|
We all know that undergarments are worn under clothes,
often next to the skin but have you ever considered that the amount of freedom undergarments allow, their part in displaying
erotic intentions, and the degree to which morality imbues them all speak to the social roles of their wearers? Practically
speaking, they keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, shape the body and provide support. Undergarments can
be used to preserve the wearer’s modesty, as well as for erotic effect. Undergarments commonly worn by women throughout
history include bustles, corsets, girdles, bloomers, hose, garters, petticoats, and brassieres. As popularity in one style
of undergarment changed, so
often did the social and political role of women, or was it visa-versa? Corsets and 18”
Waists Historically, metal, bone and wood were sewn into support garments called corsets, with the intention of ‘staying’
or defining the shape of a woman. Stays of the 18th century were laced from behind and drew theshoulders back to form a high,
round bosom and upright posture. Undue tightening of the corset stays sometimes led to a woman needing to retire to the fainting
room or couch as they lessened her ability to breathe. As small waists became fashionable in the 1820s, the corset was boned
and laced to form the hourglass figure. By the 1860s, a tiny waist came to be seen as a symbol of beauty with women seeking
the ideal 18 inches. Rational thinking re-emerged by the 1880s with the dress reform
movement that campaigned against
the pain and damage to internal organs and bones caused by tight lacing. Following this thought, in the early 1900s, Inez
Gaches-Sarraute, a corsetiere with a degree in medicine
A hobble skirt (from to hobble = "to
limp") is a skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride, thus earning its name.
A knee-long corset is also used to achieve this effect. A dress consisting of such skirt is called a hobble dress.
Although restrictive skirts first appeared in Western
fashion
in 1880s, the term was first used in
reference to a short-lived trend of narrow skirts in around 1910-1913. The Parisian fashion designer Paul Poiret is sometimes
credited with the design, inspired by the widespread Oriental influence on Western culture, but in fact the extreme hobble
skirt is an evolution of the narrowing skirt seen in fashion since the turn of the century.
BBC TshirtThe archives of the New York Times between 1910 and the beginning of the First World War
contain many detailed accounts of the hobble skirt wearers of the era. It seems that some New York fashion houses may have
asked their dressmakers to interpret too literally the slim styles depicted in Paris fashion illustrations. Many women and
their admirers subsequently discovered quite accidentally the delights of the geisha-like way of walking which such narrow
skirts create, and the hobble skirt, impractical though it was, achieved tremendous popularity.
Although the term is sometimes used in reference to narrow ankle-length
skirts in the early 1910s, some skirts of this period, although called hobble skirts, had slits, hidden pleats, and draping
that lessened the restriction on a woman's ability to move freely, because in this period women were becoming more active
in various activities which would have been impossible to do in a hobbled hemline. The most restricting extant styles from
this period, which truly do hobble the wearer, are either evening wear or are found in wedding dresses when a woman was
only required to take small measured steps down the aisle of a church.
Long tight skirts reappeared through the century in various forms, particularly in evening gowns,
as well as daytime pencil skirts popular in the 1950s. A more literal interpretation of hobble skirts became a mainstay
in bondage-oriented fetish fashion, often made out of leather, PVC, or latex. For example, they were a regular topic in
the 1950s John Willie fetish magazine, Bizarre.
Hobble
skirts are still present today in goth and BDSM communities, but are also sometimes used as evening gowns and wedding dresses
and sometimes in other occasions although rarely due to
restricting properties. Like other skirts in western civilization they are almost exclusively worn by women.
Large hats with wide brims and broad
hats with face-shadowing brims were the height of fashion in the early years of the decade, gradually shrinking to smaller
hats with flat brims. Bobbed or short hair was introduced to Paris fashion in 1909 and spread to avant garde circles in England
during the war. Dancer, silent film actress and fashion trendsetter Irene Castle helped spread the fashion for short hairstyles
in America.
The Castles' initial fame began in Paris, where they introduced American ragtime dances, such as the Turkey Trot
and the Grizzly Bear. When the Castles returned to the U.S., their success was repeated on a far wider scale. Making their
New York debut in 1912 at a branch of the Cafe de Paris, operated by Louis Martin, who had given them their start in Paris,
the duo were soon in demand on stage, in vaudeville and in motion pictures.
In 1914, the couple opened a dancing
school in New York called "Castle House", a nightclub called "Castles By the Sea" on the Boardwalk in
Long Beach, New York, and a restaurant, "Sans Souci." At Castle House, they taught New York society the latest dance
steps by day, and greeted guests and performed at their club and cafe by night. They also were in demand for private lessons
and appearances at fashionable parties. Despite their fame, they often found themselves treated as hired menials; if a rich
client was too demanding, Vernon would quote a fee of a thousand dollars an hour for lessons and often get it.
