Edward Epoque

The Edwardian era, although short, was jam packed full of culture and decadance. Prosperity was still at large and so there was enough wealth to spend on lavish materials and products.



King Edward VII (source: englishmonarchs.co.uk): there is so much intricate detail on the garments in this - the layering of expensive materials gives a very exclusive look, complimenting his high status



(Source: mirror.co.uk) I love how this looks very orient-inspired; the collar and architectural qualities of this shirt give quite a mandarin vibe; perhaps influenced by the oriental and nature influenced Art Nouveau?

King Edward, unlike his mother (Queen Victoria), was very absorbed in society and frequently travelled, bringing back exotic clothes and objects and sharing them with society. He was always at the forefront of new fashions and became something of a style icon for those beneath him to be inspired by the new looks he was creating; heavily influenced by the fashions in France and the Belle Epoque.



(Source: vam.co.uk) Miss Lily Elsie - a popular performer during the Edwardian era; also one of the fashion elite. You can see Elsie positively dripping in jewels and lavish fabric - she is a perfect example of the public's ideals of living in the lap of luxury, which made her something of a style icon.

The Belle Epoque (French for Beautiful) is seen as a happy, peaceful time. France wasn't at war with anyone - like Britain, it too had an abundance of wealth and so this meant no rationing of materials was necessary; people were pretty much free to do as they wished! This in turn had a huge affect on the arts and fashion worlds - people were spending money to watch shows chock full of detailed and expensive costumes; the Moulin Rouge for example, was a place with luxurious decor and costumes; people were able to enjoy themselves.


Can-can dancers at the Moulin Rouge (source: pettipond.com)



(Source: exoticexcess.com) Take a look at the gilded walls/ceilings of this Belle Epoque apartment - it's all in itself a brilliant work of art!

Haute Couture raised in popularity, as many people wanted to wear one-off, exotic looking garments - around the same time, the first ready to wear collections were presented in Harrods; an infusion of the current fashions (tightly corseted with a bustle and wide hat) with hints of the sumptuous garments seen in couture. This made high fashion more accessible to the masses, so many more could enjoy the splendour of self expression!

Down by the Seine

Ohlala, Paree!

Paris was pretty much the epicentre of the art and fashion world at the beginning of the 1900's. It was the place where everyone looked to for the new ideas and trends, especially after the Exposition Universelle!



Above: Illustration of the Exposition Universelle - you can see how the landmarks are works of art in themselves and the perfect entrances/venues for this celebration!

The Exposition Universelle celebrated the best parts of the past century, and showcased new innovations which would lead the crowd into the new one. The Eiffel Tower, constructed for the previous Exposition Universelle served as an archway to lead the visitors in and served as a reminder of the past achievements in architecture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lasm1gGmck4 (Extracts of film from the exhibition)



Poster advertising the films to be shown in the Exposition Universelle (Source: wikipedia)

It was the first place to showcase filming and escalators; the films were of ballet and opera, both with moving images and sound. Visitors were also filmed and you can see them almost mesmerized by the moving floor! Things were changing and changing fast.



Whiplash hair: One of the most famous Art Nouveau illustrators, Alphonse Mucha, created images highlighting the beauty of the female form, surrounded by patterns of his own - I love how there's an edge of fantasy to this; her hair is impossible but amazing! (Source: kingofsenses.blogspot.com)

Another change kick-started in Paris was art - the Art Nouveau movement had begun. Pioneered by a new wave of artists in Paris who needed a change from the realistic forms of oil painting and simple stone setting, this movement saw art change - it became more abstract and adventurous, with smooth, fluid 'whiplash' curves in sculpture and lines allowing the artist to break free and make the work more dynamic. It also had influence from the orient, so the west was beginning to meet the east.



An example of the whiplash lines used in interior decoration - there's so much to look at and this is an art itself (Source: 4rts.wordpress.com)



A pewter Art Nouveau vase - again, celebrating the female form, the attention to detail is extraordinary (source: icollector.com)



New glass - this is just one of many examples of artists taking influence from nature and using old materials in new ways; I think using colour on the glass brings a whole new feel to the piece.



