Cara Crain 1

From Corsets to Chanel: How World War I Changed Fashion

Fashion is a reflection of society. As a societys ideals and roles change, the clothes worn

by its people change to meet their needs. Often, the change is gradual, and mass adoption of a

new style takes a long time. However, there are occasions where the changes in fashion are

sudden and huge in a short time, usually due to some type of social upheaval. World War I is a

prime example of this phenomenon. Before the war, in a fashion era called La Belle Epoch, the

restrictive Edwardian fashion was the norm. This style of dress encouraged a curvy, feminine

body type, which was achieved through corsets, and other restricting shapewear. Once the war

came, fabric shortages, the need for unhindered movement for work, and womens new-found

freedom all contributed to the beginning of the Jazz Age and its iconic flapper fashion.

Flapper fashion was the antithesis of Edwardian dress, as it called for a sleek, modern silhouette,

that was somewhat androgynous.

In the years before World War I, upper class womens roles mostly domestic, though they

were grappling with potential changes in their societal roles. For the most part, women did not

work outside of the home, they considered marriage and childrearing their job. Young women

spent a lot of time preparing for courtship by learning languages, how to play instruments, and

proper manners. Women were expected to be delicate, reliant on their husbands for decisions,

able to keep a large household running smoothly, and without intelligent opinions.

Fashion reflected this. Edwardian fashion was all about extravagance and delicacy. The

so called Gibson Girl, a creation of Charles Dana Gibson became the ideal for this time period
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with her tiny waist, perfect bouffant, and obviously upper-class air. She became the fashion

inspiration for many women1.

Clothes were often hand made by a professional

dressmaker for an individual. Upper class ladies were expected

to change multiple times a day for the various activities they

took part in, such as taking a walk, eating dinner, attending an

event. The Edwardian style focused on creating a feminine

figure, full of curves and covered in embellishments. Womens

undergarments, especially corsets, were used to create this

coveted figure, and as such were very restricting and often

painful. At the turn of the century, Mme Gaches-Sarraute, a

Frenchwoman who studied medicine, invented the reverse S- Fashion Plate from Godeys Lady
Book. Note the extreme curves
shape corset, the most recognizable figure in the Edwardian and leg-of-mutton sleeves.

Era. She created this corset in an attempt to relieve pressure on the waist and diaphragm, but as it

thrust the chest forward and the hips back, it was really no more comfortable than traditional

corsets. The S-shape corset did create a very graceful position, and the dresses worn with them

were very delicate, with lace, ribbons, and beads draped all over2. Enormous leg-of-mutton

sleeves expanded hugely. The hobble skirt was also popular during this time period. As the

name implies, a hobble skirt was designed to prevent large steps, and quick movements; walking

1
Public Broadcasting Service. Charles Dana Gibson and the Gibson Girl.
2
Theime, Otto Charles. The Art of Dress in the Victorian and Edwardian Eras. The Journal of Decorative and
Propaganda Arts. Vol. 10 (Autumn, 1988) pgs 14-27
 Cara Crain 3

was reduced to a quick, awkward shuffle3. In essence, Edwardian fashion was more concerned

with the ideal body to care about those who struggled to attain it.

During the war, womens role in society changed from predominately domestic to the

main workforce. This was due to a significant portion of the male population going to fight

overseas. Women from all backgrounds began working, both as an act of patriotism and to feel

the freedom that comes with having a job. Women worked in many jobs, such as industrial

production of munitions, mechanics, administrative workers, even farmers. Some even got

executive positions4. As many as 25,000 women traveled overseas to work many different jobs

including nurses, canteen workers, doctors, clerical workers, telephone operators, and

journalists5. Suddenly, women were the breadwinners of the family and had more freedom and

economic opportunity than ever before.

