The last century is the time of crinolines, bustles, "polonaise", dolman, abundant ruffles and frills of all kinds. The century that follows, in the midst of the era of beauties (the beautiful era), is distinguished by simplicity and common sense, and although the details are still meticulously worked out, the pretentious decoration of the dress and unnatural lines are gradually fading into the background. This desire for simplicity became even stronger with the outbreak of the First World War, which clearly proclaimed the two main principles of women's dress - freedom and comfort of wearing.
A beautiful era - a time of luxury
In the 1900s, if you were a sophisticated young English lady who belonged to the elite of society, you were supposed to make a pilgrimage to Paris twice a year with other women of the same from New York or St. Petersburg.
In March and September, groups of women were seen attending studios at rue Halevy, la rue Auber, rue de la Paix, rue Taitbout and Place Vendome.
In these often cramped shops, with seamstresses working feverishly in the back rooms, they met their personal salesperson, who helped them choose their wardrobe for the next season.
This woman was their ally and knew all the darkest secrets of their life, both personal and financial! These early fashion houses depended entirely on their powerful clients to survive, and knowing their little secrets helped them do just that!
Armed with replicas of Les Modes, they scanned the latest creations of great couturiers such as Poiret, Worth, the Callot sisters, Jeanne Paquin, Madeleine Cheryuy and others to come up with a wardrobe that would outshine friends and foes alike!
Decades passed, and these horrible magazine images of static women, where every seam and every stitch is visible, were superseded by the looser and smoother Art Nouveau style, which used new photographic methods of imaging.
Together with the salesperson, the women chose a wardrobe for the next six months: underwear, indoor clothes, walking dresses, alternating clothes, suits for traveling by train or in a car, evening dresses for an idle pastime, outfits for special occasions such as Ascot, weddings, theater visits. The list is endless, everything here depended on the size of your wallet!
Edwardian Lady's Wardrobe (1901-1910)
Let's start with the underwear. It consisted of several items of underwear - day and nightgowns, pantaloons, knee-highs and petticoats.
Women began their day by choosing a combination, then put on an s-shaped corset, over which there was a bodice.
Next came the daytime ensemble. Usually it was a formal morning dress that could be worn when meeting friends or when shopping. As a rule, it consisted of a neat blouse and a wedge-shaped skirt; in cool weather, a jacket was worn on top.
Returning to lunch, it was necessary to quickly change into day clothes. In the summer, it was always some kind of colorful clothes of pastel colors.
By 5 o'clock in the evening, it was possible, which was relieved to be done, to take off the corset and put on a tea outfit to relax and receive friends.
By 8 o'clock in the evening, the woman was again pulled into a corset. Sometimes the underwear was changed to fresh. After that, it was the turn of an evening dress for home or, if necessary, for going out.
By 1910, such dresses began to undergo changes under the influence of the work of Paul Poiret, whose satin and silk dresses, inspired by oriental motives, became very popular among the elite. The big hit of 1910 in London was the harem pants as a fancy dress evening gown!
During the day, it was also necessary to change stockings at least twice a day - cotton - for wearing during the day - in the evening they changed to beautiful embroidered silk stockings. It was not easy being an Edwardian woman!
Edwardian silhouette - myth and reality.
1900 - 1910
Until 1900 every high-society lady — with the help of her maid — was forced daily to pull herself into tight corsets that made it difficult to breathe, as her mother and grandmother did. It was very painful for a woman! Certainly, the sale of snuff was very lucrative in that era.
The purpose of the corset [if the illustrations are to be believed] was to push the upper body forward, like a pigeon, and to push the hips back. However, Marion McNealy, comparing the illustrations to photographs of women in the 1900s. in their Everyday life, suggested in Foundations Revealed that the real purpose of s-corsets was a defiantly upright posture, designed to emphasize the curves of the hips and chest by pulling back the shoulders, which lifted the chest and rounded the hips.
My opinion on this issue next: there is a tendency, as in modern fashion illustrations, to over-emphasize lines. Comparing the 1905 picture of Lucille couture house above with Edward Sambourne's beautiful natural photo of a young woman from London, proves that women did not tighten their corsets too much!
It was most likely an idealized version of the Edwardian woman of the time, popularized with illustrations by Charles Dana Gibson and postcards featuring Gibson's girlfriend Camilla Clifford, resulting in a highly exaggerated impression of Edwardian feminine form.
Fashion in dresses - 1900 - 1909
Women began to wear jackets in a strict style, long skirts[slightly raised hem], high-heeled ankle boots.
The silhouette gradually began to change from an s-shaped in 1901 to an Empire line by 1910. Typical colors for everyday clothes for a woman of the Edwardian period were a combination of two colors: a light top and a dark bottom. The material is linen [for the poor], cotton [for the middle class] and silk and quality cotton [for the top class].
In terms of detail, in Belle Epoque, lace ruffles signaled a woman's social status. Numerous ruffles on the shoulders and bodice, as well as appliqués on skirts and dresses.
Despite the ban on corsets, women, especially from the new middle class, began to feel more social freedom. It has become quite normal for women to travel abroad on bicycles - for example, to the Alps or Italy, which is perfectly captured in the melodramatic film "A Room with a View", based on the book by E.M. Forster, which he published in 1908.
Popular casual wear consisted of a white or light-colored cotton blouse with a high collar and a dark wedge-shaped skirt starting under the bust and going down to the ankles. Some skirts were also sewn into the corsetry from the waist to under the bust. This style, a simple blouse and skirt, first appeared in the late 1890s.
Often there was a single seam on the skirts, as a result of which even the most hopeless figures acquired a pleasant harmony!
Skirts and dresses were sewn to the floor, but so that it was convenient for women to get into the carts. By 1910, the hem was shorter and ended just above the ankle. Initially, bulky shoulders were present in the silhouette of the blouses, but by 1914 they had significantly decreased in volume, which, in turn, led to more roundness of the hips.
By 1905, with the increasing popularity of automobiles, fashion-conscious women began wearing a raincoat or semi-long coat in the fall and winter. These coats were very fashionable, going from the shoulder to the waist, which was about 15 inches long. In such an outfit, and even in a new short skirt that did not even reach the ankles, the woman looked very bold! If it was damp or snowing outside, you could put on an anther on top to protect your clothes from dirt.
