From the history of fashion in tsarist Russia. From the history of fashion in tsarist Russia Pre-revolutionary fashion
Of course, Paris is one of the brightest and most famous fashion capitals, and even a hundred years ago it also aroused admiration and surprise of the whole world with its boldness. design solutions and their refined style. If now the most interesting thing happens on the podium, then in 1910 it was enough to come to the hippodrome to see the most fashionable dresses and accessories with your own eyes.
By 1910, the silhouette of a woman's dress had become softer and more graceful. After the grandiose success of the ballet "Scheherazade" in Paris, a craze for oriental culture began. Couturier Paul Poiret(Paul Poiret) was one of the first to bring this trend into the fashion world. Poiret's clients were easily recognizable by their brightly colored pantaloons, flamboyant turban hats and brightly colored dresses, in which the women looked like exotic geishas.
At this time, the art deco movement was formed, which was instantly reflected in fashion. Hats made of felt, high turban hats and an abundance of tulle came into fashion. At the same time, the first female couturier Jeanne Paquin appeared, who was one of the first to open representative offices of her design abroad in London, Buenos Aires and Madrid.
One of the most influential fashion designers at that time was Jacques Doucet. The dresses of his design were different from the rest - they were dresses of pastel colors, with an excess of lace and decorations that shone and shimmered in the sun. It was a favorite designer of French actresses who flaunted in his dresses not only on theater stages, but in everyday life.¨
At the beginning of the 20th century, high-waisted dresses were popular. However, by 1910, tunics over a long skirt came into fashion. This layering of outfits was observed in the collection of almost all couturiers of that time. Later, in 1914, skirts became fashionable, strongly narrowed at the ankles. It was quite difficult to move around in such outfits, but fashion, as you know, sometimes requires sacrifice.
The first fashion designer who was not just a dressmaker was (Charles Frederick Worth) (1826-1895). Before the former Draper created his "maison fashion" fashion house in Paris, the creation of fashion and inspiration was handled to a large extent by unknown people, and high fashion originated from the style worn in royal courts. The success of Price was such that he was able to dictate to his clients what they should wear, rather than following suit as earlier tailors had done.
It was during this period that many design houses began to hire artists to draw or write designs for clothing. Only images can be presented to customers at a much lower cost than producing an actual clothing sample in a workshop. If the client liked the design, they ordered it and the resulting clothing made money for the house. Thus, the tradition of clothing designers sketching designs instead of presenting completed garments on customer models began the economy.
Early 20th century
During the early 20th century, virtually all high fashion originated in Paris, and to a lesser extent London. Fashion magazines from other countries sent to editors showing Parisian fashion. Department stores sent buyers to the Paris show, where they purchased clothes to copy (and openly stole the style lines and trim details of others). Both bespoke salons and ready-to-wear departments featured the latest Paris trends, tailored to the stores' assumptions about life and pocket books of their target customers.
wawaAround the early twentieth century fashion magazines style began to include photographs and became even more influential than in the past. In cities around the world, these magazines were in high demand and had a huge impact on the tastes of the public. Talented illustrators - among them Paul Iribe, Georges Lepape, Erte, and Georges Barbier - Drew exquisite fashion plates for these publications, which cover the latest developments in the world of fashion and beauty. Perhaps the most famous of these magazines was La Gazette du Bon Ton which was founded in 1912 by Lucien Vogel and published regularly until 1925 (except during the war years).
1900
The outfits worn by fashionistas from the Belle Epoque (in which French was called) were strikingly similar to those worn during the heyday of fashion pioneer Charles Worth. By the end of the nineteenth century, the horizons of the fashion industry were generally broadened, partly due to the more mobile and independent lifestyles of many well-to-do women, who began to adopt the practical clothes they demanded. However, La Belle Epoque fashion still persisted in the sophisticated, bland, hourglass style of the 1800s. The not yet fashionable lady will (or can) dress or undress herself, without the help of third parties. The constant need for radical change, which is now necessary for the survival of fashion within existing system was literally unthinkable.
