Women's suffrage and Western women's fashion through the early 20th century

Last updated

Portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald. Zelda Fitzgerald portrait.jpg
Portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald.

The Women's Suffrage Movement in the Western world influenced changes in female fashions of the early 1900s: causing the introduction of masculine silhouettes and the popular Flapper style. [1] Furthermore, the embodiment of The New Woman was introduced, which empowered women to seek independency and equal rights for women. As a result, several changes and improvements were seen in women's economic and political standing, such as the right to vote. [2]

Contents

Moreover, women challenged traditional and restrictive gender roles with their clothing. This was the beginning of Dress Reformers, who experimented with their clothing in order to challenge gender inequality due to the impracticability of women's traditional Victorian fashion.

Women's dress pre-women's suffrage

Advocate Amelia Bloomer, wearing the "freedom suit." Amelia Bloomer from Illustrated London News.png
Advocate Amelia Bloomer, wearing the "freedom suit."

The women of the late 19th century changed their style from the big Victorian dresses to more “manageable, practical, streamlined outfits for modern women to engage in the activities of their more active lives." [3] Prior to the Women's Suffrage Movement, general consensus asserted that women were physically weaker than their male counterparts, so were discouraged from playing sports." [3] Despite this, with an increasing number of women participating in protests, some experts in the medical field began to argue that light physical activity for a woman was good. Consequently, there was an increasing output of clothes to correspond, called rational dress. One specific piece of clothing was the sporting pantaloon or the women's bloomer; [4] originally worn in America in the 1850s as a women's suffrage statement by Amelia Bloomer, it turned into the ideal costume for women riding bicycles - an activity that was considered acceptable for women to participate in during the late 19th century. This was deemed most appropriate for sports and outdoor activity, so marked the beginning of pants as a 'regular' piece of clothing . [5]

Women's fashion during the women's suffrage movement

In light of the First World War, women commenced employment in factories to aid the war effort, beginning in jobs that the men were no longer able to undertake, as they were serving in the front lines of the war. [6] As a result, the dress reform began, a reform that saw female activists argue clothes should offer convenience, rather than comfort, so that they could do labour jobs more efficiently. Accordingly, fashion became less restrictive than the Victorian era dress and required less fabric to make, saving the much needed resources. An article written by Laura Doan states, the newly found freedom of women is considered to have been a catalyst for the commencement of women including more masculinised fashion and style in their own dress. [4] However, as the war ended this trend was not entirely agreed upon as men did not fully accept the changing styles in women's fashion, and thus female fashion reverted to the traditional feminine style, conforming to the rigid beauty and social standards imposed on them at the time. All in all, typical female fashion actually remained very feminine (contrary to the societal standards of the time). Briefly summarised by this quote, “From society lady to factory "girl," every woman wore a hat, stockings, shoes, and gloves in all seasons.” [3]

In accordance with the emerging modern woman, the New Woman's moxie was paradoxically evident in her lack of charm, exhibiting short bobbed haircuts, heavier makeup, and boyish frames. [7] The flapper's simplistic, straight-lined style was popularized by Coco Chanel, who's somewhat ironically remembered as "fashionable without being forward," [8] as a way of liberating women the impractical designs that hindered modern women's ability to engage in physical activities. [9] "The newfound freedom to breathe and walk encouraged movement out of the house, and the Flapper took full advantage.” [10]

Women's fashion post-women's suffrage movement (1920s–1930s)

Actress Norma Shearer photographed in 1927. Norma Shearer in short dress.jpg
Actress Norma Shearer photographed in 1927.

During the progressive era, female fashion in the United States changed shifted to adopt traditionally masculine styles. [7] Pants became widespread, with female baseball players wearing knickers underneath their prescribed uniform. Other fashion trends included pearl jewellery and petite handbags, popularised by French designer Coco Chanel. [7] French designs became extremely popular during this time, however, as there were very little shipments of these designs, only wealthy women were able to afford the pieces coming directly from France, [11] and thus, magazines at the time capitalised on the popularity of French designs by selling sewing patterns mimicking these styles. [12]

The popularisation of the flapper style was due to film, radio and the media. Adrian was a popular designer for Metro-Goldyn-Mayer during the 1920s-1930s, dressing silent film actresses including Clara Bow, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford: which influenced American women's fashion. [11] This style exposed areas that were previously hidden on the woman, including the knees, as stockings were no longer compulsory. Flappers were also known for their "boyish" appearance, sporting a bobbed hairstyle, cloche hats and tubular garments including jumper-blouses, which hid the female figure. [11] Waistlines of dresses were dropped and no longer required the use of corsetry, and thus the popular silhouette in female fashion, became "waistless, bustless, and hipless". [11] Other popular accessory designs included the "strap bracelet" by Cartier and Miriam Haskell's "fashion jewellery". [12] Not all flapper fashion was consistent, as hemlines of dresses changed each year: in 1923 gowns were almost floor length whilst in 1925 they became knee length. [11]

