Women and Fashions of the Early 20th Century - World War I Era - Clothing of 1914 - 1920
Fashions of Downton Abbey's Season 2
Women's fashions of 1914 - 1920 were heavily influenced by World War I, or the Great War, as well as the women's suffrage movement. Though clothing of this time is often referred to as Edwardian, in the strictest sense it is not, as King Edward had died. These are the the fashions of the day encompassed in the second season of the popular PBS drama Downton Abbey which is set between the years 1916 - 1919.
By 1914, women's clothing had lost the rigid, tailored lines of the Edwardian period, and the styles of fashion's first great design genius, Paul Poiret, obliterated the need for wearing tight fitting corsets.
Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, fashion had taken on a whole new look based on Orientalism with its soft drapery, and bold prints. The lines of Russian peasant costume appeared in hip length tunics, a style that lasted throughout the war years.
1914 Woman in Sailor Blouse
British Women's Land Army Poster
World War I and Women
During the war, as men went off to fight, women took on jobs formerly filled by men. Women and girls who previously worked as domestic servants took on jobs in munitions factories, performed administrative work, took work as drivers, nurses, and farm workers. They volunteered for organizations like the Red Cross, and joined the military.
Many of the occupations demanded the wearing of uniforms, including trousers. A military look crept into fashion designs as well with military style tunic jackets, belts, and epaulets.
A new image of freedom and self respect led women away from traditional gender roles. They drove cars and demanded the right to vote.
Before the war, Paris led the world of fashion. But due to the privations of war, and loss of communication between the US and Europe, New York emerged as a fashion leader with new designs based on a combination or femininity and practicality.
During World War I, people took to a plainer lifestyle. Women stopped wearing jewelry, and the lavish clothing of the Edwardian period fell by the wayside. As women dressed for new roles, gender dictated dress codes relaxed. Skirts became shorter, as they often do during wartime and colors became sober and muted.
1914 Poiret Gray Suit
1914 Barbier Sketch
Dating the Clothing Styles of the World War I Era
1914 began with a strong Edwardian silhouette. Women wore long, narrow skirts that fell to the top of the foot, along with lacy shirtwaists. But the tunic effect introduced by Paul Poiret, based on a Russian peasant look, came to blend with the military style tunic worn during the Great War.
At the end of the Edwardian period, Paul Poiret introduced the jupe colotte for evening wear - a high waisted tunic style dress worn with harem pants. As the world entered war, women were offered more tailored versions of the look which included military details along with checks and stripes.
Jeanne Paquin, the first woman to gain international fame in the world of fashion, created garments for the new, more active woman. Her version of the hobble skirt (a narrow skirt that restricted a woman's stride) included pleats for ease of movement. Her fashion designs mixed tailoring with femimine drapery.
The spring of 1914 saw a new fashion trend called the war crinoline which featured a bell shaped skirt and a wide over skirt. The season also offered sloped shoulders and wide collars. But the use of so much fabric was soon viewed as wasteful during wartime and critics called for more conservative use of cloth.
In 1915, hemlines rose to mid-calf and traditionalists complained of immodesty.
By 1918, skirts grew narrow again and hemlines fell to below the calf.
1919 saw longer dresses with clean lines and a normal waist.
Women's Fashions - 1916 - War Crinolines
Fashion Shows 1911 - 1918
In 1911, the fashion show was a new phenomenon. Previously, designers had worked with individual clients to create new combinations of style, cut, and the fabrics used in the creation of fashionable clothing for a more personalized look.
Paul Poiret's 1911 traveling fashion show appeared at charity benefits, theaters, and department stores. He took his show to the US in 1913. Soon, other designers followed suit.
In 1913, a New York film company documented a twice yearly show, offering a look at couture to the masses. Before the advent of fashion models, actresses, singers, and dancers modeled the clothing.
During World War I, fashion shows were organized to help raise funds for the war effort. And in 1914, Edna Woolman Chase, the editor of Vogue put on a fashion show to display the work of New York designers.
Led by Paul Poiret, French couture houses banded together to form a syndicate to thwart design piracy. Customers and businesses who wanted to reproduce couture designs were charged a copy right fee and fashion shows were invitation only.
1914 - 1920 in Shoes
During theGreat War, higher hemlines exposed a gap between the tip of the boot and a skirt hem. The look distracted from the overall appearance of an outfit, so the high button boots of the past were abandoned.