Conspicuous waste and ostentatious consumption defined the fashion of the decade and the couturier outfits of the time were incredibly extravagant, intricate, ornate, and painstakingly made. Curvy S-bend silhouette dominated fashion until around 1908. The S-bend corset was very tightly laced at the waist and therefore forced hips back and drooping mono breasts pushed forward into action by the disgruntled dove man creating the S shape. Toward the end of the decade, the fashionable silhouette gradually became somewhat straighter and thinner, partly due to Paul's high waist Poiret, in a short skirt Directory clothing line.
Maison Redfern was the first fashion house to offer women a suit based directly on its male counterpart, and extremely practical and soberly elegant clothing soon became an essential part of any well-dressed woman's wardrobe. Another essential piece of a well-dressed woman's outfit was a designer hat. Fashionable hats at that time were either small confectionery that sat on the top of the head, or large and wide brim, trimmed with ribbons, flowers, and even feathers. Umbrellas are still used as decorative accessories and in summer they are dripped with lace and added to the overall sophisticated prettiness.
1910
In the early years of the 1910s, the fashionable silhouette became much more flexible, fluid and soft than in the 1900s. When the Ballets Russes performed by Scheherazade in Paris in 1910, a craze for Orientalism followed. Couturier Paul Poiret was one of the first designers to translate this fashion into the fashion world. Poiret's clients were immediately transformed into harem girls in fluttering knickers, turbans and bright colors and geishas in exotic kimonos. Paul Poiret also designed the first outfit that women could put on without the help of a maid. The Art Deco movement began to emerge at this time and its influence was evident in the designs of many couturiers of the time. Simply fedoras, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headwear popular in the 1900s. It should also be noted that the first real shows were organized during this time period, by the first female couturier, Jeanne Paquin, who was also the first Parisian couturier, to open overseas branches in London, Buenos Aires and Madrid.
Two of the most influential modes of reflected light. His esteemed clients have never lost their taste for his fluid lines and flimsy, transparent materials. While obeying imperatives that left little to the couturier's imagination, Doucet is nevertheless a designer of great taste and discrimination, a role many have tried so, but rarely with Doucet's level of success.
Venice-designer Mariano Fortuny Madrazo had a curious figure, with very few parallels at any age. For his dress designs, he conceived a special pleating process and new dyeing techniques. He gave the name Delphos to his long cling sheath dresses that wavy with color. Each piece of clothing was made from a single piece of the finest silk, its own unique color acquired by repeated dipping in dyes whose hues were indicative of moonlight or the watery reflections of the Venetian lagoon. Breton straw, Mexican cochineal and indigo with Far East were among the ingredients used by Fortuna. Among his many devotees were Eleanor Duse, Isadora Duncan, Cleo de Merode, the Marchioness of Casati, Emilienne d'Alencon, and Liane de Pougy.
The new creation of director Vladimir Khotinenko is not discussed today only by the lazy. Most of all, of course, historians are indignant, because the series "Demon of the Revolution" is dedicated to the centenary October revolution and gives a rather free interpretation of the fateful events for the country. For all the controversy of the plot, one thing cannot be taken away from this film - it helps to get a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe fashion of that time. It is generally accepted that revolutionaries are women in leather jackets and red scarves, but the young ladies who helped create a revolution in 1915-1917 looked completely different.
Let's start with the fact that the image that has been deposited in our head as a canonical one is a template that refers rather to a later time - the 20-30s in the USSR. At the dawn of the revolution in Russia, although emancipation had begun to take over society, it had not yet reached the stage in its development at which women would without hesitation put on men's riding breeches and put on leather jackets. And in the 20s, what can we hide, the percentage of such "comrades" was not great. And in 1915, when preparations were underway for the coup, the ladies had not yet thought about such wardrobe metamorphoses.
Dresses of the early Edwardian era had less voluminous skirts and a slightly overhanging top.
Photo by Getty Images
The film by Vladimir Khotinenko shows the period from 1915 to 1917. In fashion history, this time is often referred to as the late Edwardian era. In general, the period dates from 1901-1910, when the UK was ruled by the king Edward VII. However, most often historians extend it for several years after the death of the monarch - until the end of the First World War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. All this time, as in the previous Victorian period, England retained the status of a fashionable capital, which was equal to Europe and, of course, the Russian Empire.
Women started wearing blouses, jackets and skirts.