The term flapper, initially described young, working-class women but overtime it was used to describe any young women who challenged the social standards. [11] Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of Modernist author F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer and socialite, became a popular figure. [12] Fitzgerald's novel, Save Me the Waltz (1932), popularised the sentiment that "a woman can do anything a man can do" without compromising femininity. [13] However, this style was criticised as it became associated with the decline in female morality. [11] The flapper became stereotyped as a woman who "smoked, drank, swore, drove fast, professed free love, and used makeup," [7] and exercised sexual independence. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flapper</span> 1920s womens subculture

Flappers were a subculture of young Western women prominent after the First World War and through the 1920s who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for prevailing codes of decent behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes in public, driving automobiles, treating sex in a casual manner, and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms. As automobiles became more available, flappers gained freedom of movement and privacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roaring Twenties</span> 1920s period of sustained economic prosperity in Western Europe and North America

The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Europe, particularly in major cities such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Paris, and Sydney. In France, the decade was known as the années folles, emphasizing the era's social, artistic and cultural dynamism. Jazz blossomed, the flapper redefined the modern look for British and American women, and Art Deco peaked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little black dress</span> Black evening or cocktail dress

The little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short. Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel. It is intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, and widely accessible. Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the "LBD".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Vionnet</span> French fashion designer (1876–1975)

Madeleine Vionnet was a French fashion designer best known for being the “pioneer of the bias cut dress”, Vionnet trained in London before returning to France to establish her first fashion house in Paris in 1912. Although it was forced to close in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, it re-opened after the war and Vionnet became one of the leading designers of 1920s-30s Paris. Vionnet was forced to close her house again in 1939 at the start of the Second World War and she retired in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of corsets</span> The history of the corset and stays

The corset is a supportive undergarment for women, dating, in Europe, back several centuries, evolving as fashion trends have changed and being known, depending on era and geography, as a pair of bodies, stays and corsets. The appearance of the garment represented a change from people wearing clothes which fit their bodies to changing the shape of their bodies to support and fit their fashionable clothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorian dress reform</span> Victorian era design movement favouring practical womens clothing

Victorian dress reform was an objective of the Victorian dress reform movement of the middle and late Victorian era, led by various reformers who proposed, designed, and wore clothing considered more practical and comfortable than the fashions of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomers</span> Type of womens garment

Bloomers, also called the bloomer, the Turkish dress, the American dress, or simply reform dress, are divided women's garments for the lower body. They were developed in the 19th century as a healthful and comfortable alternative to the heavy, constricting dresses worn by American women. They take their name from their best-known advocate, the women's rights activist Amelia Bloomer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1930–1945 in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion from the 1930s to the end of World War II

The most characteristic North American fashion trend from the 1930s to 1945 was attention at the shoulder, with butterfly sleeves and banjo sleeves, and exaggerated shoulder pads for both men and women by the 1940s. The period also saw the first widespread use of man-made fibers, especially rayon for dresses and viscose for linings and lingerie, and synthetic nylon stockings. The zipper became widely used. These essentially U.S. developments were echoed, in varying degrees, in Britain and Europe. Suntans became fashionable in the early 1930s, along with travel to the resorts along the Mediterranean, in the Bahamas, and on the east coast of Florida where one can acquire a tan, leading to new categories of clothes: white dinner jackets for men and beach pajamas, halter tops, and bare midriffs for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1920s in Western fashion</span> Clothing in the 1920s

Western fashion in the 1920s underwent a modernization. Women's fashion continued to evolve from the restrictions of gender roles and traditional styles of the Victorian era. Women wore looser clothing which revealed more of the arms and legs, that had begun at least a decade prior with the rising of hemlines to the ankle and the movement from the S-bend corset to the columnar silhouette of the 1910s. Men also began to wear less formal daily attire and athletic clothing or 'Sportswear' became a part of mainstream fashion for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of fashion design</span> Evolution of fashion world

History of fashion design refers specifically to the development of the purpose and intention behind garments, shoes, accessories, and their design and construction. The modern industry, based around firms or fashion houses run by individual designers, started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who, beginning in 1858, was the first designer to have his label sewn into the garments he created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shift dress</span> Type of clothing

A shift dress is a dress in which the cloth falls straight from the shoulders and has darts around the bust. It frequently features a high scoop or boat neck. The shift dress is often confused with the sheath dress, which is form-fitting and shaped by tucks on the waist area. Shift dresses became popular in western fashion in the 1920s and were revived in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dress</span> Garment consisting of a bodice and skirt made in one or more pieces

A dress is a one-piece outer garment that is worn on the torso and hangs down over the legs and is primarily worn by women or girls. Dresses often consist of a bodice attached to a skirt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amelia Bloomer</span> Womens rights activist and temperance advocate

Amelia Jenks Bloomer was an American newspaper editor, women's rights and temperance advocate. Even though she did not create the women's clothing reform style known as bloomers, her name became associated with it because of her early and strong advocacy. In her work with The Lily, she became the first woman to own, operate and edit a newspaper for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unisex clothing</span> Clothing that is suitable for both men and women

Unisex clothing is best described as clothing designed to be suitable for both sexes in order to make men and women look similar. The term unisex was first used in 1968 in Life, an American magazine that ran weekly from 1883 to 1972.

