The way people dress changed over the years. Today's fashion is completely different from the fashion that was worn from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.
From 1850 - 1900 The 1850s are well known for the crinolines, which reached greatest popularity around 1860. The crinolines were made of
whalebone and were covered with layers of flounced petticoats. The dresses were made of several materials such as brocade, taffeta, silk and velvet. There was a difference between dresses for the day and dresses for the evening. Dark coloured fabrics were usually used for day dresses. In complete contrast to this, the evening dresses were usually white. Very fashionable were also flounced dresses with flower prints, stripes and bands. The sleeves were worn wider; they were no longer fitted to the wrist. Flounced dresses went out of fashion soon and women began to wear skirts over the
crinoline frames. But not only the fabric changed, the colour did, too. There were used warmer tones like brown and dark red. In the late 1860s, the crinolines disappeared and the bustles came into fashion in the 1870s. This led to a change in the dresses' shapes. The bustle, retained at the back, was worn under petticoats. Because of this bustle the gowns often had elaborate folds at the back. Typical for this type of dresses was the front fastening bodice. The bodice was used for shaping the body from the shoulder to the hips. In the 1880s, the so-called "princess line" was very fashionable. The princess line is defined by a bodice and a skirt which doesn't have a waist seam. The sleeves changed from wider to close fitting again. Special for the evening dresses were the short puffed sleeves. Also typical for this time were dresses made of two textiles and two colours. Usually, colours such as white, blue, lilac, grey, pink and pale brown were used but in the 1880s the colours became stronger.
From 1900 - 1950 Probably the most important factors that influenced fashion worn in the first half of the 20th century were the
Boer War (1899–1902),
World War I (1914–1918) and
World War II (1939–1945). At the beginning of the century, the bulky skirts were replaced by the sheath line silhouette. The first hobble skirts showed up. They were close-fitting and often seemed to shackle below the knee. The hobble skirt period lasted for about 5 years. It ended in 1914 when the
Great War began. As already mentioned, the
South African War also played a role in fashion. It influenced the design and colouring of women's dress. Examples for the influence are
khaki hats and blouses with red applications or yellow skirts. Khaki, red and yellow are colours that can be found in traditional clothing of African peoples. The
Edwardian era (1901–1910) introduced a new style in women's underclothing. The underclothing was very different from the one that was worn in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, people became aware of the sex attraction underclothing is capable to display. Also en vogue was the so-called "Ulster". "Ulster" was the name that was used for certain top coats. Three-quarter and full-length capes with wide revers were very common at this time. In 1907, women wore coats that looked like men's morning coats and in 1908 ground-length coats came into fashion. In 1909, the so-called full-length or half-length "Russian" coat became popular. The "Russian" coat was characterized by a belt and an embroidered border. Coats with horizontal decoration bands or with big buttons became fashionable, too. The changes in fashion which had begun at the very beginning of the 20th century were suppressed by new styles that arose during World War I. Between 1913 and 1916, the brassiere was introduced and the emphasis in evening dresses was put on the bosom. However, from 1915 on, skirts became wider and shorter and the cut of jackets and coats was influenced by the army officer's tunic. In 1918, waists and the bosom did not play a big role anymore. The middle of the body became more important. This resulted in the attempt to introduce a "National Standard Dress", which ended unsuccessfully. After the war there was a backsliding in fashion to 1913. Skirts were longer and the hobble skirt was en vogue again; but also tight tube-like dresses were worn in these days. This led to a reduction of the mass of underclothing and put more emphasis on the body itself. From 1920 to 1930, the focus in fashion was on youth. This was an effect of the war since the death of many young men resulted in a glorification of the male youth. It became typical for girls to flatten their breasts and to hide their waist since this was the ideal of a girl in this time. The beginning recovery of economy might be the factor that brought a change in fashion again in 1925. Women's clothes, especially evening wear, were cut in a more feminine line but important to mention the ideal of the youthfulness was still alive. The first skirts with a flare and flounces were introduced. As the skirts had been very short up to that point, from 1928 on they became longer. Also important to mention is the emergence of the zip fastener. First used in the
U.S. Navy, it was found in 1925 in
Britain, too. With the
Great Depression came the change to a feminine ideal of womanliness again. The waist line was put higher and the skirts became longer. In addition, the cut of women's clothes was more complex, which made a more elegant silhouette. In contrast to the day costume, the evening costume exudes much more sex appeal. Furthermore, royal occasions had influence on fashion in the 1930s, e.g. the marriage of the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina of Greece in 1934, the Silver Jubilee of King
George V in 1935 and the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. The wardrobes of women with fashion awareness contained Marina hats, Jubilee blue and Royal purple. During
World War II, the woman's wardrobe was reduced to a minimum. In 1942, "utility" clothes were introduced. The utility clothes included suits, dresses and top coats. The standard patterns for these clothes were produced by a committee of designers. The prices for these clothes were controlled. Something special about it was the label that looked like a double crescent, which all clothes carried. The "utility" clothes should create a uniform style for all civilians, even though the manufactures achieved differences in the clothes. The end of war brought a tenor among women for anti-uniforms, longer skirts and curves. After the traditional materials reappeared, the new synthetics and plastics came up in 1946. Christian Dior created the "New Look" in France at this time. This look did not find real acceptance in Britain. In 1949, the next remarkable change in costume started. The skirts length was reduced from very long to thirteen inches from the ground. The shape was a middle course between wide and slim. As a lot of women had to wear trousers during the war, they began to wear trousers by choice at this point. Together with the synthetics and plastics,
nylon also emerged in 1946. In the post-war years, nylon was available for people from ex-R.A.F. parachutes. People began to make blouses, lingerie, children's wear, curtains and several other things out of these parachutes. ==Site closure==