Photo by Getty Images
Edwardian women's fashion is the decline of crinolines and the transition to more familiar dress and outerwear silhouettes. At an early stage, women continued to wear corsets, but there was an active propaganda of their abandonment. If the late Victorian era is known for luxurious dresses with bustles - devices that create an imaginary volume at the back, then the Edwardian went on the path of abandoning all these "special effects". By 1917, the skirts of the dresses had become straight, and they even began to narrow them. As always, this happens with fashion, trying to bring comfort to the wardrobe, women received new round inconvenience - the dresses became so narrow in the hips that it was impossible to take a wide step in them. It is known that Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who was known as a great fashionista, simply refused to wear a new style because of its impracticality.
The main fashionista of the series is Sofya Rudneva (Paulina Andreeva)
Rudneva's wardrobe is much more refined than that of Inessa
Photo frame from the series "Demon of the Revolution"
Nadezhda Krupskaya (Daria Ekamasova) is dressed in an old-fashioned outfit, and Inessa (Victoria Iskhakova) looks modest, new to the spirit of the times
Photo frame from the series "Demon of the Revolution"
Inessa Armand (Victoria Iskhakova), Vladimir Lenin's closest associate (and, according to Khotinenko, his mistress), in the film wears a white blouse with a stand-up collar and frills, tucked into an A-line skirt. At the same time, the blouse is refueled as if with a slouch. This is a hallmark of one of the intermediate stages of Edwardian fashion. For several years, dresses were sewn in such a way that the top seemed to hang over, forming a “goiter”. Gradually, the pronounced hypertrophy of the top went away, but the manner of filling blouses “with a slouch” took root for a long time. Dresses of that time were sewn almost according to the figure. You can see an example of models in the wardrobe of another heroine of the film - Sofya Rudneva (Paulina Andreeva). A young beautiful young lady, who is the mistress of the very “demon of revolution” Parvus, is the main fashionista of the series. It was important for the creators of the picture to visualize Sophia as a trophy of Parvus, so they packaged her exclusively in the latest fashion.
Sofya Rudneva (Paulina Andreeva), as a more advanced fashionista, wears a laconic hat
Photo frame from the series "Demon of the Revolution"
The similarity of the wardrobes of the two women is observed in the field of accessories. Both Inessa and Sofya wear hats that are absolutely incredible in decor and size. The costume designers hit the spot here, too. Fantasy hats are the main hallmark of Edwardian fashion. Apparently, having lost the opportunity to excel in the field of dress, the designers of that time decided to direct all their enthusiasm to the production of hats. Hats were mostly wide-brimmed, decorated with ribbons and flowers. These hats weighed a lot, but women still did not refuse them for a long time. Evolution has gone down the path of reducing the size of hats and minimizing decor. You can see that Rudneva, who is more “advanced” in fashion, wears a very ascetic hat, but Armand’s hats are very pompous, which hints to us both at the young lady’s age and that she doesn’t follow fashion too closely. Lenin's wife is shown as the most "unadvanced" in terms of fashion. Nadezhda Krupskaya wears dresses from around the 1910s with puffed sleeves. It is also worth paying attention to color scheme. Krupskaya is always in black, which symbolizes not only her revolutionary asceticism, but also her personal drama - Nadezhda Konstantinovna takes her husband's relationship with Inessa Armand to heart.
The development of fashion in the 1910s of the XX century was largely determined by global events, the main of which was the First World War 1914-1918. The changed living conditions and worries that ended up on women's shoulders demanded, first of all, convenience and comfort in clothes. The financial crisis associated with the war also did not contribute to the popularity of luxurious dresses made from expensive fabrics. However, as is often the case, difficult times created an even greater demand for beautiful clothes: women, not wanting to put up with circumstances, showed miracles of ingenuity in search of fabrics and new styles. As a result, the second decade of the 20th century was remembered for models that combined elegance and convenience, and the appearance of the legendary star Coco Chanel in the fashion sky.
At the beginning of the second decade of the twentieth century, Paul Poiret remained the main dictator in the fashion world. In 1911, women's trousers and culottes made a splash. The fashion designer continued to popularize his work through social events and various trips. Poiret noted the creation of the Thousand and One Nights collection with a luxurious reception, and later in the same 1911 he opened his own school of arts and crafts, Ecole Martin. Also, the fashion revolutionary continued to publish books and catalogs with his products. Then Poiret went on a world tour, which lasted until 1913. During this time, the artist has shown his models in London, Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, Moscow, St. Petersburg and New York. All his shows and trips were accompanied by articles and photographs in newspapers, so that the news about the French couturier spread all over the world.