The afternoon dress, although it was made in various pastel shades and with numerous embroidery, was still quite conservative in the 1900s, as it was worn for attending formal dinners, meetings and conservative women's gatherings - here the dress code was influenced by women with a Victorian outlook on life!
The tea dresses, which women, if they were at home, usually donned by 5 pm, were excellent: they were usually made of cotton, white and very comfortable. This was the only time an Edwardian woman could take off her corset and breathe normally! Women often met and entertained friends in a dress for tea, because one could afford to be extremely informal!
In Edwardian Britain, women were given the opportunity to showcase their very best outfits from Paris during the London season, which ran from February to July. From Covent Garden, royal receptions and private balls and concerts, to horse races at Ascot, the elite of society showed off their latest, best and worst outfits.
Evening gowns during the Edwardian period were pretentious and provocative, with a plunging neckline that exposed a woman's breasts and jewelry! Evening dresses in the 1900s were sewn from luxurious material. By 1910, women began to get tired of large evening dresses, especially French women who decided to abandon the trains on the dress and switched to the Empire style from Poiret, inspired by the Russian Seasons.
In 1909, when the Edwardian period was already coming to an end, a strange fashion arose for narrow skirts with interception below the knee, whose arrival is also attributed to Paul Poiret.
Such tight skirts tightly pulled the woman's knees, making movement difficult. Combined with the increasingly popular wide-brimmed hats (in some cases up to 3 feet) made popular by Lucille, Poiret's main American rival, it seemed that fashion had gone all the way by 1910.
Hairstyles and Hats During the Edwardian Period 1900-1918
Fashion magazines of that time began to pay great attention to hairstyles. The most popular were then considered curls, curled with tongs in the style of "Pompadour", as it was one of the fastest ways to style hair. In 1911, the 10-minute Pompadour hairstyle becomes the most popular!
These hairstyles carried surprisingly large hats that overshadowed the hairstyles to which they were pinned.
By 1910, Pompadour hairstyles had gradually changed to Low Pompadour, which, in turn, had evolved into simple, low-set buns with the onset of World War I.
To take advantage of this hairstyle, the hats were worn lower, right on the bun, the wide brims and bright feathers of previous years were gone. Wartime norms did not approve of this sort of thing.
"Russian Seasons" 1909 - Wind of Changes
By 1900, Paris was the fashion capital of the world, and the fashion houses Worth, Callot Soeurs, Doucet and Paquin were among the top names. Haute couture or haute couture - this was the name of the company that uses the most expensive fabrics to sell them to the influential elite of Paris, London and New York. However, the style remained the same - Empire lines and Directory style - high waist and straight lines, pastel colors such as the greenish color of the Nile water, pale pink and sky blue, reminiscent of tea dresses and evening dresses of the elite of society.
It's time for a change. This was preceded by the following events: the influence of the Art Deco style, which emerged from the modernist movement; the onset of the Russian Seasons, first held in 1906 in the form of an exhibition organized by their founder Sergei Diaghilev, phenomenal performances by the Russian Imperial Ballet of 1909 with their sumptuous oriental-inspired costumes designed by Leon Bakst.
The dancer Nijinsky's harem pants caused a huge surprise among women, and the master of opportunism Paul Poiret, having considered their potential, created the harem skirt, which for a while became very popular among young people from the British upper class. Poiret, perhaps influenced by Bakst's 1906 illustrations, felt the need for more expressive illustrations for his creations, as a result of which he recruited the then unknown Art Nouveau illustrator Paul Iribot to illustrate his work "Dresses by Paul Poiret" in 1908. It is impossible to overestimate the influence that this work had on the emergence of fashion and art. After that, these two great masters worked together for two decades.
The emergence of modern fashion - 1912 - 1919
By 1912, the silhouette took on a more natural shape. Women began to wear long, straight corsets as the basis for tight-fitting daytime outfits.
Oddly enough, a brief return to the past in 1914 was just nostalgia: most of the fashion houses, including the Poiret fashion house, presented temporary stylish solutions with bustles, hoops and garters. However, the desire for change could no longer be stopped, and by 1915, in the midst of a raging bloody war in Europe, the Callot sisters present a completely new silhouette - a non-ringed women's shirt over a straight base.
Another interesting innovation in the early years of the war was the appearance of a matching blouse - the first step towards a casual style, which was destined to become the main element of a woman's suit.
Coco Chanel adored ladies' shirts or shirt-cut dresses and thanks to her love for the popular American jacket or sailor blouse [loose-fitting blouse tied with a belt] she adapted the jumpers worn by sailors in the popular seaside town of Deauville (where she opened new shop), and created the women's cardigan with bold everyday belts and pockets that heralded the 1920s fashion image 5 years before it became the norm.
Like Chanel, another designer Jeanne Lanvin, who at this time specialized in clothing for young women, also liked the simplicity of the women's shirt, and she began to create summer dresses for their clients who have heralded a move away from restrictive dresses.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 did not end the international displays of Parisian collections. But despite attempts by Vogue editor Edna Woolman Chase to organize charity events to help the French fashion industry, Paris was justifiably concerned that America, as a competitor to Paris, intends to take advantage of the situation in one way or another. If you are fortunate enough to have trendy French vintage periodicals of the time, such as Les Modes and La Petit Echo de la Mode, note that there is rarely any mention of war in them.
However, the war was raging everywhere, and women's dresses, as in the 1940s, became more military by necessity.
Clothing became sensible - jackets of strict lines, even warm half-coats and trousers acquired special female outlines if they were worn by women who helped in the war. In Britain, women have joined volunteer medical teams and served in the Army Nursing Service. In the United States, there was a reserve of female auxiliary personnel of the MP, as well as special women's battalions.
Such military groups were intended for women of the upper class, while women from the working class in different countries ah, especially in Germany, they worked in military factories. As a result of such a shake-up of social classes, when the poor and the rich, men and women all together, like never before, has grown such a phenomenon as emancipation in a woman's dress.
