Category: 1910-1919
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Inès Gâches-Sarraute and the Straight-Front Corset
Often anachronistically called the ‘S-bend,’ the dramatic straight-front corset of the early 1900s was invented by a doctor for health purposes and quickly swept up into the tides of fashion.
Read More1910-14 – Callot Soeurs, evening dress
This Callot Soeurs evening dress, influenced by Orientalism and the Directoire revival, embodies the latest trends of the time in its cylindrical silhouette and soft, unstructured look.
Read MoreHymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes, a ground-breaking dance company at the beginning of the 20th century, took inspiration from ancient art and sculpture from Greece, Rome, and Egypt to create costumes, poses, and set designs as “Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes” explores.
Read MoreCompartment Couture: New York City Department Stores 1850-1930 (Part 2)
Part 1 of this essay covers the emergence of department stores in New York City during the nineteenth century. Part 2 discusses the roles of salesclerks and anonymous fashion designers who worked for department store labels.
Read MoreStout Fashion & Early 20th Century American Ready-to-Wear
In the early 20th century, the American ready-to-wear industry for stout women–whom we typically call plus-size today–emerged almost simultaneously as that for slimmer women. Stores like Lane Bryant offered a wide variety of clothing specially designed for stout women, who represented a growing portion of the population and had both the desire and income to spend on fashion goods. This essay explores how the industry evolved in the 1910s and 20s to serve them.
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