Poiret was not afraid of experiments and became the first fashion designer to create his own fragrance - Rosina perfume, named after his eldest daughter. In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, the House of Paul Poiret ceased its activities, and the artist made an attempt to return to the world of fashion only in 1921.
This, however, turned out to be a failure, largely due to the fact that the luxurious and exotic style of Poiret was supplanted by the revolutionary models of Coco Chanel.
Emancipation and the first practical models
The first step in the transition to "comfortable" fashion was the final disappearance of corsets, voluminous hats, and "limping" skirts from women's wardrobes. In the early 1910s, new models came into use, the main among them was the "yule skirt" with a high waist, wide hips, drapery and narrow at the ankles. As for the length, until 1915 the hem of the dresses reached the ground. Skirts, on the other hand, were shortened a little: models came into fashion that reached “only” up to the leg lift. Dresses were often worn with capes, and dresses with a train were also popular. A V-shaped neckline was common, not only on the chest, but also on the back.
The craving for practicality touched not only clothing, but the entire female image. In the second decade of the twentieth century, ladies for the first time stopped doing intricate elegant hairstyles and opened their necks. Short haircuts have not yet become as common as they were in the 1920s, but the fashion for long, beautifully styled hair on the head has become a thing of the past.
At that time, operetta was extremely popular throughout Europe, and the dancers who performed on stage became an example to follow, including in terms of clothing. Along with the operetta, the audience enjoyed the cabaret, and especially the tango dance. Especially for the tango, a stage costume was invented - Turkish trousers, as well as draped skirts, in the cuts of which the dancers' legs were visible. Such outfits were used only on stage, but in 1911 the Parisian fashion house "Drecol and Beschoff" offered the ladies the so-called trouser dresses and a skirt-trousers. The conservative part of French society did not accept the new outfits, and those girls who dared to appear in them in public were accused of denying generally accepted moral standards. Women's trousers, which first appeared in the early 1910s, were negatively received by the public and became popular only much later.
In 1913, emancipant women began to protest in Europe against movement-restricting clothing, insisting on the appearance of simple cut and comfortable models. At the same time, there was still a slight but tangible influence of sports on everyday fashion. Abundant stripes and decorations, intricate appliqués and details that adorned clothes began to disappear. Women allowed themselves to bare their arms and legs. In general, the cut of clothes has become much more free, shirts and dress shirts have come into fashion.
All these trends were characteristic of casual wear, while dressy models were still kept in the style of the 1910s. High-waisted dresses with elements were still popular in the world. oriental style, models with a narrow bodice and a wide skirt with frills. A pannier skirt came into fashion, the name of which is translated from French as "basket". The model was distinguished by a barrel-shaped silhouette - the hips were wide, but the front and back of the skirt was flat. In short, the outfits for going out were more elegant and conservative, and some fashion designers sought to keep the trends observed in the fashion of the 1900s. Erte became the most notable among the artists who adhered to conservative models.
Loud debut of the great Erte
The most popular fashion designer Erte, whose name is associated with luxurious and feminine images of the second decade of the twentieth century, did not recognize the trend towards practicality and functionality.
Roman Petrovich Tyrtov was born in 1892 in St. Petersburg, and at the age of twenty he moved to Paris. Erte took the pseudonym from the initial letters of the name and surname. Even as a child, the boy showed a penchant for drawing and design. From the age of 14, he attended classes at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, and after moving to the French capital, he went to work at the Paul Poiret House. His high-profile debut in Paris was the creation of costumes for the play "The Minaret" in 1913. The very next year, when Erte left the House of Poiret, his models were very popular not only in France, but also in the theater troupes of Monte Carlo, New York, Chicago and Glyndbourne. Music halls filled the talented fashion designer with orders, and Erte created costumes for productions such as Irwin Berlin's Music Box Repertoire, George White's Scandals and Mary of Manhattan. Each image created by the couturier was his own creation: in his work, Erte never relied on the experience of his colleagues and predecessors.