1915 - 1919 - New silhouette.
It was the time of the Art Nouveau figure
Now the emphasis in women's underwear was not on shaping the female figure, but on her support. The traditional corset has evolved into a bra that is now indispensable for the more physically active woman. The first modern bra came from Mary Phelps Jacob, a creation she patented in 1914.
The traditional bodice was replaced by the fashion for a high waist, tied with a beautiful wide scarf belt. Fabrics such as natural silk, linen, cotton and wool were used, and artificial silk began to be used - twill, gabardine (wool), organza (silk) and chiffon (cotton, silk or viscose). Thanks to young designers like Coco Chanel, materials such as jersey and denim have come to life.
In 1910. there was a horizontal look at the design of the dresses. Alternatively, vertical capes were used, such as the popular Poiret kimono jackets, which were worn over a suit of jacket and tailored skirts. The hem of the casual wear was slightly above the ankle; the traditional floor-length evening dress began to rise slightly from 1910.
By 1915, along with the appearance of a flared skirt (also known as a military crinoline), a reduction in the length of clothing, and, therefore, with the appearance of now visible shoes, a new silhouette began to appear. Lace-up shoes with heels have become a pleasant addition to models for the winter - beige and white colors have joined the usual black and brown colors! With the development of hostilities, evening dresses and clothes for tea began to disappear from the collections.
Annette Kellerman - the swimsuit revolution
Swimsuit designs from the Edwardian period led to the overthrow of public mores when women on the beach began to show off their legs, albeit wearing stockings.
Aside from the Australians, especially Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman, who in some way revolutionized swimwear, it should be noted that swimwear changed gradually from 1900 to 1920.
Kellerman caused quite a stir when, upon arrival in the United States, she appeared on the beach in a tight-fitting swimsuit, as a result of which she was arrested in Massachusetts for indecent nudity. Her trial marked a turning point in swimwear history and also helped to break the outdated regulations that led to her imprisonment. She created the look for the beauties in the Max Sennett swimwear, as well as the standards for the sexy Jantzen swimwear that came later.
The birth of the Charleston dress look
It is difficult to pinpoint when the low-waisted tomboy dress style emerged and became the norm by 1920. The image of mother and daughter created by Jeanne Lanvin in 1914 attracts attention here.
Take a close look at your daughter's low-waisted little rectangular dress and you will recognize the Charleston dress that will dominate just a few years later!
Black was the standard color during World War I, and petite Coco Chanel decided to get the most out of it and other neutral colors, as well as wartime clothing, and thanks to Chanel's love of simplicity, a shirt dress with a belt at a low waist was created. , whose models were shown at the Harpers Bazaar in 1916.
This love of her more sporty and casual dresses began to spread quickly from the seaside town of Deauville, where she opened a shop, to Paris, London and beyond. In the 1917 edition of Harper's Bazaar, it was noticed that the name Chanel simply did not leave the lips of buyers.
Paul Poiret's star began to fade with the onset of the war, and when he returned in 1919 with numerous beautiful models in a new silhouette, his name no longer aroused such admiration. Accidentally bumping into Chanel in Paris in 1920, he asked her:
"Madam, for whom do you mourn?" Chanel wore her signature black colors. She replied: "For you, my dear Poiret!"
During this difficult period for many European countries, there have been great changes in fashion and style. With the outbreak of the war, many fashion houses were closed, most of the women were left alone and were forced to take full responsibility for the family on themselves.
Many of them took their husbands' jobs in offices, in industry, and of course, in hospitals. One way or another, they had to lead a masculine lifestyle, and therefore, they put on the appropriate clothes and even uniforms.
The clothes were changed so as to provide the necessary convenience in work, it became more spacious, many had to take off their jewelry, hats, corsets, change their lush hairstyles to a bun that was simply taken off the back of their heads, ...
If before the war the tailors carefully approached the ideal fit of all elements of clothing and the clothing itself in general, then in wartime there was no sense in how “the blouse or skirt was sitting”, how the collar was set, many were not up to it. The war forced women to reconsider their views on the convenience of clothing.
Before the war, in summer fashion magazines, the silhouette of a skirt narrowed to the bottom, introduced, remained in force for some time, but gradually dresses and suits were rebuilt to new way, the same can be said about outerwear.
A cut with one-piece sleeves was preferred. This garment design resembled a Japanese kimono. The kimono sleeve was once introduced by Paul Poiret, and before the war and during the war, this cut remained the most successful among ladies of high society.
At that time, outfits of any purpose were cut in the kimono style, because they did not require special technological techniques in the process of sewing, moreover, they created the impression of negligence. And so, the fashion for negligence entered.
"The blouse was like a bag, one side is gathered in deep folds, the other is smooth." It turned out that sewing a suit at that time was not a difficult task. Careful ironing is unnecessary, cut too. The more casual a suit or dress looks, the better the impression is.
The material can simply be thrown onto the figure, gathered somewhere, sewn somewhere, and that is the bag-shaped silhouette that was required.
The first World War Enriched women quite strongly with military-style clothing - trench coats, sea jackets, officer greatcoats, metal buttons, khaki color, patch pockets, berets, caps.
Small hats, reminiscent of a pilot's helmet, rough belts, edging, and a stand-up collar are becoming popular. And fashion magazines offer cut and tailoring technology for home-made clothing. The styles of suits with a detachable waist and a peplum, with shoulder straps, and trimmed with cords appear in them.
Magazines publish mourning styles, where everything is black, closed, hats with mourning veils. The tapered hem of the skirt has now been dropped completely. Who should mince with their legs when they need to rush to their husband's workplace or to the hospital.
The clothes widened downward, the waistline under the chest dropped into place, and even lower. The silhouette in just one year has changed from fusiform to trapezoidal. To top it off, the women began to cut their hair, firstly, it was more convenient in a hurry to work, secondly, as always during the war, unsanitary conditions arise, and thirdly, they simply tried to get rid of all that was superfluous.
The men were shocked by the new look of their once beautiful companion and girlfriend. Jean Renoir (the artist's son) describes his shock when he saw his relative: “... The new, never before unprecedented appearance of Vera amazed me so much ... We remembered girls with long hair ... and suddenly ... our half became our equal, our comrade.
