A New Era; The Roaring Twenties

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The war was a dramatic turn of events, and so reflecting this was the dramatic change of mood that came with the end of the war - years of sadness, hopelessness and struggle suddenly turned to hope and the want to live life to the full; people were finally beginning to look forward. 


(Source: zazzle.com) 'Afternoon Play' by George Barbier - I really enjoy looking at his work because I think it captures the nature of the entire decade so well - everyone seems so free and content in his images. It's quite a simplistic style of drawing but with a modern feel, as everyone was looking forward to new and exciting things.

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(Source: weheartit.com) 'The Fireworks' by George Barbier - he often depicted different types of couples in love, such as the sporty types (below) or the socialites (above). It reflected upon the positive feelings of the 20's and the love people were sharing after the devastation of the war.

(Source: pinterest) 'Lovers in the Snow' by George Barbier.

People wanted to feel young again in this new time, and designers and artists were picking up on that, so they found new ways of making art, freer clothes and leisure spaces and in general the world was creating a new way of living with new attitudes and values.

(Source: V&A) One of Victor Steibel's fashion designs - the silhouette has become more slick and streamlined, with futuristic design detailing such as the collar, and the free nature of the 20's is shown in the baring of flesh.

Everything became casual - a world away from the tight-lipped, corseted ways of the previous decades. Clothes and manners lost their formality, and people were finding and revelling in their own freedom; young people lived away from their parents, everyone was relaxing, showing off and having fun in a carefree way.


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(Source: tvtropes.org) Early versions of the flapper girls

Women were beginning to embrace this new sense of independence brought to them by the end of the war - they did what they wanted when they wanted without the rules of society or a man, as they would've in previous years. They would go to parties on their own, smoke in public, wear revealing clothes (hemlines had shot up), and embraced a whole new look - whilst before the hair was many curls piled high on the head, girls were now chopping away their locks and emphasising their natural beauty with makeup like never before! This trend skyrocketed and became the 'Flapper Girl' look  and lifestyle - the dictionary definitive of a flapper is "A young woman, especially one in the 1920s, who showed disdain for conventional dress and behavior." They were free, independent and the new definition of beautiful.

Victory Bells, Wedding Bells

When the war was won, the whole world over was celebrating - the fashion industry became a booming market, especially in the wedding department - so many people were seizing the opportunity to get married and appreciate the lives they had that couture houses and other fashion manufacture's were soon selling tens upon thousands of wedding dresses; people were starting to be happy again, and this was leading into a far happier era.

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I think it's brilliant that everyone was so uplifted by the end of the war that they chose to marry - these dresses are beautiful and it's so interesting to see the shortening hemlines and how it still looks so elegant and graceful.

Women of the War

During the war, so many men had joined the British forces that it brought a change upon British society which would last permanently, right up to current day! Women, who previously either didn't work at all, or worked doing sterotypically 'female' jobs such as staying at home to look after the children, in garment factories or a domestic servant. This all changed with the war - suddenly they were encouraged to work on farms and in hospitals, doing the men's work, and doing it well.

(source: firstworldwar.com) Women working in the factories - I love how this is such a great balance of the femininity and the harsh, dirty working environments they were in - women were becoming stronger, and not seen as just weak posessions, however they were still women - as you can see by the way they're wearing gloves and daintily handling the oily parts.

 

(Source: guim.co.uk) Munition workers in the factory handling arms.

 

(Source|: formerdays.com) American nurses during the Great War - they had such important jobs and this changed the perception of women forever

 

Men's styling was now widely accepted, due to the jobs which required practical clothing - women would now be wearing trousered garments such as boiler suits and dungarees to work - low heeled boots were also a working wardrobe staple.

(Source: fashionthroughtime.wordpress) Variations of the boiler and trouser styles

Another practical necessity was to support the bust. With the decline of the corset in full motion, bodices which were softer were introduced, as was the brassiere, a shorter and more developed version of the bust bodice.

(Source: wikipedia) A more developed version of the bust bodice; the brassiere. It looks far more relaxing than the traditional corset and bust bodice, allowing freedom of movement and the natural figure to shine through

Qui qu'a vu, Coco?

