THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Hello fashion readers! One more week we are with you in a new post. Today we will talk about the beginning of the 20th century in fashion, the changes that took place in comparison with the past ages. 

After the Queen Victoria 's death started a new era, the “Belle Epoque”. This century is known for designing the most extravagant, luxurious and expensive fashion of all times (Trajes Delwende, 2023). However, in other sources this period is known as the Edwardian era. 

Some of the most interesting characteristics are: loose corsets which allow free breathing and show the most natural forms of the body, they are known in some webs as the Edwardian S Bend corset. The halterneck can be worn in different ways. A crucial accessory during the 20th century was the hat, with large ornaments including some with stuffed birds. In general, jewelry is not an indispensable accessory by this time. The abandonment of the corset was the most representative feature of this period due to the fact that women’s freedom about their relationship with their own bodies had changed completely. This could be the result of the different rights that women won at the end of the 19th century. Thanks to these, women had more freedom in all of aspects’ lives not only in fashion. 

The new trend in the beginning of this century was to wear the dress as a single piece rather than wear a dress with two or more separate parts. Paul Poiret was the first designer to create a coat which did not tighten at the waist. A surprising fact is that not only the way of dressing has changed, but also underwear is no longer the same. 

An important highlight, as it is said in Trajes Delwende was the appearance of fashion magazines. Although they had already appeared in the United States, they were new in the UK. Thanks to this, women have new references in fashion since the Queen is no longer the one who makes the trend in the country.

With the arrival of the First World War, women took over the men’s jobs in the factories because the men were at war. For this reason, women began to wear uniforms that included overalls and trousers. These garments were strictly considered masculine. 

In men's fashion, the three-piece suit was invented in London in the 19th century. An interesting fact, as it said Mr Londoner in Top hat to trench coat: a history of menswear 1900 – 1925 the monarch Edward VII under unbuttoned the bottom button of his waistcoat. Today we wear it unbuttoned.

 In this century, tailor shops appeared, where dressmakers made tailor made suits for their clients with the fabrics and shapes they wanted. The war created a fashion item as the trench coat. This stylish item was worn by British and Commonwealth officers. Top hat to trench coat: a history of menswear 1900 – 1925 said that the 1920’s are seen by many as the birth of menswear, the age of classic elegance and sophistication due to the fact that colors tended to be muted but featured patterns. However, The gentlemanual: 100 plus years of men’s fashion. A lot has changed in the last century, named this decade as the Jazz Age since the postwar optimism was reflected in everything from clothing to music. This website said that lighter colors replaced the black, charcoal, and navy of the previous decade.

As we have seen throughout the post, the 20th century has changed fashion for both sexes as a result of the various events that have taken place in the past century.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Molly Elizabeth Agnew (2023) “20th Century Fashion - A Timeline” en Eternal Goddess. [En línea]. Disponible en: https://www.eternalgoddess.co.uk/posts/20th-century-fashion-a-timeline [Consulta: 1-11-2023]

Trajes Delwende (2023), “Principios Siglo XX (años 1901-1917)”, disponible en https://www.delwende.es/trajes/elementos/Principios-Siglo-XX-anios-1901-1917  [Consulta: 1-11-2023] 

RJ Firchau (2022), 100 plus years of men’s fashion. A lot has changed in the last century. [The Gentlemanual], disponible en https://www.ties.com/blog/100-years-of-mens-fashion  [Consulta: 01-11-2023]

 

Mr Londoner (2021), Top hat to trench coat: a history of menswear 1900 – 1925 [British Guild of Tourist Guides], disponible en https://britainsbestguides.org/blogs/history-of-menswear/ [Consulta: 1-11-2023]