Decades of Fashion: 1900’s and 1950’s
...res 13, and 14. Although adornment was not used as passionately in the 1950’s as it was in the 1900’s, adornment, such as embroidery, lace, fur, rhinestones, etc., was in fact used, but normally in moderation. During the 1900’s several different colors were used in eveningwear. Most common were colors such as; numerous shades of white, ivory, blue (see figure 1), green (see figure 6), brown, red (see figure7), and black (see figure3), and even several colors in one dress (see figure4). As for the 1950’s several decades later, eveningwear was popular in much more brighter colors such as; purple (see figure 10), gold, peach (see figure 9), teal, orange, and pink (see figure 14). The Edwardian period was much more conservative than the 1950’s, therefore as you glance through the visuals provided; you can clearly see the colors are far more subtle in the 1900’s than the 1950’s. In both the 1900’s and 1950’s, many different fabrics were used in women’s eveningwear. For example, the 1900’s used such fabrics as; chiffon and lace (see figure 2), net and ninon, which is a sturdy sheer fabric made of silk or synthetic material, soft faille, which is a closely woven silk, cotton, or rayon fabric that is slightly ribbed, crepe de chine, which is a light smooth silk fabric, used to make delicate articles of clothing, mohair, the soft silky wool of the Angora goat, and cashmere (Ewing 8). The material used seemed to portray women as innocent and fragile. As for the 1950’s, materials such as natural fibers (linen, cotton, wool, silk), rayon, acetate, nylon, modacrylic, acrylic, polyester, and spandex were commonly used. Brocades, satin (see figure 12), velveteen, taffeta, nylon net, tulle, and chiffon (see figure 9) in both natural and synthetic fabrics were reserved for eveningwear (Boucher 417). In the 1950’s, fabrics used were made to feel the opposite of the 1900’s; instead a more outgoing, sex appeal was portrayed. The women’s eveningwear of the 1950’s showed the curves of the body, not to mention the fabric nestled the body to show femininity. CAUSES AND EFFECTS There are three considerable reasons for the major differences in women’s eveningwear of the 1900’s and 1950’s. Society, materials available, and political affairs are significant experiences that influenced each era. During the 1900’s, extravagance was the prevailing mood of society (Ewing 5). Fashion was surely controlled by the rich, and socially renowned among the upper classes and by those who had achieved wealth and the limelight of either fame or unsavory reputation. Fashion in the 1900’s, was a badge of social status and its passion that was devoted was serious. “Queen Alexander was a lifelong maker of fashion. She was the last Royal lady and indeed the last great lady to achieve eminence and to give fashion a leadership and quality it has lacked ever since” (Ewing 7). While the elegant, leisured Edwardian women was setting the fashion scene with light and airy dresses, she was, however, wearing under them a corset, that was anything but light and airy. It gave her one of the most extraordinary, and incredible constricting shape that exists in fashion. The famous S-shaped figure of the time was the result of a new corset introduced in the 1900. It was invented by a Frenchwoman, Mme. Gaches-Sarrute (Ewing 10). The most influential fashion designer in the early 20th century was Paul Poiret, who promoted a revival of the high-waisted Empire style of the early 1800s. Poiret also advocated replacing the corset with the girdle and brassiere. Although older, stouter, and more conservative women continued to wear the long corset, many other women switched to wearing brassieres and girdles. He was a great impact on fashion during the 1900’s. The role of the automobile in American Society of the 1900’s also had an affect in fashion. At first, automobiles were used for sport purposes only. Auto racing became a social event. As years went by the great Henry Ford made the first Model T. The car was no longer a toy for the rich and had become a necessity in the society of the late 1900’s (Tortora and Eubank 362). Being that the car was now apart of society, women’s eveningwear was made more suitable for the ride. As for the materials in the 1900’s, all the natural fibers needed to make the garments where available. World War I did not start until after the 1900’s therefore materials were not limited. In the years preceding World War I, a political system emerged that permitted a high degree of individual freedom, yet women were instilled to dress appropriate and lady like, leaving a majority of eveningwear very conservative and feminine. During the 1950’s perhaps one of the things which most characterize the 1950's was the strong element of conservatism and anticommunist feeling which ran throughout much of society. One of the best indicators of the conservative frame of mind was the addition of the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. Religion was seen as an indicator of anti-communism. Fifties eveningwear was conservative yet allowed a women to express the way she felt. Women wore dresses with cinched waists and high heels. French fashion designers such as Dior, Channel and Givenchy were popular and copied in America. Cars were seen as an indicator of prosperity and cool-ness. Highways were built to take people quickly from one place to another, by-passing small towns and helping to create central marketing areas or shopping malls. The changing patterns of life in the United States and Western Europe had a major impact on what people wore. Many American women had returned to full-time homemaking after working for pay during World War II. Another huge influence was of the television. Television became commercially available of the American public around 1948, but in that year only twenty stations were on the air and only 172,000 families had sets. By the census of 1950, 5 million families reported having a TV set in the house (Tortora and Eubank 427). For the most part every television show depicted a sanitized view of family life, with exaggerated middle class housewives as the most prevalent female characters. Women wanting to emulate television fashions had concentrated on the ball gowns and cocktail dresses. That influenced women to go out any buy what they saw on television, especially if they wer...