The trends for practical and functional clothing were the most prominent during the war, and there was one designer who would skyrocket to the forefront of fashion for her new and innovative way to create a new look which fit in with the trends - Gabrielle Chanel.


(Source: houseswithhistory.wordpress) Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel - she had quite an elegant, grtaceful look to her face naturally, as her clothes did.

Sent to a convent as a child, she learned the art of sewing there and found employment as a seamstress after leaving school. However this was not her passion and she sought a career on stage - singing cabaret in cafes, during which she found her nickname 'Coco' from the song 'Qui qu'a vu Coco?'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGhwcodklwY A clip from the movie 'Coco before Chanel' based on Gabrielle Chanel's life - when she worked as a cabaret singer.


Her fashion career started in Milinery, when she opened her own store in Paris called Chanel Modes. In 1913 she opened her own store selling deluxe casual leisure clothes out of jersey, a material only used for men's boxers previously. The clothes were clean-cut and minimalistic, with simplistic and yet still chic shapes. The clothes were sporty and comfortable whilst still offering a feminine edge - the outfits were made mostly of two key pieces (such as a sailor blouse and skirt) in stretch fabrics to offer a contemporary, inexpensive take on clothes. She  was modernising fashion.

(Source: wikimedia) Gabrielle Dorziat wearing a Chanel hat - the shape is simple but the plumage of the feather adds an opulent detail for an outlandish luxurious look.

(Source: designboks.bk) To the far left you can see Coco Chanel wearing the iconic sailor blouse, which she pioneered and started a trend that would last for many years to come - in the middle Audrey Hepburn wears the breton stripes, as ia James Dean, in the far right. I love how this has evolved to become one of the staple items in any great capsule wardrobe, and is still popular today.

 Jersey went from being a heavily unused material to being THE material to use in fashion - nowadays we wear it on most casual clothes without even thinking about it but back then this material seemed luxe.


(Source:whatgoesaroundnyc.com) One of Chanel's jersey leisure suits; it's so relaxed but yet feminine at the same time, giving an altogether clean and elegant look.


(Source: evolutionbtg.blogspot) The iconic Chanel jersey tweed suit; it has become a timeless classic which has been reworked in so many ways, for example the co-ord trend which was so big in 2012/13 and especially in Lagerfeld's Chanel shows, in which he updates the look slightly to give a wearable, contemporary look.


(Source: fashionbombdaily.com) Karl Lagerfeld's take on the traditional Chanel suit.

Almost overnight more mainstream manufacturers were copying her styles for the wider public to wear - dressmaking patterns were released for her look, making it accessible to everyone; the chanel waif was taking over.

(Source: 1920s-fashion-and-music.com) An illustration for a Chanel inspired pattern in the 20's - everyone could wear the Chanel look, even if they couldn't afford it/

After the war in 1921, she collaborated with Ernest Beaux on her debut perfume, Chanel No.5. It is one of the biggest selling perfumes in the world and made Chanel one of the richest designers in history. She designed the bottle herself, inspired by a whiskey decanter at one of her former homes which she always said she wanted to recreate.

(Source: intheseams.com) - the original Chanel No.5 perfume bottle - it really does look like a whiskey decanter, and the perfume colour represents that too. A genius idea - take something iconic and make it a worldly known object. I salute you, Madame Chanel.

The Great War

In 1914, Germany declared war on France after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the world was plunged into a war which would kill millions of people and change the way we saw the world.


(Source: wikimedia) British soldiers in the trenches - whilst it was a hard time financially and socially for everyone at home, this was the most dangerous job and it's tragic that so many lost their lives.

Due to the preparations being progressed far along enough, Paris Fashion Week still went ahead, and it all went as planned - no bombings or interruptions.


(Source: Paris fashion) Though this look is already quite simplistic (perhaps foreshadowing the decrease in grandeur in coming times?) it still has that classic Parisian elegance and a stand-out, beautiful look - I love the use of the ruffles and draping in this outfit.

Even right at the start of the war, the effects on the economy were huge, hitting even those in high society - people were no longer buying the expensive and decadent couture as it was the improper thing to do - everyone had to start digging in their pockets for money and it wouldn't have been patriotic to spend so much money on something which wasn't a bare necessity. Women were left in charge of the couture houses if the male couturiers signed up to go to war - an example of this is Paul Poiret, who signed up and became a military tailor, leaving only a few designs on his drawing desk; in the end it was all too much and the fashion house collapsed, leaving this brilliant couturier to survive on benefits.


