1900's Fashion

"Modest dresses, bodies moulded by corsets, and ostentatious ornamentation dominated women’sfashion throughout the first ten years of the century. Two silhouettes dominated the first ten years ofthe 20th century. The Gibson Girl silhouette with its signature hourglass shape, wasp waist and skirtswith generous yardage was the fashion of the day. The look was structured, yet modest. Midway in thedecade, the S-shaped silhouette dominated the Edwardian Era. The silhouette was achieved by wearingnew corsetry. This corsetry forced the bust forward and hips back creating an unusual yet beautifulsilhouette.

The color palette of the decade consisted of soft pastels. Delicate shades of lilac, rose, ivoryand white were a must in every woman’s closet. Fabric choices included crisp cottons, linens, damask,wool, tweed and gaberdine. Fashion frocks were heavily adorned with bows, lavish embroideries,imported laces and floral embellishments. The accessory of choice was the parasol.The designers who made fashion headlines were Jeanne Paquin, House of Worth and Lucille. As the decade progressed, fashions began to soften."

Reddy, K. (2018, May 31). 1910-1919. Republished from https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1900-1909/