Lecture 6: Entering the 20th Century Flashcards
Who designed the straight-front corset?
Ines Gaches-Sarraute.
What was another name for the straight-front corset?
The “swanbill,” “S-line,” or “S-bend” corset.
How was the straight-front corset advertised?
As healthier than the hourglass corset, but it actually forced women into an awkward tilt.
How did the S-shaped corset affect posture?
It made women tilt hips back, push breasts forward, and created an exaggerated S-shape.
What was the Victorian vs. Edwardian corset?
The hourglass corset was Victorian, while the S-shaped corset was Edwardian.
Who was the Gibson Girl?
A young, emancipated woman with soft clothes, natural hair, and a slender but supple beauty.
Who created the Gibson Girl?
C. Dana Gibson, between the end of the 19th and early 20th century.
Why was the Gibson Girl significant?
It was the first ideal of beauty from the US, influencing European fashion.
What changes occurred in corsets between 1908-1914?
Corsets became bigger, extended to the thighs, and created a higher waist.
What shift in beauty ideals happened in this period?
The “Venus ideal” (full-figured) shifted to the “Diana ideal” (slimmer, athletic).
How did the tango influence corsets?
Boned corsets restricted movement, so women switched to boneless tango corsets.
What replaced corsets for body control?
Dieting and exercise.
How was the critique of corsets different in the 20th century?
Instead of medical concerns, women themselves argued corsets restricted daily activities.
What groups opposed corsets?
Organizations like the Rational Dress Society spread anti-corset information.
How did sports influence fashion in the 1910s-1920s?
Women sought greater freedom of movement, leading to a thinner, streamlined silhouette.
Why did skirts become shorter?
To enable leg movement.
What was the walking dress (“trotteur”)?
A medium-length skirt, tight at the top, and widened at the bottom.
How did leisure culture change in the early 20th century?
Fashion magazines, tourist guides, and advertisements promoted leisure activities
How did fashion ads reflect economic changes?
Some advertised low costs, marking the democratization of consumption.
How were women viewed after WWI?
“Men have returned from war and found numerous, provocative, impatient women… who have become equal to boys.”
What shape did women’s fashion take in the 1920s?
Straight and tubular, but still feminine, not androgynous.
What was Garconne fashion?
Anti-conformist style with trousers, short hair, and a masculinized look.
Who was Monique Lerbier?
The protagonist of “La Garconne” (1922), symbolizing female freedom.
Why was “La Garconne” (1922) controversial?
It depicted a sexually liberated woman, selling 1 million copies and being translated into 12 languages.
What was the connection between Garconne fashion and women’s status?
Women’s new roles as workers influenced fashion trends.
Who were Flappers?
US women who embraced Garconne fashion.
Which Hollywood actresses popularized Garconne fashion?
Louise Brooks and Greta Garbo.
How did Garconne fashion relate to Hollywood?
It marked the growth of the US star system, influencing European taste.
What was Coco Chanel’s early life like?
Raised in an orphanage, learned sewing with black and white monastic fabrics.
What fabrics did Chanel popularize?
Inexpensive materials, like jersey.
What fashion piece did she introduce?
The sheath dress.
What was her social role compared to other couturiers?
She acted more like a patron, cultivating elite connections.
How did Chanel influence theater and literature?
She designed costumes for plays and hosted writers and artists.
What did she symbolize?
Female emancipation.
What did Chanel say about her influence?
“I determined fashion because I lived in the world.”
What was the significance of work clothes?
It linked aesthetics with profession.
What types of jobs did women take on?
Typists, saleswomen, bank clerks.
Did all women enter the workforce equally?
No, women’s entry was partial and gradual, and rare among married women.
How did work impact fashion more than leisure?
Professional demands shaped women’s clothing even more than sports and leisure. - COMMONLY BELIEVED
How did Vogue US depict women’s freedom?
A dynamic, half-naked body in motion, contrasting Botticelli’s Venus.
When did swimwear emerge?
In the early 20th century.
What concerns came with swimsuits?
Body image and self-control.
What were major political and economic events of the early 20th century?
World War I (1914-1918)
UK women’s right to vote (1918)
The Great Depression (1929-1939)
What were major cultural shifts?
The “Belle Époque” (Gilded Age in the US)
Sinking of the Titanic (1912), symbolizing the end of the Belle Époque
What technological innovations shaped the era?
Electric lights, radio, cars, cinema, vaccines, food pasteurization – New production and consumption practices