(Source: avagabonde.blogspot.com) Women running the Haute Couture houses

Many fashion houses were making it through though despite everything that was going on - America was a huge financial help to the Paris fashion houses due to their support in the early years of the war (America wasn't part of the war until 1917). Shows were still happening and Paris was still looked to by all for what the fashions would be - not even the rise in American fashion talent could bring the Parisians down.


(Source: susannaives.com) Parisian fashion in 1917 - it had progressed to a much simpler and chicer look, using less expensive fabrics but yet you can see the need to create something beautiful in the way simplistic details have been added - the crossover on the shirt, and the trail of buttons and beautiful drape on the dress.

Fashion at this stage was a tool to boost morale and give people at home (or at war, if they were able to hear about it) a sense of normality and lifted spirits. For example, Conde Nast (the company which owns VOGUE) published the first ever British VOGUE showing off the new fashions to give people hope - it launched British VOGUE, and nowadays the magazine has many different counterparts such as France, Italy, Japan etc.


(Source: condenast.com) The first edition of British Vogue - notice how in the illustration the model is smiling, and she's dressed in white, which connotes hope and safety and piece. This would give quite an uplifting feel subconsciously to the reader or if someone was just walking past a magazine store.

There were a number of trends in womenswear fashion during the war - no designer dramatically changed the silhouette but it was more layered - draping of fabrics gave a slightly fuller look and layers of ruffles and peplums at the waist began to appear; womenswear was getting a more feminine edge to it. Contrasting to this, another major trend was military - clothes began to appear in uniform colours such as navy and the famous khaki colour, and features such as double breasted fastenings and tailoring with nipped in waists took shape. The need for more functional clothes developed this look even further with skirts that flared out slightly at the bottom to allow for more movement (women were doing a lot more work at home to help with the war efforts - this meant hemlines started inching up to increase practicality.


(Source: oteea-land.com) Silhouettes from the time.) It hadn't changed tha much, due to there being no time and/or money, but small things such as ruffles and peplums being added would've given a sense of the new and lifted moods even more.

Mass-production fashion designers were coming up with new ways of making dressing both more practical and less time consuming to care for - due to the fact that women were starting to do more to help out with the war, household employees such as maids would not work as a maid any more - they'd be doing something else with their time such as working in fabric production warehouses for the military. This meant women had to do everything themselves and so many garments were made far less complex so not too much cleaning and pressing was needed; the luxury of going to afternoon tea declined, and so did the tea dress (which I feel is a shame because tea dresses were getting increasingly detailed with beautiful embellishment before the war). The focus was now on daywear, because it was a necessity rather than a luxury.

Rule Britannia

Britain was fast becoming the leading light for menswear - they dressed appropriately for every situation (so in one day, a man might have  outfit changes - he could wear his attire for hunting, shooting, lunch, afternoon cigars and dinner all in a day). It started out extremely formal, but as time went on the formality of suits declined and the lounge suit increased in popularity due to comfort and a new sense of style.

(Source: historyinthemaking.org) A 'Sac suit', developed in the 1880's, it formed the basis for the hunting and shooting attire in the 1910's - a two piece suit with basic features - a simple hem, no crease in the trousers, just a simple suit with functional purposes. It was often made out of heavy tweed for shooting, to provide comfort and strong wear. I really like the classic simplicity of the Sac suit, and how it was almost like a uniform for the british gentleman.

(Source:pinterest) A Norfolk Jacket and hunting johdpurs) It's interesting to see how fashion has changed through the years - in Edwardian times this would be considered perfectly normal and even show social status, but in today's society it would be against the mainstream fashions and some people would think it's a tad 'weird' - personallyt I think with different shoes and potentially losing the hat, it could work really well as a high fashion piece.

Those in Europe and further West would look to Britain for menswear fashions due to the way they went about it and the style they oozed - the central spotlight on British men's fashion was on Savile Row. Savile Row is a street in Mayfair which is full from the top to the bottom of the street with the best names in British tailoring. It is where the word bespoke when applied to this fine art of tailoring comes from, as every suit or garment made on Savile Row is made to measure to the customer; about 5 fittings for one order, as they all strive for perfection and the attraction is that the garments are made to the highest standard.