It turned out to be enough of a transient fashion - a few scissor movements and, most importantly, the discovery that a woman can deal with the affairs of the lord and lord, the social building, patiently erected by men for millennia, was forever destroyed. "
In the first years of the war, old skirts were worn, and new ones were made wide. Thus, during this period, three types of skirts were defined: a pleated skirt - pleated or corrugation, a flared skirt from the waist, a skirt made of two flared flounces, which represented, as it were, a two-tiered skirt.
The cut of the bodice was dominated by a one-piece sleeve, a raglan sleeve was often found, the bottom of the bodice was made out with soft folds, which made it possible to feel freedom of movement.
This period had a huge impact on fashion and style, and is considered a transitional period in the history of fashion. During the period from 1914 to 1918, many innovations appeared. It would seem that in such a period of grandiose world events, there is no time for fashion, but, despite this, it developed.
Neither the closed fashion houses nor the war stopped women from inventing and developing something on their own, because life went on. The situation was not the same in all countries, and not in all strata of society. However, be that as it may, a woman remains a woman. And in wartime there were times when I wanted to decorate myself, even if not with jewelry, but with the same clothes.
Despite the sad news from the front, life in the rear was getting better, because not everyone had a bitter fate, and therefore I want to live life to the fullest and have fun. Towards the end of the war, balls are held again, rich decor in clothes appears.
Short skirts that appeared immediately after the start of the war (just below the knees) are lengthened. There appear, albeit for a very short time, skirts, tapered from top to bottom. From 1917 to 1918, fashion designers somehow managed to restore their influence on the spontaneously changing fashion. But in fact, there was a moment when the search for a new style began.
Many fashion houses have tried to adapt to the spontaneously born fashion. Fashion houses begin to open, the masters resume their activities. Such as Jeanne Paquin, Madeleine Vionne, Edouard Monet, the Callot sisters start working again.
Meanwhile, Mademoiselle Chanel begins to create the image of a new woman. One of the outstanding masters of that time should be called Erte (), who, even before the war, created original sketches for Paul Poiret. By the end of the war, he had become an internationally renowned master of costume design.
Erte has collaborated with many fashion magazines, especially the American edition of Harper's Bazaar. From evening gowns to simple suits, his beautiful designs are impeccable and unique. One of Erte's many themes was a woman in trousers. In his sketches, with virtuoso skill, he proposes the idea of creating an outfit in which he emphasizes details that hint at breeches, breeches, and wide trousers.
French writer Romain Rolland once said that he would like to see a hundred years after his death, how society will change, but not in the treatises of scientists, but in a fashion magazine. The writer was sure that fashion would tell him the true story of the change in society, rather than philosophers and historians combined.
And here is the result of the spontaneously developing fashion:
The tailors, returning from the war, and wanting to reaffirm their former rights, were forced to accept the new fashion that women themselves created. Crinolines, corsets and "tight fashion" were defeated.
The army also made its own changes in fashion. The uniform of the military turned out to be so comfortable that they continued to imitate it in civilian life.
In addition to military operations in Europe, there were also colonial wars. Hence, patterned fabrics from Tunisia and Morocco, shawls, scarves appeared. Along with the appearance of simple-cut clothes, clothes with an abundance of exotic patterns appeared in the woman's wardrobe, the love for knitting, appliqués, embroidery, fringes, and beads increased.
The war had an impact on the emancipation of women. In the struggle for equality, women during this period achieved much greater success than in many previous years.
10:10 07/04/2012
The development of fashion in the 1910s of the XX century was largely determined by events of a global scale, the main of which was the First World War of 1914-1918. The changed living conditions and cares that found themselves on women's shoulders demanded, above all, convenience and comfort in clothing. The financial crisis associated with the war also did not contribute to the popularity of luxurious dresses made from expensive fabrics. However, as often happens, difficult times generated an even greater demand for beautiful clothes: women, not wanting to put up with circumstances, showed miracles of ingenuity in search of fabrics and new styles. As a result, the second decade of the XX century was remembered for the models that combined elegance and convenience, and the appearance of the legendary Coco Chanel star on the fashion horizon.
At the beginning of the second decade of the twentieth century, Paul Poiret remained the main dictator in the fashion world. In 1911, women's trousers and skirt-trousers created by him made a splash. The fashion designer continued to popularize his work through social events and various trips. Poiret celebrated the creation of the collection "A Thousand and One Nights" with a sumptuous reception, and later in the same 1911 he opened his own school of arts and crafts, Ecole Martin. Also, the fashion revolutionary continued to publish books and catalogs with his products. At the same time, Poiret went on a world tour, which lasted until 1913. During this time, the artist showed his models in London, Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, Moscow, St. Petersburg and New York. All his shows and trips were accompanied by articles and photographs in newspapers, so that news about the French couturier spread all over the world.
Poiret was not afraid of experiments and became the first fashion designer to create his own fragrance - perfume "Rosina", named after his eldest daughter. In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, the Paul Poiret House ceased its activities, and the artist made an attempt to return to the world of fashion only in 1921.
This, however, turned out to be a failure, in large part due to the fact that the luxurious and exotic style of Poiret supplanted the revolutionary models of Coco Chanel.
Emancipation and the first practical models
The first step in the transition to "comfortable" fashion was the final disappearance of corsets, voluminous hats, and "lame" skirts from women's wardrobes. In the early 1910s, new models came into use, the main among them was the "yula skirt" with a high waist, wide hips, drapery and narrow at the ankles. As for the length, until 1915, the hem of the dresses reached the ground. Skirts were shortened a little: models that reached "only" before lifting the legs came into fashion. Dresses were often worn with capes, and trainings were also popular. A V-neck was common, not only on the chest, but also on the back.
The craving for practicality touched not only clothes, but also the entire female image. In the second decade of the twentieth century, ladies for the first time stopped doing intricate elegant hairstyles and opened their necks. Short haircuts have not yet become as widespread as in the 1920s, but the fashion for long, beautifully styled hair has become a thing of the past.