Women wore shoes with heels that featured a slight curve.
Outer Wear - the Birth of the Trenchcoat
The Great War introduced a new coat style that became a classic for the rest of the century and beyond.
All weather coasts, needed for officers, brought about a new style and fabric. In London, Burberry patented an all weather, breathable fabric, a chemically processed fine cotton gabardine for farm workers that was approved for military use.
the new military style coat featured a wide collar, extra fabric at the top of the back, epaulettes, and a belt. The trench coat became a fashion staple for both men and women for the next 100 years.
Bathing Suit - 1916
World War I Era and Sportswear
The more relaxed attitude towards gender specific clothing combined with the more active life styles of women introduced what we think of today as sportswear.
Skiing, for instance, went from a practical activity to a popular sport. As long skirts were unsuitable for skiing as well as many other activities, women began to wear a short nee length skirt over knickerbockers.
Burberry produced all weather gabardine for jackets and pants that protected the wearer from wind and snow.
Bathing costumes became less about modesty and more about the ability to actually swim. The one piece bathing suit was born, offering women greater freedom of movement in the water. However, many swim costumes remained long and dress-like. Smaller suits were generally worn by competitive swimmers.
1917 Spirella Corset
Women's Underwear Circa 1914 - 1920 - Introduction of the Modern Bra
A key development in women's undergarments was introduced by a new York debutante named Mary Phelps Jacob. Working under the name Caresse Crosby, Jacobs designed one of the first modern bras. Previously, the breasts had been pushed up by corsets. The new design was soft and boneless with shoulder straps that suspended the breasts from above.
Corsets were not totally abandoned but given greater flexibility for comfort. The Spirella Corset offered a greater range of movement than the old fashioned type and purported to improve posture to benefit overall health. The makers of Spirella Corsets send a representative to your home to measure for a personal fit.
1919 Fashion - Young Gloria Swansen in a Prelude to the Roaring 20's
WWI 's Influence on Fashion and Culture
The hard war years, combined with the devastating effects of the 1918 flu pandemic brought the world to its knees. After Armistice, recovery was difficult. People felt crushed and cynical as they moved into peace time.
A new feeling of freedom mixed with disillusionment combined to create a new kind of culture - a live for today, devil-may-care society that led into the Roaring 20's and the distinctive look, sound, and fashion of the Jazz Age.
(All photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Flappers and the Jazz Age - the 1920's in Fashion
- Women's Fashions of the 1920's - Flappers and the Jazz Age
Flappers were only part of the fashion trend of the 1920's. The female silhouette became slimmer and almost androgynous with drop waist dresses and loose clothing. But the raised hemlines shocked traditionalists and the 1920's changed fashion for the
1915 Rain Coat Sketch
1916 - Dresses on the Beach
1916 Women & Fashion - The Silent Screen Star, Lillian Gish
Women and Fashion 1917 Irene Castle
Women and Fashion 1918 Dorothy Gish & Women in Uniform
Women and Fashion 1919
Women & Fashion 1919 Day Dresses
Women & Fashion - Irene Castle in a Summer Dress
Books consulted:
Costume and Styles - the Evolution of Fashion From Early Egypt to the Present by Henny Harold Hansen; E P Dutton & Co.
The Great Silence Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age by Juliet Nicolson; John Murray Publishers
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele; Scribner Library
Great Place to Buy Period Patterns
Fashion History - Clothing of the Early Middle Ages
- Fashion History - Clothing of the Early Middle Ages - Dark Ages 400 - 900 CE
Clothing styles of medieval Europe in the early Middle Ages (aka Dark Ages) were not what we know of as fashion. Most textiles and clothing were made at home and of simple styles, though the elite wore finer garments created by professionals.
Clothing of the High and Late Middle Ages
- Fashion History of the High and Late Middle Ages - Clothing of the 11th - 15th Century
In the High and Late Middle Ages, European clothing began to evolve into what we think of today as fashion. The cut, shape, style, and decoration of clothing changed at a much faster pace than in the Early...
Renaissance Fashion - Elizabethan Costume
- Renaissance Fashion - Women's Clothing in Elizabethan England
The Elizabethan era in fashion, from 1558 - 1603, is named after Britain's Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabethan style is popular for Renaissance Festivals and includes the farthingale (a hoop skirt) and the elaborate collar known as a ruff.
