1900's: The silhouette shake up

The 1900’s were a huge step in Fashion innovation; silhouettes were completely reshaped and the reign of conformity and corsets was at an end.

One of the designers at the core of this silhouette shake up was Paul Poiret. He carved into the full and curvy silhouette of the era and from it he envisioned a long, flowing empire silhouette, completely contradicting the traditional style at the time.

A league of health professionals, warning against the constraints of corsets encouraged this new silhouette renowned store Liberty endorsed this step forward in fashion. The pioneers of this new era were craftsmen Paul Poiret and Serge Diaghilev.

Empire lines, high waists and straight vertical detailing became a staple feature in this new style. Personally, I feel that this style, although viewed by some as out-dated, is the very definition of elegance. The simple straight cut gowns embossed with vertical detailing and high empire lines accentuated the figure of the wearer making their body appear elongated and their posture, impeccable.

Between 1910 and 1913, Poiret’s hobble skirt reigned supreme in fashion, obtaining popularity from the Oriental- and Directoire-inspired crazes. They were extremely slim fitting, almost skin-tight and often seen as provocative and dangerous by men and employers. However not everyone denounced the hobble skirt (given it’s name due to the severely small steps women were forced to take as a result of it’s restrictive nature): “Grandmothers think that the means justify the end, and that the hobble skirt will bring back to women the old grace. They will be compelled to shorten their strides, learn to place their feet in a straight line, and not throw them in or out in the slovenly modern way, and that the entire appearance of women will be thus benefited.” But as with all fads, the hobble skirt passed from quirky fashion piece to fashion history by 1915.

I find it quite interesting that as unrest grew within women and they began a bid to freedom their clothing became more restrictive than ever, evidenced by the hobble skirt. Tactics changed for suffragette women in 1912 when they opted for a more militant approach rather than passive protests. Despite crying out for freedom, suffragette women still vied for mainstream fashion, which at the time was restrictive.

Paul Poiret 1914

A classic Lounge suit

A Modern take on the Smoking Jacket

It wasn't just the women who needed to dress to impress, men were also expected to dress accordingly to each situation and scenario they encountered day to day. The wealthy paid inordinate amounts of money to tailor’s; particularly if they were employed in long established shops such as London’s Bond street.
Menswear used to be made up of a neat suit or tux however the formality bean to slip away as the Lounge suit grew in prominence. This lowering of the need for formal clothing allowed things such as Smoking Jackets to emerge onto the scene. It was the male equivalent of the tea gown and was comprised of luxurious, softer fabrics such as velvet. Everybody loves a man who dresses well and I think that nothing looks better than a well-tailored suit and in this era that was exactly what every respectable man was wearing. If there’s one thing I appreciate about menswear it’s my love for a well tailored, nicely fitting suit.