Oversized fashion, distinct from plus-sized fashion, consists of clothing and other accessories that are larger than normal and reflect some sort of attitude, message, or trend of the period at hand. While oversized fashion trends from the 1920s to the turn of the century vary from decade to decade, there are many overarching themes that have been expressed during the past one hundred or so years. Masculinity, for example, has played a large role in many of the underlying communications of the fashions, although virility is manifested differently in the clothing depending on the era. Oversized fashion production, furthermore, runs largely parallel with the states of the American and global economies. Modernly, oversized fashion has taken on a new form - primarily in the realm of oversized accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion and clothing in the Philippines</span> Fashion and folk costume of the Philippines

The clothing style and fashion sense of the Philippines in the modern-day era have been influenced by the indigenous peoples, Chinese waves of immigration, the Spaniards, and the Americans, as evidenced by the chronology of events that occurred in Philippine history. At present, Filipinos conform their way of dressing based on classic fashion or prevailing fashion trends.

<i>The Lily</i> (newspaper) First American newspaper edited by and for women

The Lily was the first U.S. newspaper edited by and for women. It was published from 1849 to 1853 by Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818–1894) before she sold the newspaper to Mary Birdsall in 1854. While the newspaper initially focused on temperance, it soon broadened its focus to include the many issues of women's rights activists in the 1850s. It grew in its distribution as a result of its discussion of bloomers, a comfortable fashion popularized by Bloomer in the paper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sailor dress</span>

A sailor dress is a child's or woman's dress that follows the styling of the sailor suit, particularly the bodice and collar treatment. A sailor-collared blouse is called a middy blouse. In early 20th-century America, sailor dresses were very popularly known as Peter Thomson dresses after the former naval tailor credited with creating the style.

Androgynous fashion is a combination of feminine and masculine characteristics. Social standards typically restrict people's dress according to gender. Trousers were traditionally a male form of dress, frowned upon for women. However, during the 1800s, female spies were introduced, and Vivandières wore a certain uniform with a dress over trousers. Women activists during that time would also decide to wear trousers; for example, Luisa Capetillo, a women's rights activist and the first woman in Puerto Rico to wear trousers in public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese clothing during the Meiji period</span> History of Japanese clothing throughout the Meiji period

Japanese clothing during the Meiji period (1867–1912) saw a marked change from the preceding Edo period (1603–1867), following the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate between 1853 and 1867, the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854 – which, led by Matthew C. Perry, forcibly opened Japanese ports to American vessels, thus ending Japan's centuries-long policy of isolation – and the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which saw the feudal shogunate dismantled in favour of a Western-style modern empire.

References

  1. ↑ Freedman, Estelle B. (September 1974). "The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s". The Journal of American History. 61 (2): 372–393. doi:10.2307/1903954. ISSN   0021-8723. JSTOR   1903954.
  2. ↑ Strassel, Annemarie (2012). "Designing Women: Feminist Methodologies in American Fashion". Women's Studies Quarterly. 41 (1/2): 35–59. ISSN   0732-1562. JSTOR   23611770.
  3. 1 2 3 "Fashioning the New Woman: 1890–1925". Daughters of the American Revolution. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  4. 1 2 Doan, Laura L. (2006). "Topsy-Turvydom: Gender Inversion, Sapphism, and the Great War". GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 12 (4): 517–542. doi:10.1215/10642684-2006-001. ISSN   1527-9375. S2CID   144795212.
  5. ↑ Breward, Christopher (1995-05-15). The Culture of Fashion. Manchester University Press. ISBN   978-0-7190-4125-9.
  6. ↑ Haydu, Jeffery (1985). "Factory Politics in Britain and the United States: Engineers and Machinists, 1914–1919". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 27 (1): 57–85. doi:10.1017/S0010417500013669. JSTOR   178634. S2CID   144427786.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Darnell, Paula Jean (1997). From Victorian to vamp: Women's clothing, 1900–1925 (M.S> thesis). University of Nevada. ProQuest   304359443.
  8. ↑ Madsen, Axel (1990). Chanel: A Woman of Her Own. New York: New York: Henry Holt and Company. p. 329.
  9. ↑ Cunningham, Patricia A. (2015). Reforming Women's Fashion, 1850–1920 : Politics, Health, and Art. The Kent State University Press. ISBN   978-1-63101-099-6.
  10. 1 2 Kriebl, Karen Joyce (1998). From Bloomers to Flappers: The American Women's Dress Reform Movement, 1840–1920 (PhD thesis). Ann Arbor, MI, USA: The Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DiCenzo, Miranda (2018). "Feminism and Fashion of the Twentieth Century: A Material Culture Study". University of Rhode Island: 27–45. ProQuest   2035400046 – via ProQuest.
  12. 1 2 3 Jailer-Chamberlain, Mildred (September 2003). "Flappers in fashion the 1920s". Antiques & Collecting Magazine. 108 (7): 24–30. ProQuest   197167822.
  13. ↑ Freedmen, Estelle B. (1974). "The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s". The Journal of American History. 61 (2): 372–393. doi:10.2307/1903954. JSTOR   1903954.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.