Women's Fashion of the Early 19th Century
- Fashion History - Early 19th Century Regency and Romantic Styles for Women
Ladies clothing styles of the early 1800's are characterized by a high waist line called an Empire waist or Directoire style of dress. The fashions worn by characters in Jane Austin novels were made of light fabrics influenced by a classical Greek
Victorian Women and Fashion
- Women and Fashions of the Victorian Era: From Hoop Skirts to Bustles - 1837 - 1900
Victorian Fashion, named after Britain's Queen Victoria was the dominant fashion trend of the 19th century. From hoop skirts to bustles, the styles recalled the Elizabethan era and featured an hour glass silhouette as well as restrictive garments.
Edwardian Fashion - 1890's - 1914
- Fashion History - Edwardian Fashion Designs of Late 1890's - 1914 With Pictures
Edwardian fashion refers to the clothing worn in the early 20th century and features an elegant, mature look for women, based on the S curve. The Gibson Girl was a fictional icon of the day, symbolizing the new woman of the new century.
Women's Fashion of the Great Depression - the 1930's
- Fashion History - Ladies' Fashion Designs of the 1930's With Pictures
The Great Depression of the 1930's ushered in fashions that were simple, yet elegant. Gone were the beads and bangles of the 1920's, as the new austerity demanded sleeker lines based on the diagonal, as illustrated in a 1932 magazine.
Women's Fashion of the Wolrd War II Years - the 1940's
- Fashion History - Design Trends of the 1940's With Pictures
The influence of World War II on fashion was huge. Shortages and rationing limited the use of fabric and other materials used in fashion design. Hemlines were up and hair was longer, read on and check out pictures, links, and videos on the fashion tr
1917 Fashion Show
Comments
Some of the fashions are interesting and attractive, but that bathing suit and sailor blouse have got to go!
juneaukid - Hi Richard! I never thought of that! But any historical fiction needs to be backed up by research into the fashion of the day. Thank you!
Hi, Alek! Well, they did, haha! I love the women in the big black hat by the fireplace. I kind of dress like that sometimes. It's my favorite fashion era! Thank you!
Great hub with great photos. Great idea about using the movie to show the dresses back in 1918. I disagree with alekhouse....I think that bathing suit should come back in fashion...lol.
Cogerson - haha, the one piece bathing suit was quite revealing in its day. Remember, back then, they wore bathing costumes that were often wool, and featured a lot of fabric.
And I seem to have lost one of the videos - durn it...must relocate. Thank you!
Dolores Monet, Wonderful and thorough hub! Great photos! The fashions of the that period are most interesting! Ladies were quite stylish and sophisticated in their dress. Great Job!
Thank you for sharing, Peace & Blessings!
Fantastic! How I enjoyed this. I just love the dress styles of this era. The drawings and pictures here are the best I have ever seen. Thank you. Rated up and beautiful.
Thank you, Dolores, for this lovely trip back to the women's fashions of the early 1900s. I'm sure that 1916 bathing suit was considered daring for its time. But even a perfect figure would look dumpy in that model! :)
Great resource!
Flag up.
Wonderful illustrations and information! Voted up and awesome.
Did you know...another of the reasons women's skirts shortened in the teens was because of public awareness campaigns about how tuberculosis is transmitted in spittle. Once the transmission method was understood, ladies didn't want their skirts bringing the bacteria home.
Nice information here but 'what advice do you have for todays fashion?
DeBorrah - thank you! I love these styles and think that this is my favorite fashion period.
vocalcoach - thank you! I think I have several photos of my grandmother and great aunt dressed in these styles but I am afraid to scan them - don't want to expose the old pix to that flash of bright light.
drjb - not me, baby! I am going to run out and find one of these for next summer and am sure to create a sensation on the beach, haha! thank you!
dallas - thank you!
Sally - interesting! Did not know that. My own great grandfather and great aunt died of TB. The trains of past fashions during other periods sure seem filthy, dragging through the streets as they did. Thank you for your input!
crystolite - My own advise? Ha! Actually, I think it best to go for classic styles because they last. Thank you for your confidence, perhaps misplaced.
oh geez, dolores. everytime you write a hub on historical fashion, i drool all over my keyboard! wonderful information and bewitching photographs, yet again. i couldn't expect anything less from you, though. thanks so much for sharing! definitely not my favorite time period for fashion but intriguing, nevertheless. :)
Interesting hub. It's always interesting to learn about fashions from days gone by.
kitty - haha! I think this one is my favorite. I've always loved these clothes. Maybe it's because that's the time that my grandmother and great aunts were young and I heard so much about how they used to make clothes. Plus, I have pictures of them when they were young and in style.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I have really enjoyed creating this little series.