The most recognizable image created by the fashion designer was the mysterious beauty, wrapped in luxurious furs, with many accessories, the main of which were long strands of pearls and beads, topped with an original headdress. Erte created his outfits, inspired by ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology, as well as Indian miniatures and, of course, Russian classical art. Denying a non-fitted silhouette and abstract geometric patterns, in 1916 Erte became the chief artist of the Harpers Bazaar magazine, a contract with which he was offered by a magnate.
Popular even before the outbreak of the First World War, Erte was one of the trendsetters until his death in 1990 at the age of 97.
War and fashion
The dispute between adherents of the old style and supporters of practical clothing was decided by the First World War that began in 1914. Women, forced to do all the male work, simply could not afford to dress up in long puffy skirts and corsets.
During this period, functional details began to appear in clothes, referring to the military style - patch pockets, turn-down collars, jackets with lacing, lapels and metal buttons that girls wore with skirts. Then came into fashion women's suits. The hard years brought with them another reform: comfortable knitwear was used in tailoring, from which jumpers, cardigans, scarves and hats were created. Casual dresses, the length of which became shorter and reached only to the calves, were worn with high, coarse lace-up boots, under which women wore leggings.
In general, this time can be described as a spontaneous search for new forms and styles, a passionate desire to get away from all the fashionable standards that were imposed by fashion houses in the 1900s. Trends literally replaced one another. Common to the wartime silhouettes was the freedom of cut, sometimes even the "saggy" clothes. Now the outfits did not emphasize all the curves of the female figure, but, on the contrary, hid it. Even the belts no longer fitted the waist, not to mention the sleeves, blouses and skirts.
The war, perhaps, made women much more independent than all the emancipant outbursts that characterized the early 1910s. First, women took over the work that men used to do: they took places in factories, hospitals and offices. In addition, many of them ended up in auxiliary military services, where working conditions dictated practicality as the main criterion when choosing clothes. The girls wore uniforms, khaki sports shirts and caps. Perhaps, for the first time, women felt their independence and significance, became confident in their strengths and intellectual abilities. All this allowed the ladies themselves to direct the development of fashion.
During the war, when almost all fashion houses were closed, women voluntarily got rid of all imposed canons, freeing clothes from unnecessary details. The practical and functional style took root and fell in love so much that the fashion houses that resumed their activities after the war were forced to follow new trends, and attempts to regain popularity of the previously relevant crinoline and uncomfortable "narrow" styles ended in failure.
Of particular note, however, appeared at the same time and became extremely popular "military crinolines". These fluffy skirts differed from their predecessors in that they used not the usual hoops, but a large number of petticoats to maintain their shape. It took a lot of fabric to sew such outfits and, despite the low quality, the price of "military crinolines" was quite high. This did not prevent the voluminous skirt from becoming one of the main hits of the war, and later this model became a symbol of the romantic style caused by general protest and war weariness. Unable to resist the mastered practical style, fashion designers decided to bring originality and beauty to simple-style outfits through details and finishes. Dresses "haute couture" were richly decorated with pearls, ribbons, appliqués and beads.
The impact of the First World War on fashion cannot be described only by the emerging trend towards practicality. Soldiers who participated in battles in foreign territories brought home as trophies, including new exotic fabrics, as well as hitherto unseen shawls, scarves and jewelry from Tunisia and Morocco. Fashion designers getting to know cultures different countries, absorbed ideas and embodied new styles, patterns and finishes in tailoring.
After the end of the war, when secular life improved, and balls began to be given again in Paris, many women abandoned the costumes that had become familiar and returned to pre-war fashion. However, this period did not last long - after the war, a completely new stage in fashion began, which at that time was most influenced by Coco Chanel.
Men's style from Chanel
Coco Chanel, by her own admission, tried all her life to adapt a men's suit to the needs and lifestyle of a modern woman.
Coco Chanel began her journey in the fashion world in 1909 when she opened her own hat shop in Paris. The rumor about the new designer quickly spread throughout the French capital, and the very next year, Coco was able to launch not only hats, but also clothes, opening a store at 21 Cambon Street, and then own house models in the resort of Biarritz. Despite the high cost of clothing and the simplicity of the cut, which was unusual for that time, Chanel's models were rapidly gaining popularity, and the designer had a wide clientele.
