Fashion Evolution in the 20th Century
During the turn of the 19th century into the 20th century, fashion began to change. As society changed to fit a more urbanized and industrialized lifestyle, fashion evolved to accommodate these new changes. These changes led to a new, revolutionized way to get clothing that now catered to more people with more general sizes.
During the 1860s, women's fashion was not catered for the everyday urbanized life that was soon to come. Women wore corsets that constricted basic movements, long skirts that reached the ground, shirts with tight sleeves, and infinite amounts of lace. As daily life became more industrialized and urbanized, this style was in no way practical for the changing society. As the early 1900s came around we begin to see a change in women's typical daily wear. Their long skirts began to come off the ground and got progressively shorter as the 20th century continued, It was noted that: "They threw off much of the frill and lace, embraced the new woman look... with tailored suits, blouses, and skirts." Around the1914-1920s there was also a new wave of a military look to reflect that of the soldiers fighting in World War 1. Before the war, the United States had been following Paris fashion, but as the war began and we lost communication with Paris, New York became the leading fashion powerhouse. New designers began to cater more towards femininity and practicality.
Industrialization, urbanization, and the war were the 3 main factors that contributed to a completely transformed "normal" daily wear for women. As the city became more urbanized, it also became more polluted, this largely contributed to women's skirts coming off the ground. As society became more industrialized, the frilly, lacy look of the late 1800s was no longer practical for the new industrialized jobs that women were now taking part in, this contributed to the simpler more practical wear that we see in the early to mid-1900s. Because of the war, women were now taking over jobs that men had previously held, this not only caused a new sense of empowerment in women that would later push them to fight for greater movements but also the change to a more "manly" style. In an ad from the Richmond Palladium in 1912, a store called Nasbums published this: "It would pay you to make a special trip downtown tomorrow to see our display of Suits, all the very latest materials and colors are among them. High-grade man-tailored models, faultlessly finished, handsomely lined throughout." This ad shows the idealized more manly style that was so popular. In another ad published by the Richmond Palladium in the same issue, they discuss the shoes of the upcoming season and they remark that: "Very few lace shoes are being shown, except those in the more mannish cuts, intended for athletic or street use"..."Smart and sensible is the season's footwear" Through advertising published at the time we get a better understanding that these fashions were not only idealized for the way they looked but also the sensible practicality of it.
Not only were these fashions affected by the society around them, but they also helped to change different aspects of society. As these new clothes began to come "ready to wear" as opposed to when previously women had to go to seamstresses to get clothing made, these clothing items could now be mass produced. This ability of mass production led to the development of department stores that now made it even easier for women to go, pick out a size, and take it home. This new way also developed consumer culture. This new availability of clothes being right at your fingertips shaped consumer culture because these things are now ready to be bought when they're wanted, whenever they're wanted. Because these clothes were being mass produced, they are also made to fit more general sizes as opposed to when they would have been previously made to fit you exactly.
Because of the new industrialization and urbanization of the early 20th century, women's fashion transformed completely. This new look created a sense of empowerment but also provided a sensible and practical solution for a large majority of working women. These changes were a large step towards what we consider now modern fashion which also largely idealizes a more manly look. Because of the industrialization and urbanization, the change of clothing led to the mass production of clothing, which led to the development of department stores, which led to the evolution of consumer culture that we still see in our modern society today.
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