(Source\: WIkimedia) The iconic Savile Row sign. Walking through Savile Row you can almost feel the history surrounding you, and row upon row of beautifully structured garments make  you realise just how important this place is to British Tailoring.


(Source: globalgrasshopper.com) A gentleman walking down Saville Row, also known as the 'Golden Mile'.

Even outside of Savile Row, British Tailoring was considered the absolute best and everyone wanted a tailored garment - the richest would go to Savile Row, others would make do with other places. Savile Row is still considered to be the best place to go if you want something tailored, and many of the businesses which moved there first stand strong today.

(Source: oldschoolluxuryfiles.wordpress.com) The quality of tailoring is evident just at a glance - the silhouette is razor sharp, with perfectly executed angles and attention to detail - just look at how the print is matched! I think the Savile Row garments are well worth their sky-high prices; they are like a second skin to the wearer, and will survive generations of wear.

Another previously important formal aspect of the Male look was declining- the top hat. Many would wear it everywhere, all of the time, but with the attitude towards clothing becoming more relaxed, the top hat started to only be used in formal situations.


(Source: robinsonstacy0) The traditional top hat is so iconic, I think it encompasses everything about a smart man who cares for his looks - tall, strong structure, immaculate shapes and a sense of authority.

In the afternoon, when the ladies would dress in their tea gowns and meet up to lounge about for afternoon tea, the men would go elsewhere and smoke together. Like the tea gown was most popular for going to tea, the smoking jacket was most popular and the most proper thing to wear to smoke. Though it still looked quite formal, the jacket would be make out of soft luxe fabrics such as velvet to ensure the wearer's comfort so they could relax to full potential. The more expensive jackets had not buttons, but frogging (a sort of clasp but made out of fabric) and embroidery/embellishment.


(Source: wikimedia)

Images of the smoking jacket - it isn't nipped in so works well for someone who is sitting down/lounging, anf even in black and white it's easy to see the luxe quality of the fabrics, giving a rich and opulent look. I think they also look smart, despite their comfortable nature, and think  if worn today, perhaps with some sharply tailored trousers and a casual shirt, would look really wonderful.


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Poiret - King of Fashion, Diaghilev, King of Theatre

Paul Poiret – King of Fashion

(Source: examiner.com) Poiret in his atelier

Poiret, who dubbed himself 'King of Fashion' helped to completely change the silhouette, and is credited with finally freeing women from the constricting s bend corsets and replacing them with looser fitting clothes; being one of the first to embrace drapery. his garments were theatrical, billowing creations which embodied his love of orientalism and costume. His clothes blurred the lines between costume and couture, and his forward thinking gave us garments such as the harem pants and hobble skirt.

(Source: pinterest) Paul Poiret's first ever creation - a red wool cape with a grey crepe de chine lining which received 400 orders. I think this shows the direction poiret was headed in – The shape is simple, and hangs well, but the fur trimming on the neckline, the deep almost Claret red and the soft crepe de chine give this a really luxurious feel – when the wearer walked, it would flow out around her, creating drama.


(Source: kci.or.jp) Silk satin and tulle dress with beaded embroidery and gold peplum - fitting in with the tea dress style, the detail on this is astonishing, almost as if it had been hand painted on. A little known fact about Poiret's work is that on every single thing he made, there would be a rose motif somewhere, if not as a design feature then hidden.

He blazed the trail for designers such as Coco Chanel and Ralph Lauren with both cosmetics and housewares lines in addition to his (at the time) worldly renowned fashion house – it was the first full lifestyle brand. He also shone light upon fresh new talent such as Elsa Schiaparelli and print maker Raoul Dufy. Poiret met his downfall when he refused to adapt to the changing fashion, not accepting the new streamlined shape which had replaced his lean and yet softly structured theatrical look. 



(Source:punmiris.com) The first scent from his cosmetics line named after his daughter Rosine. It is true that Chanel was the first designer to put her name on a perfume, as Poiret put his daughter's name on them.