Close-up of Rene Lalique's 'Dragonfly' - the glass has been broken into pieces so tiny and the main jewels are unconventional; this is a prime example of how free jewellers had become - no longer were they just setting diamonds into gold jewellery - they were making art.

Jewellers used different and unusual materials to create their work - diamonds were set aside, and new gems such as emeralds were paired with ivory and copper to bring about a much more colourful, slightly whimsical style, and with this new sense of decorative arts, the world was entering an age of decadence.

Viva Victoria

The Victorian era (1839-1902) was a time when the world was a quiet, peaceful and prosperous place to be. Britain had an abundance of wealth and resources, and the industrial revolution created a booming industry for fashion.



(Source: poisonana.buzznet.com)

Above: Queen Victoria. It is evident how much you could get if you were of a high status and were wealthy - just look at the detail in the lace veil! It must've been handmade; there is so much detail in it, and obvious craftsmanship too

Queen Victoria was a style icon - the clothes she wore were filtered through the higherarchy, culminating in cheaper garments towards the bottom of the social classes. The silhouettes were extremely emphasised in the Victorian era; right at the beginning, the silhouette was large - puffed sleeves and huge skirts with layers of petticoats and crinolines underneath were dominant in Women's fashion, in pale colours with accents of embellishment.



Above: A lithograph of a typical Victorian gown during the 1840's (source: V&A) - Mademoiselle Fleury (a famous dancer at the time) is pictured wearing this - it is a prime example of how pale colours were paired with accents of realistic fabric flowers and I love the lace detailing at the top of the bodice; it's elegant but yet not over the top.



(Source: avictorian.com)

Menswear was, in contrast to the large puffy shapes women were wearing, very tight and fitted. Usually the men wore long coats, perhaps a symbol of wealth (more material = more cost to the garment).



(Source: ageofsteam.wordpress.com) A timeline of silhouettes - this shows the many ways the silhouette changed during this era - it's fascinating how it loops back round to a very slim silhouette, but is so dramatically changed with how constricting the last one is!

As time went on, the fashions changed and the women's silhouettes got slimmer - petticoats were dropped, flattening the front of the skirt, a high, stiff collar elongated the neck and corsetry was beginning to come to the forefront of fashion.


(Source: huffingtonpost) A woman showing off her corseted waist - you can see just how unnatural this shape was

Corsets are constrictive garments which manipulate the shape of the body into an hourglass silhouette, but some women took this too far and ended up with cracked ribs/crushed organs due to the sheer amount of pressure they put on their internals by warping their body shape the wrong way!

Soon bustles (boning (also could be steel wire frames or horsehair padding) emphasising the rear by lifting the skirt high at the back) paired with the corsetry created an almost entirely impossible and impractical look; bodies were thrust forwards and the women tottered along, sometimes even unable to sit down! Although humour was made about this, such as in cartoons, something had to be done and women had to be freed from this 's bend' shape.

The Revolution is Coming!

If it had not been for the industrial revolution, the mass production of garments would not have been possible, and so neither would the accessibility of fashion. Compared to today's world of fast fashion, life before the Industrial Revolution was split between the exquisite bespoke garments made for royalty and the aristocracy, and the basic, functional clothing for the working class. Fashion was restricted to high society - the rest had to make do with what little they had due to the art of fashion being so expensive. When the industrial revolution happened (from the mid 1700's to the early 1800's), fashion became far more accessible and the filtering of trends from the high social classes to the masses became possible. The fashion world began to grow and evolve; style icons were formed,influence was much stronger and now more had the tools to be innovative and shape fashion forever!

Above: one of the first types of  industrial electrical sewing machines - I love the paintwork and intricate designs,  it's clear how much care was taken while making these!

Image source: kneale mann

Child labour was a point of controversy - poorer families had to send their children to work in unsafe conditions in these factories, and they would often sustain injuries or in some cases die.

A photographer named Lewis Hine became renowned for capturing images of child workers in poor conditions. He performed undercover photography in such factories and caused controversy by matching images of children to their listed names, which further humanised the children and caused a greater emotional impact on the general public, thus provoking a greater public response.