WW1theatrebrit: Fashion in WW1

Fashion in WW1

HOW WAS FASHION AFFECTED BY THE WORLD WAR 1.

-During war when men took off to fight women took the Jobs that men did before war. Women and girls that before worked as domestic servants now had to work in factories, worked as drivers, nurses and farm workers, also some volunteers for organizations like the red cross and some even joined the army.

-Many of these new duties that women had to do involved physical movement that where not easy to do wearing Edwardian type of clothes (more information about Edwardian fashion on the “Before WW1” section on this website) so fashion began to change so it could allow women to perform their duties in a easier way.

-By 1914 women’s clothing had lost the rigid, tailored lines of the Edwardian period, a military look crept into fashion, women started to wear military inspired clothes, tunics, jackets, belts and epaulets.

-Also during this period people took a plainer lifestyle, Women stopped wearing jewelry, all the lavish Edwardian fashion disappeared. Skirts became shorter so it could allow women to move easily. The use of color became sober and muted.

MENS FASHION

During world war 1 most of the men were out in the battle field trying to survive, so there was very little time for men to focus on fashion, thats why regarding to mens fashion, it almost stayed the same, the only things that changed were:

1-less accessories: during war everything was less luxurious so men stopped wearing as much jewellery and accessories as they did during the edwardian periods

2-The impermeable trench coat: This revolutionized fashion both for men and for women, because it was a really useful piece of clothing that at the end became part of the military uniform.

3-jackets loosen up: during the Edwardian times men used jackets that were really tight on the waste, creating the "sand clock" silhouette, but after war, men whore more loosen up jackets that created a more squared shape to the body

After the war jackets. Notice the trench coat, and the shape of the jackets

BEFORE THE WAR: EDWARDIAN STYLE

The Edwardian style was used during what is today known as the "Belle epoc".

Fashion was inspired by the luxurious and extravagant life of the king Edward the VII.

The use of the corset created what is called the S figure and the dresses where extremely long and heavy, also the dresses where super accessoreised with extravagant jewelry and women had to wear gloves, big hats and carry an umbrella.

So this type of fashion wasn't very practical for a women that had to work and be active.