Shayla - thank you. It certainly is fun and you wind up seeing so many things that are still popular today.
Great researched,fabulous pictures,
Simply awesome illustration of fashion of that era,
thubms up!
Interesting women fashion statements there, thanks for sharing. Voted UP!!!
I'm not all that interested in fashion, but you hooked me by bringing the era to life. Great research and writing, with some fabulous photos too! An educational and enjoyable read.
I agree with juneaukid, it is a great article to get information from for a period piece book. Your hubs are always so well researched.
eudo - thank you!
speedbird - thank you!
brian - here at HP, I often run into a topic that I am not interested in, but read the hub anyway. Maybe a person commented on my article, or I like the title. But it can be a lot of fun to read about something outside of your orbit. Thanks!
KoffeeKlatch - thank you. I am afraid that due to the new Google changes, my fashion hubs may suffer. I have read where they are looking for links of sources used - but I use books! Thanks!
Great Hub. Its really amazing how much times and style have really changed. Back then, the women dressed more modestly and covered up and nowadays its a trend that the more skin you show the better!
mysisters - honestly, take a look at the lady in the black hat. I've seen quite a few of them around (sans hat) in recent years, including myself. And if you think they were modest in the old days, think about the 1920's - a shocking time for showing skin! Thank you!
Thank you, Dolores. These amazng photos look like those worn by the woman in my family (who are no longer with us, of course). I have black and white photos that are strikingly similar. A wonderful and fascinating hub. Up and awesome.
Genna - I think that is what makes this one of my favorite fashion periods. My great aunt used to visit high end clothing stores, try on the clothes, and turn them inside out to study them. Then she would go home and make them. A bit beyond my own capabilities, but she sure looked smart. Thank you!
I am fascinated by this period of time. You did a great job on this hub!
yes.I agree with juneaukid, it is a great article to get information from for a period piece book.
wow, i love all things history. great seeing all the pics of the fashion of the times.
2besure - thank you!
airmax - thank you! One of my problems on here is that I don't really think of a projected audience, I just get going on a topic. Looking at the kind of traffic you want to draw on an article should suggest keywords, etc. to attract the folks who might be interested.
pcdriver - me too. And the clothing people wore sure give us a great picture of a period. Thank you!
Great hub well informative and a nice mode of dress code
keep up the good work
Thank you! I voted up on your hub. I find it interesting in how much the stlye of womans clothes have changed over the years.
Great hub. Fashion was so much better back then!
Really nice hub information, on fashion history. I like it.
great seeing all the pics of the fashion of the times.
Robert - thank you. I like this fashion era myself!
Christine - thank you. I think that certain elements do repeat themselves. We see longer skirts pop up every so often.
arca - thank you.Give me the outfits that Irene Castle wore any day!
Brina - thank you!
chausseres - thank you. I think adding pictures really makes a difference. Reading about clothing is one thing, but seeing it adds a whole new view!
nice informative hub. seeing how hard to dress up during those years :)
This hub is very informative and interesting. I like it. Keep it up.
The fashion was very nice and people were very proud of their clothes but a bit complecated, I'm lucky not to be born in this era, I think they used to spend hours wearing. But how could you find all these nice pictures?
this is a wonderfully written and well researched hub great pictures and what about that bathing suit..fabulous!!
Great Hub! What you can say now about our fashion today?
Hello, I really love your article. keep on the good work. I also like the picture you displayed there. it is a nice one.
Crazy fashions! Mom was a seamstress and I can remember some of the fashion terms like crinoline, scary times lol. Thanks for the article and trip down memory lane.
A very well-searched and organized article. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
youngdubliner - thank you. Styles of the WWI period were actually much simpler than previous years.
the dutchman - thank you.
kafsoa - thank you. The fashions of those days were simpler than in Victorian or Edwardian periods.
imo - I imagine that bathing suit was quite shocking considering the modesty that reigned in previous fashion periods.
calvin - high fashion today is still for people with money. All you have to do is check out the prices of clothing in high end fashion magazines. But looking at a recent copy of Vogue, I saw a few outfits that reminded me of the clothing worn during the WWI era; a long skirt and tunic type jacket. Thanks for reading.
chim - thank you!
waterborn - yes, terrible times. No wonder they all went wild in the 1920's - they needed to let off a lot of steam.