The main task of the clothes that fashion designers previously offered to women was to emphasize the wasp waist and highlight the chest, creating unnatural curves. Coco Chanel was thin, tanned and athletic, and the style common at that time did not suit her perfectly - with all the desire, no clothes could make an "hourglass" out of a girl's figure. But she was the perfect model for her own outfits. “Cuffed in a corset, chest out, butt exposed, so tight at the waist, as if cut into two parts ... to contain such a woman is the same as managing real estate,” said Koko.
Promoting convenience and unisex style, the fashion designer created very simple dresses and skirts, distinguished by clear lines and the absence of jewelry. The girl, without hesitation, swept aside unnecessary details and unnecessary accessories in search of the perfect model that does not restrict movement, and at the same time allows a woman to remain a woman. Disregarding public opinion, she deftly introduced women's clothing elements of masculine style, independently setting an example of the correct use of simple outfits. "Once I put on a men's sweater, just like that, because I felt cold ... I tied it with a scarf (at the waist). That day I was with the British. None of them noticed that I was wearing a sweater ..." Chanel recalled. That is how her famous plunging-neck sailor suits with turn-down collars and "jockey" leather jackets appeared.
When creating clothes, Chanel used simple materials - cotton, knitwear. In 1914 she shortened women's skirt. At the start of World War I, Coco designed practical sweaters, blazers, shirt dresses, blouses, and suits. It was Chanel who contributed to the popularization of pajamas, and in 1918 even created women's pajamas, in which you could go down to the bomb shelter.
Closer to 1920, Coco, like many artists of that time, became interested in Russian motifs. This line in the work of Chanel was developed already at the beginning of the third decade of the twentieth century.
The second decade of the twentieth century, despite all the hardships and hardships, became a turning point in the evolution of fashion - it was in the 1910s that artists began to actively search for new forms that could give women freedom without depriving them of grace. The reforms brought into fashion by the war and the trends of the post-war years became decisive in the development of the industry in the following decades.
During this difficult period, for many European countries, there were great changes in fashion and style. With the outbreak of war, many fashion houses were closed, most women were left alone and were forced to take full responsibility for the family.
Many of them took their husbands' jobs in offices, in industry, and of course, in hospitals. One way or another, they had to lead a male lifestyle, and therefore, they put on appropriate clothes and even uniforms.
Clothing changed in such a way as to provide the necessary convenience in work, it became more spacious, many had to remove their jewelry, hats, corsets, change lush hairstyles to a bun just taken at the back of the head, ...
If before the war, tailors carefully approached the ideal fit of all elements of clothing and the clothing itself in general, then in wartime, how “a blouse or skirt sits”, how “a collar is planted” did not make sense, many were not up to it. Wartime forced women to reconsider their view of the convenience of clothing.
Before the war itself, in summer fashion magazines, the silhouette of a skirt narrowed to the bottom, introduced, remained in force for some time, but gradually dresses and suits were rebuilt in a new way, the same can be said about outerwear.
More preferred cut with one-piece sleeves. This design of clothing resembled a Japanese kimono. The kimono sleeve was once introduced by Paul Poiret, and before the war and during the war, this cut remained with the ladies high society the most successful.
At that time, outfits for any purpose were cut in the kimono style, because they did not require special technological methods in the process of tailoring, and besides, they created the impression of negligence. And so, the fashion for negligence entered.
"The blouse looked like a bag, one side was gathered into deep folds, the other was smooth." It turned out that sewing a suit at that time was not a difficult task. Careful ironing is useless, cut too. The more casual the suit or dress looks, the better the impression is made.
You can simply throw the material over the figure, gather it up somewhere, grind it somewhere, and you will get that baggy silhouette that was required.
The First World War greatly enriched women with military-style clothing - trench coats, naval pea coats, officer overcoats, metal buttons, khaki, patch pockets, berets, caps.
Small hats resembling a pilot's helmet, coarse belts, edging, and a stand-up collar are becoming popular. And fashion magazines offer cut and tailoring technology for homemade clothes. Styles of suits with a detachable waist and peplum, with epaulettes on the shoulders, trimmed with cords appear in them.