At that time, operetta was extremely popular throughout Europe, and the dancers who performed on the stage became role models, including when it came to clothing. Along with the operetta, the audience loved cabaret, and especially the tango dance. Especially for tango, a stage costume was invented - Turkish harem pants, as well as draped skirts, in the cuts of which the legs of the dancers were visible. Such outfits were used only on the stage, but in 1911 the Parisian Fashion House "Drekol and Beshoff" offered ladies the so-called trouser dresses and skirt-trousers. The conservative part of French society did not accept the new outfits, and those girls who dared to appear in them in public were accused of denying generally accepted moral norms. Women's trousers, which first appeared in the early 1910s, were negatively received by the public and became popular only much later.
In 1913, emancipants began demonstrations in Europe, who protested against the constraining movement of clothing, insisting on the appearance of simple and comfortable models. At the same time, there was still a slight, but tangible influence of sports on everyday fashion. Abundant stripes and ornaments, intricate appliqués and details that adorned clothes began to disappear. The women allowed themselves to bare their arms and legs. In general, the cut of clothes has become much looser, shirts and dress shirts have become fashionable.
All of these trends were typical for casual wear, while dressy models were still in the style of the 1910s. High-waisted dresses with elements of oriental style, models with a narrow bodice and a wide skirt with frills were still popular in the world. The pannier skirt, the name of which is translated from French as "basket", has come into fashion. The model was distinguished by a barrel-shaped silhouette - the hips were wide, but the skirt was flat in front and back. In a word, the outfits for the exit were distinguished by greater elegance and conservatism, and some designers tried to keep the trends observed in the fashion of the 1900s. Most notable among the artists who adhere to conservative models was Erte.
Loud debut of the great Erte
The most popular fashion designer Erte, whose name is associated with luxurious and feminine images of the second decade of the twentieth century, did not recognize the trend towards practicality and functionality.
© provided by the Internet agency "Bi-group"
Sketch of a dress by fashion designer Erte (Roman Petrovich Tyrtov)
Roman Petrovich Tyrtov was born in 1892 in St. Petersburg, and at the age of twenty he moved to Paris. Erte took the pseudonym by the initial letters of his first and last name. As a child, the boy showed a penchant for drawing and design. From the age of 14, he attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, and after moving to the French capital, he went to work at the House of Paul Poiret. His high-profile debut in Paris was the creation of costumes for the play "Minaret" in 1913. The very next year, when Erte left the House of Poiret, his models were very popular not only in France, but also in the theater companies of Monte Carlo, New York, Chicago and Glyndburn. Music halls literally filled the talented fashion designer with orders, and Erte created costumes for productions such as "Repertoire for a Music Box" by Irwin Berlin, "Scandals" and "Mary of Manhattan" by George White. Each image created by the couturier was his own creation: Erte never relied on the experience of his colleagues and predecessors in his work.
The most recognizable image created by the designer was a mysterious beauty wrapped in luxurious furs, with many accessories, the main of which were long strands of pearls and beads, topped with an original headdress. Erte created his outfits, inspired by ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology, as well as Indian miniatures and, of course, Russian classical art. Denying an unsuitable silhouette and abstract geometric patterns, Erte in 1916 became the chief artist of the magazine "Harpers Bazaar", with which he was offered a contract by the tycoon William Hirst.
© RIA Novosti Sergey Subbotin
Cover of the magazine "Women's Business"
Popular even before the outbreak of World War I, Erte was one of the trendsetters until his death in 1990 at the age of 97.
War and fashion
The dispute between adherents of the old style and supporters of practical clothes was resolved by the First World War, which began in 1914. Women, forced to do all the male work, simply could not afford to dress up in long fluffy skirts and corsets.
During this period, functional details referring to the military style began to appear in clothes - patch pockets, turn-down collars, jackets with lacing, lapels and metal buttons, which girls wore with skirts. At the same time, women's suits came into fashion. The difficult years brought with them yet another reform: comfortable knitwear was used in tailoring, from which jumpers, cardigans, scarves and hats were created. Casual dresses, the length of which became shorter and reached only to the calves, were worn with high, rude lace-up boots, under which women wore leggings.
In general, this time can be described as a spontaneous search for new forms and styles, a passionate desire to get away from all the fashion standards that were imposed by the fashion houses in the 1900s. Trends literally replaced one another. Common to wartime silhouettes was freedom of cut, sometimes even "saggy" clothing. Now the outfits did not emphasize all the curves of the female figure, but, on the contrary, hid her. Even the belts were no longer around the waist, not to mention the sleeves, blouses and skirts.
The war, perhaps, made women much more independent than all the emancipation performances characteristic of the early 1910s. First, women took on jobs that men used to do: they took jobs in factories, hospitals and offices. In addition, many of them ended up in auxiliary military services, where working conditions dictated practicality as the main criterion for choosing clothes. The girls wore uniforms, khaki sports shirts and caps. Perhaps, for the first time, women felt their independence and importance, became confident in their strengths and intellectual abilities. All this allowed the ladies to direct the development of fashion themselves.
© Illustration from the book "Style icons. Fashion history of the twentieth century. Edited by G. Buksbaum. St. Petersburg." Amphora ", 2009"
Dartheus "Military crinoline", drawing 1916.
During the war, when almost all fashion houses were closed, women voluntarily got rid of all the imposed canons, freeing clothes from unnecessary parts. The practical and functional style took root and fell in love so much that the fashion houses that resumed their activities after the war were forced to follow new trends, and attempts to return the popularity of the previously topical crinoline and inconvenient "narrow" styles ended in failure.
It is especially worth noting, however, the "military crinolines" that appeared at the same time and became extremely popular. These fluffy skirts differed from their predecessors in that they used not the usual hoops, but a large number of petticoats to maintain their shape. It took a lot of fabric to sew such outfits and, despite the low quality, the price of "military crinolines" was quite high. This did not stop the bulky skirts from becoming one of the main hits of the wartime, and later this model became a symbol of the romantic style caused by general protest and war weariness. Unable to resist the mastered practical style, the designers decided to bring originality and beauty to simple-cut outfits through details and decoration. Haute couture dresses were richly decorated with pearls, ribbons, appliques and beads.