(Source: v&a) Evening gown - This is one of Poiret's most well-known looks as it really shows off his love for oriental features (e.g. the kimono sleeves and wrap) and shows off the lampshade silhouette so strongly due to the structured nature of the garment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg0M1P8Mdew A video about an exhibition paying homage to Poiret's creations.

Poiret, along with those such as Vionnet is noted for being one of, if not the first to favour draping (the folding and draping over of materials onto a person or mannequin, held not by stitches but by things such as clasps, pins and sashes) over tailoring - . This was a huge step for fashion in favouring this over the traditional tailoring and corsetry which hugged the body and constricted it, thus embracing a new shape, freeing women and allowing his designs to flow, giving a whole new elegance to womenswear with a more covered up shape, with opulent embellishment.

(Source: debutanteclothing.com) Evening coat - the print is so eye catching and the fur trim creates an extravagant and lavish look.

(Source: nothing-elegant.blogspot.com) This dress is quite simple with just features of colour blocking and printing, yet the draped overlay gives it a feminine, elegant edge.

Poiret was well known for his theatrical, oriental designs - his most obvious and well known influence is from a production of La Perl, with costumes created by Leon Bakst and performed by the Ballet Russes, something Poiret saw on his travels to Moscow. The costumes were 100% orientalist – draped trousers, bold colours and hues, intricate beading and heavy applique, mostly these were influenced by the Indian area.

(Source: metmuseum.org) A costume influenced by the Ballet Russes which Poiret created for his wife to wear at their legendary costume party - he dressed as a sultan, and she a concubine. This is a stunning ensemble – the beading and teardrop cutwork teamed with the rich, shimmering material gives a sense of splendour and indulgence. I love how the fit of the garment changes; a scooped, tight fitting top half shows off the wearer’s chest, and as you go further down the garment it drapes and balloons, giving that lampshade silhouette Poiret is famed for.


(Source: rlaneri.tumblr.com) Costume Poiret designed for the Ballet \Russes - I adore how the beads drape like waterfalls, if someone was to go about their everyday life wearing this it wouldn't be at all practical but I think the beauty is astonishing


(Source:emblah13.wordpress.com)  Luisa Casati in Poiret - here you can see the structure and softness in his work - the hoops of the skirt contrast with the drape of the harem trousers.

The production he saw (La Perl) was directed by Serge Diaghilev, who was highly influential in the arts world.


(Source: Wikipedia) Serge Diaghilev himself.

His company the Ballet Russes (1909-1929), was seen as the most famous and best Ballet Company of the 20th century, and their productions were ground breaking in both concept and execution.  The company was made up of some of the best russian dancers - Anna Pavlova for example, one of the most famous ballerinas in the world was one of the dancers.


(Source: russianballethistory.com) Promotional poster for the Ballet Russes - the poster in itself is dynamic and has a really lovely sense of movement so that hints heavily at the feel gained from actually watching the show



(Source: artsalive.ca) Dancer Serge Lifar in costume for the production of Icare



(Source: thebestofhabibi.com) Anna Pavlova, the 'most celebrated' ballerina of all time in the production of Cleopatra. She moved with such poise and love for dance, it could be enough to bring many people to tears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMEBFhVMZpU (A video of her signature dance, the dying swan).

 It promoted some of the most innovative young designers and artists by having them collaborate, be it set design, costume, music - the whole company was a platform for the new and exciting. Among the collaborators were Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. 


(Source: thecultureconcept.com) Costume for the Ballet Russes by Henri Matisse - this is simple but creates an optical illusion, I think this may be a perfectly abstract take on the zebra due to the ears at the top.


(Source: v&a) Costumes for the Ballet Russes by Coco Chanel


(Source: tyrannyofstyle.com) Costume design and costume by Pablo Picasso - I think this shows that fashion can be, and in its essence is, art. The design itself could belong in a gallery and so having it perfectly translated to fabric is something really worthy of note.



(Source: nga.gov.au) Leon Baskt costume for the blue god for the production of La Perl


(Source: wordpress.com)Promotional poster for this production.

It brought Russian tradition to the western world, and with oriental and other eastern influences, further increased the western world's obsession with beauty from further afield. The costumes were spectacular, influencing fashions in Paris and in turn everywhere else.