Magazines publish mourning styles, where everything is black, closed, hats with mourning veils. Now the narrowed bottom of the skirt is completely discarded. Who should mince legs when you have to rush to workplace husband or hospital.
Clothing expanded downwards, the waist line, located under the chest, fell into place, and even lower. The silhouette in just one year has changed from fusiform to trapezoidal. To top it off, women began to cut their hair, firstly, it was more convenient in a hurry to work, secondly, as always during the war, unsanitary conditions arise, and thirdly, they simply sought to get rid of everything superfluous.
The men were shocked by the new look of their once beautiful companion and girlfriend. Jean Renoir (the artist's son) describes his shock when he sees his relative: “... The new, never before seen appearance of Vera struck me so much ... We long hair... and suddenly ... our half became our equal, our comrade.
It turned out to be enough of a transitory fashion - a few movements with scissors and, most importantly, the discovery that a woman can do the affairs of a seigneur and master, the social building, patiently erected by men over the millennia, was forever destroyed.
In the first years of the war, old skirts were worn out, and new ones were made wide. Thus, during this period, three types of skirts were defined: a pleated skirt - pleated or corrugated, a flared skirt from the waist, a skirt of two flared flounces, which represented, as it were, a two-tiered skirt.
In the cut of the bodice, a one-piece sleeve prevailed, a raglan sleeve was often found, the bottom of the bodice was decorated with soft folds, which made it possible to feel freedom of movement.
This period had a huge impact on fashion and style, and is considered a transitional period in fashion history. During the period from 1914 to 1918, many innovations appeared. It would seem that in such a period of grandiose world events there is no time for fashion, but, despite this, it developed.
Neither the closed fashion houses, nor the war stopped women from inventing and developing something on their own, because life went on. The situation was not the same in all countries and not in all sectors of society. However, be that as it may, a woman remains to be a woman. And in wartime, there were such moments when I wanted to decorate myself, if not with jewelry, but with the same clothes.
Despite the sad news from the front, life in the rear was getting better, because not everyone had a bitter fate, and therefore I want to live life to the fullest and have fun. By the end of the war, balls are again held, rich decor in clothes appears.
Short skirts that arose immediately after the start of the war (just below the knees) are lengthening. Appear, though for a very short time, skirts narrowed down. From 1917 to 1918, fashion designers somehow manage to restore their influence on the hitherto spontaneously changing fashion. But in fact, there was a moment when the search for a new style began.
Many fashion houses tried to adapt to spontaneously born fashion. Fashion houses begin to open, craftsmen resume their activities. Such as Jeanne Paken, Madeleine Vionnet, Edouard Monet, the Callot sisters are starting to work again.
Meanwhile, Mademoiselle Chanel begins to create an image new woman. One of the outstanding masters of that time should be called Erte (), who even before the war created original sketches for Paul Poiret. By the end of the war, he had become a world-famous costume designer.
Erte has collaborated with many fashion magazines, especially the American edition of Harper's Bazaar. His lovely sketches from evening gowns to simple suits are impeccable and unique designs. One of Erte's many themes was the theme of a woman in trousers. In his sketches, with virtuoso skill, he suggests the idea of creating an outfit in which he emphasizes details hinting at breeches, riding breeches, trousers.
The French writer Romain Rolland once said that he would like to see a hundred years after his death, how society will change, but not in the treatises of scientists, but in a fashion magazine. The writer was sure that fashion would tell him true story changes in society than philosophers and historians combined.
And here is the result of spontaneously developing fashion:
The tailors, returning from the war, and wishing to reassert their former rights, were forced to accept new fashion created by the women themselves. Crinolines, corsets and "narrow fashion" failed.
The army also made its changes in fashion. The uniform of the military turned out to be so comfortable that they continued to imitate it in civilian life.
In addition to hostilities in Europe, there were also colonial wars. From here came the patterned fabrics from Tunisia and Morocco, shawls, scarves. Along with the appearance of clothes of a simple cut, clothes with an abundance of exotic patterns appeared in the wardrobe of a woman, her love for knitting, appliqués, embroideries, fringe, and beads increased.
The war had an impact on the emancipation of women. In the struggle for equality, women during this period achieved much greater success than in many previous years.