The influence of the First World War on fashion cannot be described only by the emerging trend towards practicality. Soldiers who participated in battles in foreign territories brought home as trophies, including new exotic fabrics, as well as hitherto unseen shawls, scarves and jewelry from Tunisia and Morocco. Fashion designers, getting acquainted with the cultures of different countries, absorbed ideas and embodied new styles, patterns and finishes in tailoring.
After the end of the war, when secular life improved and balls began to be given in Paris again, many women abandoned the costumes that had become familiar and returned to pre-war fashion. However, this period did not last long - after the war, a completely new stage in fashion began, the greatest influence on which at that time was provided by Coco Chanel.
Men's style from Chanel
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel, by her own admission, has been trying all her life to adapt a man's suit to the needs and lifestyle of a modern woman.
Coco Chanel began her journey in the fashion world in 1909 when she opened her own hat store in Paris. The rumor about the new designer quickly spread throughout the French capital, and the very next year Coco was able to launch not only hats, but also things on sale, opening a store on Cambon street, 21, and then her own Model House in the resort of Biarritz. Despite the high cost of clothes and the simplicity of cut, unusual for that time, models from Chanel were rapidly gaining popularity, and the designer had a wide clientele.
The main objective of the clothes that the designers had previously offered to women was to accentuate the wasp waist and highlight the breasts, creating unnatural curves. Coco Chanel was thin, tanned and athletic, and the style prevalent at that time did not suit her perfectly - no matter what she wanted, no clothes could make an hourglass out of a girl's figure. But she was the perfect model for her own outfits. "Shackled in a corset, chest out, butt exposed, so tied at the waist, as if cut in two ... to contain such a woman is the same as managing real estate," said Coco.
Promoting unisex convenience and style, the designer created a very simple dresses and skirts characterized by clear lines and lack of decoration. The girl, without hesitation, swept aside unnecessary details and unnecessary accessories in search of the perfect model that would not restrict movement, and at the same time, allowing a woman to remain a woman. Regardless of public opinion, she deftly introduced elements of masculine style into women's clothing, setting an example of the correct use of simple outfits on her own. "Once I put on a men's sweater, just like that, because I felt cold ... I tied it up with a scarf (at the waist). That day I was with the British. None of them noticed that I was wearing a sweater ..." - Chanel recalled. This is how her famous sailor suits with a deep neckline and a turn-down collar and "jockey" leather jackets appeared.
When creating clothes, Chanel used simple materials- cotton, jersey. In 1914, she shortened the women's skirt. At the start of World War I, Coco designed practical sweaters, blazers, shirt dresses, blouses and suits. It was Chanel who contributed to the popularization of pajamas, and in 1918 she even created women's pajamas in which it was possible to go down to the bomb shelter.
Closer to 1920, Koko, like many artists of that time, was carried away by Russian motives. This line in the work of Chanel was developed already at the beginning of the third decade of the twentieth century.
The second decade of the twentieth century, despite all the hardships and hardships, became a turning point in the evolution of fashion - it was in the 1910s that artists began an active search for new forms that could provide women with freedom without depriving them of grace. The reforms brought to fashion by the war and the tendencies of the post-war years became defining in the development of the industry in the following decades.
The history of men's fashion. 20th century men's fashion
1900s in men's fashion
The latest period of refined masculine elegance. Petersburg in the era of the Silver Age was famous for its dandies. Russian fashionistas were guided by English fashion. The Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria's eldest son, later King Edward 7, was a style icon. It was he who first unbuttoned the button of the vest when he ate tightly. He also introduced the arrows on the trousers and the rolled-up trousers into fashion.
A long coat, a frock coat and a bowler hat are in fashion.
1910s in men's fashion
The frock coats were replaced by cropped jackets without padded shoulders with a high waist and elongated lapels. The male suit has acquired a more elongated silhouette. Jazz is in fashion and with it a jazz suit with pipe trousers and a tightly buttoned jacket. The First World War popularized the military uniform. The military model - a trench coat (from the English word trench, "trench") for soldiers of the British army, supplied by Burberry - is becoming so popular that it continues to be worn "in civilian life".
In St. Petersburg, the main refined dandy is Prince Felix Yusupov.
1920s in men's fashion
The Prince of Wales continued to be a fashion role model. He introduced cropped plus fours golf pants, which were worn with long woolen knee socks. During this period, Scottish "Fair Isle" sweaters, Panama hats, tight ties tied with a Windsor knot, two-button jackets, pocket squares, brown suede shoes and small-check English caps are worn. By the way, the "Prince of Wales" pattern on men's suit fabrics is named after Edward 7, who loved informal plaid suits.
In Russia, this is the time of war communism and civil war. After the 1917 revolution, the Silver Age dandies disappeared. They are being replaced by the avant-gardists of a new formation.
The mod of that time was Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Real dudes appeared in the era of the NEP. They wore striped trousers, bow ties, soft hats and boaters, and tried to be like the Americans of the jazz era.
1930s in men's fashion
Fashionistas imitate glamorous Hollywood stars. Hobbies in aviation, cars and sports are popular. A fit athletic physique is in vogue.
The costumes have acquired a more masculine look, the shoulder line has increased, and the chest has expanded, the jacket has become close to the hips. Sportswear, jeans and knitwear appear in the men's wardrobe. Caps and leather helmets were worn on their heads. In the 30s, the so-called "captain's" hats with lacquered visors were popular. The colors of the clothes are dominated by brown and khaki.
During the war years, Russian dandies and dudes fell in love with trophy fashion. Things brought from Germany and other countries became fashionable goods for those who would later be called dudes.
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1940s in men's fashion
The key image of a man during the Second World War is courageous and in military uniform. Short coats and short jackets with patch pockets were common items.
In the first period of the post-war period, unusual suits called zoot suits appeared in America, which consisted of a long double-breasted knee-length jacket with wide lapels and baggy trousers, narrowed at the bottom, and a wide-brimmed hat was worn with the suit.
