Fashion Trends of the Pre-1900s

Pre 1900’s Fashion In the early 1900’s also known as the Edwardian Era, fashion was more important than comfort. It was an era if elegance and grace, clothing was considered a status symbol. The silhouette of the early 1900’s was an “S” shaped figure, female bodies were corseted to a small waist with exaggerated curved hips and buttocks. It was very important the women wore corsets throughout the early 1900 and even before that time. Thus, added emphasized on the waist giving the women various curves. It was important for a woman to follow the fashion status symbol to be considered remotely good looking at the time. Women’s fashion was very stereo typed in the early 1900’s, it was believed that it was improper for women to show their ankles. Women would be going against their moral obligations to society if they wore pants, wearing pants was considered offensive and ugly. However, wearing red lipstick meant they were the next best thing to a prostitute. Also, smoking in a public area would have meant that they must have been actresses. The beginning of the Edwardian Era the “hourglass” figure was a very popular figure for a woman. It featured the delicate curves and a woman’s body and defined her spine nicely and evened out the rest of her body. They mostly wore high collars, corsets, trained skirts and huge fashionable hats. In the early 1900’s being fashionable meant that women had to wear numerous number of under garments. Their feet also had to be squashed in small shoes. Women would have to go to a dressmaker for a perfect cut and fitted dress. High society fashion designer made outfits with extremely elaborate detail from color to cut. Only the women connected to the royal court and aristocracy could afford to buy such outfits. One of the well-known fashion designers who dominated Parisian fashion in the later of 1900’s was Charles Worth. He was born on October 13, 1825 in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England. He gained his knowledge of fabric and

Bibliography: P, Iva. "Victorian Paris." Victorian Paris. N.p., 6 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. "Early 1900 Fashion." HubPages. N.p., 21 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. "The History of Fashion: 1900 - 1910." RSS. N.p., 8 Apr. 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.