Bendel, Henri (22 Jan. 1868-22 Mar.
1936), fashion designer and entrepreneur, was born Henri Willis Bendel in Vermillionville (renamed Lafayette in 1884 after
the Marquis de Lafayette), in southwest Louisiana to William Louis Bendel, purported to have been a former British Naval
officer,and Marie Plonsky, born in the German states. They arrived in Louisiana before the Civil War and opened a dry goods
store. His father died in 1874; four years later his mother married Benjamin Falk, a Russian-born dry goods merchant, when
Henri was ten years old. His mother, a successful businesswoman, ran a furniture store, a dry goods store, a drugstore and
a funeral parlor. His stepfather was one of the most successful businessmen in late 19th century Lafayette, the proprietor
of a large department store, owner of the city's entertainment center, Falk's Opera House. He also served as assistant
fire chief and city alderman, helped establish the Lafayette Improvement Association (forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce),
the first high school in the city, and the first synagogue. His parents' prominence contributed to Henri's drive,
business acumen and dedication to his hometown even after he moved away.
As a young man, Bendel moved to Morgan City, Louisiana, some 70 miles southeast of his home. There
he worked for and built a personal relationship with Aaron Lehman and his family who most likely ran a dry goods or related
business. Bendel purportedly opened his own millinery shop in Morgan City. Records show that he married the Lehman's
daughter, Blanche, in New York City in 1894. His wife died one year after their marriage. In 1895, Henri Bendel opened his
first New York City store, a millinery shop on Ninth Street, where he designed custom hats, clothing, and accessories. He
made a name for himself quickly as designer to New York City's elite, including the Astors and Vanderbilts, along with
well-known entertainment figures, such as Geraldine Ferrar, an opera diva and silent screen star and film actress, Billie
Burke.
Ever innovative, he understood the
idea of creating a recognizable brand. In 1907, he introduced his company's signature brown-and-white strip (still used
today on promotional products, although the company has long been owned by a large retail corporation).By the 1910s, Bendel
had become America's preeminent fashion designer, designing and producing custom made attire. In 1914, Vogue Magazine
approached him to be part of their November "Fashion Fete" benefit, a war charity event. His reputation by that
time was such that they knew that if Henri Bendel came on board other important designers would follow, and indeed that
is exactly what happened.
Henri
Bendel Fashion Sketch
This decade is particularly interesting to me because it reflects
a drastic change in women's wear. During this time, we did not entirely lose the corset, but it loosened quite a bit.
Hemlines rose. Skirts slimmed and flared and slimmed. Waistlines rose, especially, from my observations, on evening and special
occaision gowns, between 1911-1914 and then fell and kept on falling between 1915 and 1919. Completely shapeless dresses were
becoming increasingly popular, which is something we hadn't seen in Western dress since the early Middle Ages. As in every
era, strange things were afoot with sleeves. There was a lot of experimentation with uncut sleeves...in other words, sleeves
that were cut as part of the bodice, not cut out separately and sewn on; layered sleeves (see mourning gown page) and; three-quarter
sleeves. In addition to this beadwork and finge became increasingly popular, particularly in the Poiret-inspired psuedo-Asian/Mid-Eastern
patterns. Later in the decade,since you could now see the lower calves and feet, hosiery and shoes became more interesting,
and example coming to mind is the jeweled Arabian slippers that Poiret commissioned from some shoe-making company in Italy,
I believe.
In the first
half of the decade, skirts slimmed to such drastic lengths as to seriously inhibit walking. These "hobble" skirts
soon began to have slits that allowed for easier movement. A variation on the hobble skirt is the peg skirt. These skirts
were cut much fuller at the top than at the bottom, giving the wearer an appearance of carrying pleated saddle-bags on her
hips.
I have some crackpot
theories as to the spirit behind these particular skirt designs that should, in no way be considered seriously.
The hobble skirts were very easy to rip
in the course of a normal stride, therefore women often took to binding their legs together with cord to prevent this. In
my mind, the people of this era were some serious S&M freaks. You lose the restrictiveness of corsets and what do you
do? You bind a different body part, of course! As for the peg skirts? Well, in the preceeding eras, women's fashion was
very centered on the rear. Bustles and trains were often more decorative than the front of the gown. I think that the peg
skirt may very much have been a final nod to women's hips and posteriors. They certainly do accentuate those areas. once
again, this is just my crackpot theory.
In the 1910, notable fashion designer Paul Poiret of
Paris began to advocate for no corset in women’s fashion. This was an important step in liberating women from the confines
of a metal or bone cage that caused them to disfigure their bodies. We began to see fashion soften a bit. Necklines finally
lowered after several years of high collars.