In the Soviet fashion of the post-war period, in comparison with the 1930s, the actual silhouette became wider, things seemed to be a little big. The felt hat was an important male business accessory. They wear double-breasted jackets, wide leg pants, and long coats. Dark tones prevailed. Light and striped suits were considered special chic. Even after the war, the military uniform remained common clothing in civilian life, the image of a man in uniform was incredibly popular. Among other things, leather coats came into vogue.
Since 1947, styling began to captivate large circles of Soviet youth.
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1950s in men's fashion
The post-war world was changing rapidly, and fashion changed along with it. In England, in the early 1950s, a style appeared that was called "Teddy Boys". This style is a kind of variation of the style of Edward 7 (Edwardian era) hence the name (in English language Teddy is short for Edward's full name). They wore tapered pipe trousers with cuffs, a straight-cut jacket with velvet or moleskin cuffs, narrow ties and platform boots (creepers). The bangs fit into the spinner.
In 1955, rock and roll entered the life of British youth, reflected in clothes in the form of silk suits, bell-bottomed trousers, open collars and medallions.
In 1958, the influence of Italy came into English fashion. Short square jackets, tapered trousers, white shirts with a thin tie and vests are in fashion, a scarf peeped out of the breast pocket of the vest. The boots have acquired a sharp-toed shape (Winkle-picker).
1960s in men's fashion
The world of men's fashion is undergoing significant changes: the industry of mass production of ready-made suits is launched. The gray suit becomes the uniform of office workers. A loose long jacket, button-down shirts, a narrow tie, Oxford shoes, a black wool coat and a felt hat are in vogue.
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In 1967, among young people, the revival of the teddy-boy style, which received a new name rockabilly, a new version of the style was ennobled by the trend of glam rock. The costumes have gotten flashy colors.
1970s in men's fashion
Unlike the 1960s, in the 70s there was no single trend in fashion, there were different trends. Fashion as a way of self-expression. The trends were shaped by street fashion. In the youth environment, the hippie movement: long hair, flared jeans, multi-colored shirts, baubles as accessories, neck pendants and beads.
Clothes are becoming more versatile and practical. A variety of styles and mixes are in use. Turtlenecks became an iconic piece of clothing in the 1970s. In the Soviet Union, noodle turtlenecks are popular.
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1980s in men's fashion
A new generation of luxury business people called the yuppies has emerged.
Italian fashion has become relevant, which has made popular tanning, black glasses and brown shoes. Men's wardrobe ceased to be universal and was strictly divided into business, evening and casual. At corporations, the dress code is "working Friday".
In the Soviet Union, at the peak of popularity, jeans with "bananas" and "boiled". Blacksmiths flourished, branded clothes brought from abroad were considered a sign of wealth and style.
1990s in men's fashion
In the west, minimalism, simplicity and practicality have become the main fashion trends as opposed to the rampant consumption of the 80s. Men's business wear has become looser and simpler. Sports are popular and sportswear with logos of famous brands is becoming everyday.
Among the youth, the grunge style is widespread: baggy clothes of large sizes, gloomy tones. Variety of subcultures: rap, hip-hop, rock defines appearance adolescents.
Unisex style is popular. Casual wear becomes the basis of men's wardrobe.
In Russia, men's business fashion is dominated by the notorious crimson jacket - the personification of success and prosperity.
In the late 90s, the widespread dissemination of information technology leads to the rapid spread of fashion trends in the world.
2000s in men's fashion
This is the era of metrosexuals. The cult of a beautiful body is becoming the main idea of fashion. Sleek looks and an emphasized interest in fashion trends are in fashion.
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Based on sources:
Bible of style: wardrobe of a successful man / N. Naydenskaya, I. Trubetskov.
D / f “Breath of the Century. The life of a dandy "
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Fashion dictates not only our wardrobe, it proclaims ideals, whether it is admiration for forms or a fashion for gothic morbidity. Fashion for clothes comes from fashion for the body. Emphasized detached tenderness, as from the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites, aristocratic white skin, feminine curls, flowing dresses to the floor. Charleston dresses fit perfectly on a flat boyish figure. Heavy masculine skin that crosses out tenderness and emphasizes a strong woman with an even majestic figure. Fashion directly tells us what to wear, whispering in our ear how to wear it, what posture to maintain, what look will accompany us when leaving the hairdresser, where, undoubtedly, we did with our hair what Madame Fashion told us. Women's beauty is a mirror of history.
Antiquity
The culture of Greek antiquity deified the forms of the body, extolling everything connected with it: the Olympic Games fascinating with the beauty of the forms of athletes, public appearances which included the ability to show with gestures the meaning of speech for those who are in the back rows and do not hear the speaker, gymnastics in full view of passers-by, well, of course, one should not forget about sculpture, which was the highest art among the Greeks.
A completely opposite situation was in the East, where the body was just a temporary shell of an immortal spirit. The highest value is thoughts, writing.
Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and modern times, our modernity is a series of ups and downs of spirituality and body worship.
1900s fashion
The interpretation and image of the female body changed from decade to decade, from year to year. Until the First World War, the woman kept the mystery and the female body as such, that is, female nudity was not in vogue. In the 1900s, the fashion for the female silhouette began its transformation, first undergoing a very strong influence of the Art Nouveau style, which identified a woman with an unearthly creature. The new silhouette changed the fashion to Gothic with a protruding belly and a back curved back. The fashion for such a silhouette was associated with the popularity of the appearance of a pregnant woman in the era Crusades and the absence of men. The new S-shaped silhouette was the complete opposite of its predecessor, and was caused primarily by the structure of the underwear characteristic of that time and the especially curved shape of the corset that raised the chest and emphasized the narrow waist, which in extreme cases reached 37 centimeters.
In 1906, in the Edwardian era, the fashion for the female silhouette absorbed the tastes of the English aristocracy of those years, gaining a more straightened neoclassical silhouette. More respectable in relation to French Art Nouveau and more straightforward, even the very black and white and striped colors of the outfits emphasized their elongation and geometricity.
