Women's suffrage and Western women's fashion through the early 1900s

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Portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald.

The Women's Suffrage Movement in the Western world influenced changes in female fashions of the early 1900s: causing the introduction of masculine silhouettes and the popularity Flapper style.

Women's dress pre-women's suffrage[]

Advocate Amelia Bloomer, wearing the "freedom suit."

The women of the late 19th century changed their style from the big Victorian dresses to more “manageable, practical, streamlined outfits for modern women to engage in the activities of their more active lives."[1] Prior to the Women's Suffrage Movement, general consensus asserted that women were physically weaker than their male counterparts, so were discouraged from playing sports."[1] Despite this, with an increasing number of women participating in protests, some experts in the medical field began to argue that light physical activity for a woman was good. Consequently, there was an increasing output of clothes to correspond, called rational dress. One specific piece of clothing was the sporting pantaloon or the women's bloomer;[2] originally worn in America in the 1850s as a women's suffrage statement by Amelia Bloomer, it turned into the ideal costume for women riding bicycles - an activity that was considered acceptable for women to participate in during the late 19th century. This was deemed most appropriate for sports and outdoor activity, so marked the beginning of pants as a 'regular' piece of clothing .[3]

Women's fashion during the women's suffrage movement[]

In light of the First World War, it was not uncommon for women in the 1910s to commence employment in factories to aid in the war effort, taking over the jobs that the men could not longer do because they were in the front lines of the war.[4] As a result, this sparked the dress reform, whereby female activists argued that clothes should offer convenience rather than comfort so that they could do labour jobs in a more efficient manner. Accordingly, fashion became less restrictive than the Victorian era dress and required less fabric to make, which saved resources which were much needed in the war time. In an article written by Laura Doan, the newly found freedom of women is considered to have been a catalyst for the commencement of women including the typical fashions and styles of a man in their own dress.[2] A trend which not entirely agreed with once the war had come to an end; the great war had an impressive effect on women's fashion however many men still did not accept the new and changing styles in woman's fashion, despite the fact that women still conformed to rigid beauty and social standards imposed on them at the time. All in all, typical female fashion actually remained very feminine (contrary to the societal standards of the time). Briefly summarised by this quote, “From society lady to factory "girl," every woman wore a hat, stockings, shoes, and gloves in all seasons.”[1]

In accordance with the emerging modern woman, the New Woman's moxie was paradoxically evident in her lack of charm, exhibiting short bobbed haircuts, heavier makeup, and boyish frames.[5] The flapper's simplistic, straight-lined style was popularized by Coco Chanel, who's somewhat ironically remembered as "fashionable without being forward,"[6] as a way of liberating women the impractical designs that hindered modern women's ability to engage in physical activities.[7] "The newfound freedom to breathe and walk encouraged movement out of the house, and the Flapper took full advantage.”[8]

Women's fashion post-women's suffrage movement (1920s–1930s)[]

Actress Norma Shearer photographed in 1927.

During the progressive era, female fashion in the United States changed shifted to adopt traditionally masculine styles.[5] Pants became widespread, with female baseball players wearing knickers underneath their prescribed uniform. Other fashion trends included pearl jewellery and petite handbags, popularised by French designer Coco Chanel.[5] French designs became extremely popular during this time, however only wealthy women could afford to buy designs directly from France.[9] In addition, there was little shipment of these designs into the United States and most women could not afford them: magazines at the time capitalised on the popularity of French designs by selling sewing patterns mimicking these styles.[10]

The popularisation of the flapper style was due to film, radio and the media. Adrian was a popular designer for Metro-Goldyn-Mayer during the 1920s-1930s, dressing silent film actresses including Clara Bow, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford: which influenced American women's fashion.[9] This style typically exposed areas previously hidden including the knees and stockings were no longer compulsory. Flappers were also known for their "boyish" appearance, sporting a bobbed hairstyle, cloche hats and tubular garments including jumper-blouses, which hid the female figure.[9] The popular silhouette in female fashion, became "waistless, bustless, and hipless", as waistlines of dresses dropped to the hipbones and did not require the use of corsetry.[9] Other popular accessory designs included the "strap bracelet" by Cartier and Miriam Haskell's "fashion jewellery".[10] Not all flapper fashion was consistent, as hemlines of dresses changed each year: in 1923 gowns were almost floor length whilst in 1925 they became knee length.[9]

The term flapper, initially described young, working-class women but overtime it was used to describe any young women who challenged the social standards.[9] Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of Modernist author F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer and socialite, became a popular figure.[10] Fitzgerald's novel, Save Me the Waltz (1932), popularised the sentiment that "a woman can do anything a man can do" without compromising femininity.[11] However, this style was criticised as it became associated with the decline in female morality.[9] The flapper became stereotyped as a woman who "smoked, drank, swore, drove fast, professed free love, and used makeup,"[5] and exercised sexual independence.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Fashioning the New Woman: 1890–1925". Daughters of the American Revolution. 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  2. ^ a b Doan, Laura L. (2006). "Topsy-Turvydom: Gender Inversion, Sapphism, and the Great War". GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 12 (4): 517–542. doi:10.1215/10642684-2006-001. ISSN 1527-9375. S2CID 144795212.
  3. ^ Breward, Christopher (1995-05-15). The Culture of Fashion. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-7190-4125-9.
  4. ^ Haydu, Jeffery (1985). "Factory Politics in Britain and the United States: Engineers and Machinists, 1914–1919". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 27 (1): 57–85. doi:10.1017/S0010417500013669. JSTOR 178634.
  5. ^ a b c d Darnell, Paula Jean (1997). From Victorian to vamp: Women's clothing, 1900–1925 (M.S> thesis). University of Nevada. ProQuest 304359443.
  6. ^ Madsen, Axel (1990). Chanel: A Woman of Her Own. New York: New York: Henry Holt and Company. p. 329.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Patricia A. (2015). Reforming Women's Fashion, 1850–1920 : Politics, Health, and Art. The Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-1-63101-099-6.
  8. ^ a b Kriebl, Karen Joyce (1998). From Bloomers to Flappers: The American Women's Dress Reform Movement, 1840–1920 (PhD thesis). Ann Arbor, MI, USA: The Ohio State University.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g DiCenzo, Miranda (2018). "Feminism and Fashion of the Twentieth Century: A Material Culture Study". University of Rhode Island: 27–45. ProQuest 2035400046 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ a b c Jailer-Chamberlain, Mildred (September 2003). "Flappers in fashion the 1920s". Antiques & Collecting Magazine. 108 (7): 24–30. ProQuest 197167822.
  11. ^ Freedmen, Estelle B. (1974). "The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s". The Journal of American History. 61 (2): 372–393. doi:10.2307/1903954. JSTOR 1903954.
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