This decade also saw extremely slim skirts all the way down to the
floor. Some skirts were so tight, it was difficult from women to walk! Soon the skirts featured slits in the back or side,
allowing for freer movement. For the first time in history, women’s ankles were showing. Previously women’s fashion
had dictated that the hemline should touch the floor. With their feet showing, women’s shoe fashion begins to evolve
from a utilitarian boot that no one saw under layers of skirt, to a fashion statement of its own.
|
Rational Dress Movement and Women’s Suffrage
In the late 19th century, the United States was home to a number of high-minded, evangelical women active in the anti-slavery
and temper- ance (anti-alcohol) movements who started what came to be known as the Dress Reform or Rational Dress Movement.
As they gained experience in public speaking and political activism, some of these women began to demand emancipation for
themselves and their ward- robes. They wanted the vote, and sensible clothing as well! The move- ment had its greatest success
in the reform of women’s undergarments, with bloomers, union suits and the softer, more camisole-like emancipa- tion
bodice gaining great popularity. Dress reformers were also influential in persuading women to adopt simplified garments for
athletic activities such as bicycling or swimming. Concurrently, women were becoming increasingly involved in the political
realm. So, after years of
efforts in 1883 Washington women won the right to vote. When women joined their votes with
progressive thinking men, local elections often focused on issues of social justice, closing many
taverns and brothels
that had operated without much regulation. As with all change, a backlash against this progress was felt. On February 3, 1887
the Washington Territory Supreme Court enacted a new law that excluded women from serving on juries. One argument held that
women who served on juries would be exposed to “sordid facts of life,” as in the conventional opinion of the time,
women were too delicate and pure to know such facts. Finally, on November 14, 1888, the Washington Territorial Supreme Court
nullified the women’s vote, arguing that Congress had never intended to enfranchise women in the first place
During the early years
of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft than in the 1900s. When the Ballets Russes
performed Scheherazade in Paris in 1910, a craze for Orientalism ensued. The couturier Paul Poiret was one of the first
designers to translate this vogue into the fashion world. Poiret's clients were at once transformed into harem girls
in flowing pantaloons, turbans, and vivid colors and geishas in exotic kimono. The Art Nouveau movement began to emerge
at this time and its influence was evident in the designs of many couturiers of the time. Simple felt hats, turbans, and
clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the 1900s. It is also notable that the first real fashion shows
were organized during this period in time, by the first female couturier, Jeanne Paquin, who was also the first Parisian
couturier to open foreign branches in London, Buenos Aires, and Madrid.
Two of the most influential fashion designers of the time were Jacques Doucet
and Mariano Fortuny. The French designer Jacques Doucet excelled in superimposing pastel colors and his elaborate gossamery
dresses suggested the Impressionist shimmers of reflected light. His distinguished customers never lost a taste for his
fluid lines and flimsy, diaphanous materials. While obeying imperatives that left little to the imagination of the couturier,
Doucet was nonetheless a designer of immense taste and discrimination, a role many have tried since, but rarely with Doucet's
level of success.
The
Venice-based designer Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo was a curious figure, with very few parallels in any age. For his dress
designs he conceived a special pleating process and new dyeing techniques. He patented his process in Paris on 4 November
1909. He gave the name Delphos to his long clinging sheath dresses that undulated with color. The name Delphos came from
the bronze statue of the Delphic Charioteer. Each garment was made of a single piece of the finest silk, its unique color
acquired by repeated immersions in dyes whose shades were suggestive of moonlight or of the watery reflections of the Venetian
lagoon. Breton straw, Mexican cochineal, and indigo from the Far East were among the ingredients that Fortuny used. Among
his many devotees were Eleanora Duse, Isadora Duncan, Cleo de Merode, the Marchesa Casati, Emilienne d'Alencon, and
Liane de Pougy.
The fashionable man in the early 1910s was seen wearing a one or three
button cutaway frock coat or the double breasted sack which is a straight lined jacket. Average width of the pants leg was
a whopping 22 inches at the bottom. It was a 'dandy' type of look; the cane was standard, the collar was high (usually
with a bow tie); a bowler or some type of hat was worn. A man's hat in those days was meant to coordinate with his outfit.
A top hat in 1900 went with the frock coat; the homburg was necessary for less formal day wear, and the straw hat (or 'boater')
was popular with both men and women. Boys
and younger men wore three piece suits for dress, consisting of a coat, vest and knee pants which were tight fitting and usually
made with 'double knees'. The bottom of the pant leg met the high stockings at the knee.
Quick jump to other pages!