1910s fashion
Since 1909, there has been a wave of interest in the harem theme, generated by the success of "Russian Seasons" by S.P. Diaghilev in Paris. Fashion abandoned corsets and drew attention to phlegmatic, half-naked, round women reclining on ottomans. Full forms with plump plump arms and legs became the subject of adoration. Paul Poiret, the famous "emperor of fashion", was the first to take up this fashion trend and introduce corsetless dresses, the first trousers-trousers and transparent dresses. This was the first fashion for the body as such in the twentieth century.
During the First World War, women took over masculine functions, which caused the emancipation of women's fashion. Labor activity straightened the silhouette, moved the fastener forward from the back, cut the hair, making it easier to comb. Due to the absence of men, the fashion for a woman's body disappeared into a military fog.
In those days, a new type of woman was born - the vamp woman, in the slang of those times this type of woman was called "Vampire", which was synonymous with an insidious seducer, which emphasized a hard look, thickly summed up with black shadows. The first such female vamp was the movie star Ted Bara.
20s fashion
In 1918, when the war returned the thinned ranks of men from the front, the competition between women increased so much that the display of the body permeated all the fashion of the time. The era of the 1920s gave birth to a new style of Art Deco, a kind of fusion of neoclassicism and modernity. A new image of a woman was born, with a completely new attitude to the body and its forms - the image of a half-boy woman, a teenager. With the light filing of the famous scandalous novel by V. Marguerite "La Garson" (which means "boy" in French), women's fashion has acquired boyish forms - the absence of breasts, hips, wide flat waist. If the 1900s forced women to eat various preparations to increase the bust, visit masseurs, then the 1920s forced women into special flat bodices that hide their breasts.
Through the efforts of Poiret, the women took off the corsets, and thanks to the simple shapes of the suits and dresses of Coco Chanel, they were completely forgotten. The part of the body that until recently was not shown at all - the back - has become fashionable. Women have worn corsets since the beginning of the 14th century and, having lost it, decided that now the back should be shown as often as possible. The only fact that hindered the new fashion trend was pallor. The first mixed beaches appeared, where women first opened up to the sun, then to appear before society in evening dresses with open back and bare hands. The fashion for gothic pallor was replaced by the fashion for tanning.
Arresting girls in Chicagofor wearing a swimsuit in a public place
The elongated silhouette of the low-waisted dresses dominated until 1924. Emboldened by showing their backs and arms, the women decided to toughen up the fight for the attention of men by showing their legs. In 1924 and 1925, fashion houses Chanel and Jean Patou dressed women in cropped knee-length skirts. Ladies started showing calves and ankles and this led to the birth of nude stockings. Women's fashion she opened her body more and more, popular dances to jazz music (for example, Charleston) helped her in this.
30s fashion
But in 1929, the Great Depression ended the enjoyment of luxury. Quite different values have replaced the swagger of the 20s with cocaine drive on Rolls-Royce and dancing in sparkles. Fashion adopted the orderly silhouette of a neoclassical beauty with the shapes of Venus de Milo. Parisian fashion houses such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet complemented the femininity of the fashionable silhouette with antique-style draperies.
40s fashion
In 1935, under the influence of European totalitarianism, elongated dresses were replaced by strict forms of jackets, suits and coats. Feminine fashion wrapped itself in the square masculinity of the first padded hangers, hiding the forms under the frame garments. This trend of women's fashion reached its climax in 1943, during the Second World War, when the size of the shoulders became simply incredible. Martial law has turned women into fighters.
50s fashion
The legendary "New look" from Dior in 1947 undermined the military fashion. Bringing back Victorian fashion, Dior pulled women's waists into corsets, rounded their hips and pulled out padded hangers from war-weary ladies. Fashion has regained mystery, femininity and sophistication.
60s fashion
In the 1960s, under the famous "Beatles" and "The Rolling Stones," they opened fashion for young people who simply did not exist before. Women's fashion has regained the boyish silhouette of the 20s as the benchmark for the popular Twiggy model. Despite the repeating silhouettes, the fashion of this period made many discoveries. Space flights have weaved fashion out of aluminum, plastic and shiny fringe, pushing back wool, silk and cotton. This direction was gladly supported by Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin, Courreges, turning their models into the crew of the spacecraft. But the change of fabrics for this fashionable era was not enough, and it changed shape - with light hand Mary Quant came into fashion with mini skirts.
Fashion took on a new look in 1968, dressing in the same cut with men's things: T-shirts, vests, shirts, jeans - unisex was felt everywhere, even in hairstyles. Hippies completely changed their attitude to the body, along the way decorating it with stickers and tattoos symbolizing love and peace.
70s fashion
This narcotic bliss could continue to this day, only the female essence did not come to terms with gender equality and was resurrected under the luxury of a new retro style that arose in the early 1970s in connection with the love for the pre-war fashion of the 20s and 30s. Narrow shoulders, lowered waist, maxi and midi skirts, platforms that changed the proportions of the female body, renewed interest in the female body. Free love, the first adult films, magazines, undressing has become commonplace.
80s fashion
But in the early 1980s, it became known about the consequences of free love, and this was reflected in fashion and attitude to the body, an awareness of its value came. Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto and Kenzo Takada carefully concealed women's bodies in layered black outfits, which was followed by the rest of the fashion house designers. Fashion has shaped the female silhouette, and the successful collections of Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana have brought back the shoulders of the 40s.
90s fashion
The success of Japanese designers was followed by the response of French fashion - Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix revived the fashion for female forms. The first three years of the 90s echoed with the 30s and 50s with an accentuated corset and plunging neckline of feminine sexuality. This was followed by a crisis and the birth of new styles such as grunge, ethnic and ecological.
The fashion for an interest in the body revived in the form of ritual tattoos of Brazilian Indians, proposed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. But in order not to scare his fans too much, the designer suggested not to stuff tattoos on the body, but to try them on with the help of nude-colored turtlenecks he created with drawings printed on them.
Fashion is an art, it sometimes gives rise to a work of the author's imagination, then admires the majesty of the past, then it is exhausted under the pressure of the present. But it always moves, moves cyclically, reflecting history. Fashion sometimes wraps female forms in cocoons, as if hiding fragile creations of nature, sometimes mocks the female body, uplifting unnatural ideals, but sometimes it shows the true beauty of a woman - and in these moments she is beautiful!
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