Women's Fashion of the 1900s

I write occasional articles on all kinds of subjects for various places, and the following information on women’s clothes in the 1900s is adapted from one of my pieces.



The Changing Shape

Queen Victoria’s long reign came to an end with her death in 1901, which led into the Edwardian era, or la belle époque as it was known in France. Women’s fashion underwent some changes from this period. A new type of health corset arrived at the beginning of the 1900s, which was designed to force the bust forward and the hips back. This produced the famous S-shape of large bust, a tiny waist and a larger behind, or derrière (see above photo). The fabric of women’s clothes became a little looser and more graceful, although tailor-made suits, with a longer jacket and straighter skirt, were quite popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Lace blouses were often worn with a plain skirt during the day.

It was an elegant period for females. A woman’s hair was generally full and soft, often dressed in elaborate styles on top of the head in delicate waves. Hats became much larger and more elaborately trimmed, making the head top heavy. This extravagant style of clothes and hair was known as the Gibson Girl look. For the evening, plumes and bandeaux with feathers and jewels was popular, while added veils made an appearance for driving in the new motor cars.



Hats and Lace

The Edwardian lady was ultra-feminine right to her underwear. Fine silk, lace and quality fabrics took over from cotton underclothes. Lingerie was more daring with plenty of petticoats, which often flounced around the ankle to show a tiny bit of leg. Less well-off women tried to copy the expensive styles by embroidering or sewing ribbons and bows onto their cheaper fabrics. Camisoles became even prettier, with frills and lace.

The Correct Corset

Fans were still very popular into the 1900s. To suit the excessively coiffured and gorgeously dressed ladies, the fans were often large and decorative, made of silk or feathers for evening. By contrast, jewellery was fine and delicate, the favorite choice being pearls, especially with rows of pearls in a choker style. Silver jewellery was set with precious stones such as amethysts and garnets. Evening bags were just as elaborate as the gowns, and women always wore long gloves to cover the arms. Buttoned boots were popular footwear during the day.

Make-up is another fascinating subject in women’s fashion, but I’ll leave that for another day! I have several costume books at home, but one of my favourite research books is Decades of Beauty by Kate Mulvey and Melissa Richards. It’s a mine of information and has such beautiful photographs which show an even clearer record of women’s fashion. The above photos are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Romy