73,816 enlisted personnel.

WAVES served in an extraordinary variety of specialties, including administration, communications, aviation support, intelligence, logistics, medicine, and technical fields. They did not simply perform clerical work. Many took over highly skilled stateside positions that were essential to the operation of the wartime Navy, and their service helped reshape the long term role of women in the U.S. armed forces. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 subsequently allowed women to serve as permanent members of the regular Navy, though the term WAVES continued informally for decades afterward.

The WAVES uniform itself was one of the most distinctive women’s military uniforms of WWII. Its design is closely associated with Mainbocher, the prominent American fashion designer whose work helped give the Navy’s women’s uniforms a tailored, professional appearance rather than adapting a male uniform without consideration for fit or presentation.

This set consists of the blue service coat, blue skirt, and garrison cap. The black necktie normally worn with the ensemble is no longer present.

The blue service coat and skirt formed the basis of the WAVES Service Dress Blue uniform. Depending on the authorized headgear, the ensemble could be worn in different prescribed configurations. Period regulations also permitted white or reserve blue blouses with a black tie, while other working combinations were introduced as wartime uniform regulations evolved.

Both the jacket and skirt are stenciled:

E. TORRES

That matching identification is one of the strongest features of the grouping, particularly because the set is accompanied by an original portrait of the wearer. The photograph was taken by O’Neal’s Portrait Salon in Norfolk, Virginia, an especially appropriate location given Norfolk’s enormous importance as a U.S. Navy center during WWII.

The coat retains the distinctive WAVES lapel insignia on both sides of the collar, consisting of the fouled anchor and propeller device associated with the Women’s Reserve. U.S. Navy wartime references confirm that enlisted WAVES wore these devices on each lapel of the blue service jacket. Naval History and Heritage Command

The uniform also carries a Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class rating badge, identifying E. Torres with the Navy’s medical service. WAVES petty officers wore the same basic rating system as male sailors, adapted for the women’s uniform. Pharmacist’s Mates performed vital medical duties throughout the Navy, working in hospitals, dispensaries, training establishments, and other shore based facilities. The rating badge is properly a sleeve rating badge rather than a shoulder insignia. Naval History and Heritage Command

That medical connection makes the grouping particularly interesting. Women serving in the WAVES medical and hospital system were part of the enormous support structure required to care for casualties returning from the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, staff naval hospitals, and keep major bases functioning as wartime manpower demands increased.

The coat is fitted with gilt Navy buttons. This is an important detail, but it also raises a question regarding the uniform’s exact wartime configuration. A December 28, 1944 Navy directive authorized gilt buttons on the blue and white service jackets of Chief Petty Officers, while other enlisted women continued to wear the prescribed dark buttons. Naval History and Heritage Command Since this uniform carries a Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class rating, the gilt buttons may represent a later replacement or alteration unless further research establishes another explanation.

Condition is very good overall and the set displays extremely well. The primary condition issue is heavy fraying along the lower portions of the skirt, consistent with long wear and age. Otherwise, there is no extensive damage noted.

The original portrait adds considerable personality to the set. Rather than an anonymous WAVES uniform, this grouping preserves the name and image of the woman who wore it, and the E. TORRES stenciling offers a worthwhile opportunity to identify her service record and potentially determine where she served and in what medical capacity.

For a collector of U.S. Navy WWII uniforms, WAVES material, women’s military history, Medical Department items, named uniforms, or Norfolk naval history, this is a particularly appealing grouping with strong display value and genuine research potential.

Approximate Measurements:

Collar to Shoulder: 8"
Shoulder to Sleeve: 22”
Shoulder to Shoulder: 14"
Chest Width: 17”
Waist: 15"
Hip: 17"
Front Length: 23.5"

Skirt:

Waist: 12"
Length: 26"