Mens fashion
The sack coat or lounge coat continued to replace the frock coat for most informal and semi-formal
occasions. Three-piece suits consisting of a sack coat with matching waistcoat (U.S. vest) and trousers were worn, as were
matching coat and waistcoat with contrasting trousers, or matching coat and trousers with contrasting waistcoat. Trousers
were shorter than before, often had turn-ups or cuffs, and were creased front and back using the new trouser press. Waistcoats
fastened high on the chest. The usual style was single-breasted. The blazer, a navy blue or brightly-colored or striped
flannel coat cut like a sack coat with patch pockets and brass buttons, was worn for sports, sailing, and other casual activities.
The Norfolk jacket remained fashionable for shooting and
rugged outdoor pursuits. It was made of sturdy tweed or similar fabric and featured paired box pleats over the chest and
back, with a fabric belt. Worn with matching breeches or (U.S. knickerbockers), it became the Norfolk suit, suitable for
bicycling or golf with knee-length stockings and low shoes, or for hunting with sturdy boots or shoes with leather gaiters.
The cutaway morning coat was still worn for formal day occasions in Europe and major cities elsewhere, with striped trousers.
The most formal evening dress remained a dark tail coat and trousers with a dark or light waistcoat. Evening wear was worn
with a white bow tie and a shirt with a winged collar. The less formal dinner jacket or tuxedo, which featured a shawl collar
with silk or satin facings, now generally had a single button. Dinner jackets were appropriate formal wear when "dressing
for dinner" at home or at a men's club. The dinner jacket was worn with a white shirt and a dark tie. Knee-length
topcoats and calf-length overcoats were worn in winter.
Fashion for children in the 1910's
evolved in two different directions, day-to-day and formal dress. Boys were dressed in suits with trousers that extended
to the knee and girls' apparel began to become less "adult" as skirt lengths were shortened and features became
more child-focused. The war affected the trends in general, as well. Military influences in apparel for little boys was
typical and the lengths of skirts for girls were cut shorter yet because of material rationing.
At the turn of the century fashions
looked like the 1800's. For daytime wear, Women wore long skirts, long sleeves, high necks, and high button shoes. However,
big changes were on the horizon as many women, going to work outside the home, were wanting a new independence. The ready-to-wear
industry was blossoming and the eager and skilled work force, made up of immigrants flooding into America, supplied the
needed ingredient. The New York garment district flourished. Paul Poiret, a Paris fashion designer, visited New York and
saw copies of his designs for sale for as low as $15. Furious, he tried to protect his interests but ready-to-wear had taken
over the general public sales through department stores. The shirtwaist was so popular. It was called the Gibson Girl look,
with two-piece outfits, i.e. skirts and shirts. White linen with embroidery was pervasive; but a new fabric, rayon, the first
of the synthetic, technological miracle fabrics, produced at low cost and called "artificial silk," was important.
It fell into disfavor for several decades but has made a comeback at the end of the century. The straw boater hat was everywhere
and the hair was long but worn up underneath the hat. Undergarments, including corsets to cinch the waist, were figure forming
and confining. Vogue and Harper's Bazaar were enticing women to spend more time and money on what they wore.
The evolution of modern straw dress
hats is marked by important changes which took place in the middle 1930s. Summer headwear, which had previously been merely
cool-looking became, cool and comfortable on the head. Paralleling the shift from hard derbies to soft hats in felts, the
emphasis shifted from hard straws to soft straws.
Some
of the better known soft straws are Open-weave Panama, New braids, Hanoki, Hemp, Peanit, Leghorn, Baku, Bangkok, and Madagascar.
The popularity of the Panama straw dress hat soared
at the start of the 20th century when a photograph of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sporting a stylish fino appeared
in the world press. The demand for the chic hat rose. Prominent companies around the globe began distributing them. In Turkey,
modernization laws banned the traditional fez in 1925 and mandated the use of Panama hats. By 1944 the Panama hat had become
Ecuador's primary export item.
By
the second half of the 20th century, the popularity of hats waned. Yet, Ecuador's finely woven Panama hats maintained
their mystique. Indeed, expert hatters throughout the world compete for premium grade specimens. Famous people from bygone
eras to our day have been captivated by the elegance of the Panama hat. It has graced the heads of Winston Churchill, Nikita
Khrushchev, Humphrey Bogart, and Michael Jordan, to name but a few.
Of course, there are inexpensive mass produced imitations of the genuine Panama. However, many
of these crack; others do not breathe. In contrast, the genuine Panama is light and airy, and it lasts a lifetime. Each
is hand woven and therefore is one of a kind. Prices range from a few dollars for the coarser hats to over $1,000 for the
rarest, the superfinos of Montecristi. Quality is determined by the fineness and regularity of the weave as well as the
consistency of color. But always remember this: A genuine Panama hat is made only in Ecuador.
|