Elena - thank you very much!
Wow very detailed and articulate hub, very well done I like!
Interesting hub on early 20th century fashion Dolores. Its a shame though that it took something as horrific as the First World War to free us women from restrictive clothes such as corsets
I grant Elena that it's a very well-searched and organized hub.
CM - I was just thinking about WWI and how they were so blithe and happy during the Edwardian period. WWI had such devastating effects on the world. And throw in the flu pandemic, it must have been a terrible time. Thanks.
Moore - thank you.
Came here from your 1920's site. Thanks for the show! A nearly forgotten fashion period and neglected historic era. Big changes were in the offing and you presented it so well. (Now I want to switch my dress for costume class to the WWI era!)
Christina - hello again. When I wrote this I kind of wondered who would bother with it, as it is not one of more popular fashion periods. But I love those clothes and am glad that you enjoyed reading!
This is old one, but great fashion at all. Nice hub.
I took care of a lady who had been a teacher at Stanford during WWI. She went on a trip to Yosimite and got in trouble for wearing pants instead of bloomers. She didn't care a lick what others thought, the pants were more practical.
cam - oh yes, I've been into the historic fashion lately and just love this period. Thank you!
MyTMidge - what a great story. It must have been wonderful talking to her, and hearing her take on the past. Thank you!
I like to watch shows like Project Runway that have designers inspired by clothes like these from yesteryear and bring them into the new millenium. Thank you for this hub!
Millenium - well I would love that show but don't have cable or satellite. Too bad for me! Thank you!
Love this! Will follow.
Loved the article, will share it with some friends
Awesome,Thanks for the Nice post
Great era for fashion. I really like the whole military touch on things.
great fashion article
wonderful hub! I love clothes! The stories and reasons that skirts went up and down are intriging
Thanks !
very nicely research article
These costumes are really well researched and the blog makes for nice reading. Well done!
Charcoal - thank you. And to think, this is the beginning of the trench coat, a fashion staple ever since!
Cloud - thank you.
baygirl glad you liked!
maria - thank you!
mico - thank you!
Great information in this hub. It has been researched and written very well.
Another great hub. The photos give a wonderful backdrop to this awkward fashion era.
jb - awkward? Really? I love these clothes and the whole look - it's one of my favorite, though sort of neglected fashion periods. Well, to each her own. Thank you!
Love the old photos! Great hub, such an interesting fasion area.
writing a reseach paper on how the fashions of the early 20th century have changed to today's fashions, and this is very helpful!! got a good laugh out of the 1917 fashion show, it was very different from today's awful fashion shows.. i love the modesty and self respect these outfits display.. im 17, and i wonder why we cant take these modest outfits, and add a little modern touch to them and make that the fashion of today... if women would just realize that if they dressed a little more modest, men would show us a little more respect.. just a thiught... this hub is super helpful:)
Edna and Earl - thank you!
ethansgirl - thank you very much! Actually, I see some very similar outfits today, quite a few longer skirts. And I wore an outfit recently that looks very close to the photo labeled ' women and fashion 1919.' While a lot of young gals wear skimpy clothing, I see many women, including young women, who do not wear tight, short skirts, and low cut tops.
New styles often seem shocking. In 1934, Cole Porter wrote in one of his songs "...a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but now, Heaven knows, anything goes!"
As someone interested in history I found this article of some interest. I suppose those large 'wedding cake' hats worn by women in during WW1 at the docks of Sydney as they waved the soldiers goodbye were a remnant of an earlier age. They never looked very practical and no doubt were a strain on the neck. But fashion isn't always practical but, as you have shown, it had to become more practical as materials for making clothes came to be in shorter supply. Also women had to dress practical if required to do practical things outside the home.
Rod - well who said that fashion has (or had) to make sense? Ha, ha. Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Not sure about the bathing suit but I love the Spirella Corset! Great hub!
midnightbliss - well I wouldn't have to wear one of those corsets, but you are right - the Spirella corset is darn right cute! And while the swimsuit may look awful to us today, back then it was quite revealing and offered women comfort and convenience for actual swimming. Before that, they had wear very cumbersome costumes in the water. Thank you!
juneaukid 15 months ago
This a a very well written and researched hub--would be quite valuable for someone writing a novel set in those times.