In terms of fashion, the sudden economic and societal

changes sparked an equally sudden change in how women

dressed. Fashion during the war was much simpler than that of

previous years. Economically, fabric shortages necessitated

shorter hems and more economic use of fabric, so no more

over-sized sleeves and long skirt trains. In fact, many skirt

hems sat right above the ankle, exposing the shoes. Women

wore less jewelry and darker colors6. Fashion was very Dresses from popular
magazine The Delineator

3
Theime
4 McConnel, Deborah L. Lou Cretia Owen and The Old Hickory Munitions Plant During World War I. Tennessee
Historical Quarterly. Vol. 58, No. 2 (Summer 1999), pp. 128-139.
5
Frahm, Jill. The Hello Girls: Women Telephone Operators with the American Expeditionary Forces during World
War I. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul., 2004) pgs 271-293.
6
Roberts, Mary Louise. Samson and Delilah Revisited: The Politics of Womens Fashion in 1920s France. The
American Historical Review. Vol. 98, No. 3 (Jun., 1993) pgs. 657-684.
 Cara Crain 4

inspired by military style, which shows in the use of epaulettes, military braiding, and more

precise lines, as well as the introduction of the trench coat.

Perhaps one of the most shocking changes the War wrought on womens clothing was the

introduction on trousers into some womens closets. For the most part, women only wore

trousers if their jobs required it. For example, one female worker at a munitions plant, Lou Cretia

Owen, detailed the outfits workers wore: Womanalls. These specialized work outfits consisted of

a khaki blouse and knickers, a cap, and flat-heeled shoes similar to those worn in the army7.

These clothes were designed for maximum safety and maneuverability for these hardworking

women. The trousers especially were important, as they were often working with machinery that

skirts could get tangled up in and injure the women or damage the equipment. The caps served a

similar purpose in keeping hair out of the way.

After the war, the men returned and wanted their jobs back. The women who had been

working were understandably reluctant to give up their jobs. Working had enabled them to find a

place outside of the home as well as giving them their own money. Women had had a taste of

freedom, and were not going to give it back without a fight. This mindset led, in part, to the rise

of the womens rights movement. William E. Leuchtenburg described it this way;

The new woman wanted the same freedom of movement that men had and the same

economic and political rights. By the end of the 1920s, she had come a long way. Before

the war, a lady did not set foot in a saloon; after the war, she entered a speakeasy as

thoughtlessly as she would go into a railroad station. In the business and political

worlds, women competed with med; in marriage, they moved toward a contractual role.

7
McConnel
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Sexual independence was merely the most sensational aspect of the generally altered

status of women8.

Possibly the most memorable result of the womens rights movement is ratification of the

Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote in major elections.

Many women now actively resisted the ideal of a domesticated woman raising a pack of

children, they wanted fulfillment in their own right. Many did this by continuing to work in

offices and factories, while some went into higher education9.

Once women were freed from the restrictive stays of Edwardian dress, they had no

intention of going back, thus ushering in Flapper fashion. Flapper fashion has become

synonymous with the New Woman of this era. The New Woman was a smoking, sexually

emancipated, fashion forward lady who relished in her freedom. Her style of dress was almost

the complete opposite of fashions before the war. The new silhouette was flat-chested, curve

less, and often short-haired. Skirts were shorter, making this the first time women showed their

legs in public, and trousers were considered acceptable casual wear10. Waists were dropped so

low as to be nonexistent. Underclothes became lighter and made of elastic, instead of the stiff

fabric and boning of the past. This new type of corset became known as a brassiere or bra.

Especially at the height of the Twenties, these new corsets flattened the bust to near

nonexistence. Women also started wearing briefs instead off drawers or bloomers, as the briefs

fit better under the light dresses and sleek lines of that time11. Perhaps the most iconic and

8
Freedman, Estelle B. The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s. The Journal of American
History. Vol. 61, No. 2 (Sep., 1974) pgs. 327-393
9
Freedman
10
Presley, Anna Beth. Fifty Years of Change: Societal Attitudes and Women's Fashions, 1900-1950. The Historian.
Vol. 60, No. 2 (WINTER 1998)
11
Presley
 Cara Crain 6

controversial style in the Twenties was the rise of bobbed hair. Prior to this time, hair was kept

very long, and worn in intricate styles like a bouffant. Short hair rose to prominence around

1918, just after World War I ended.

Another huge change in fashion was the rise in ready-to-wear clothes. This was due in

part to advances in textiles, such as the invention of rayon, and retail industries12. If you recall,

before the war, most clothes were made by tailors for individuals. If a woman could not afford a

tailor, she sewed her own clothes, or bought generic off-the-rack dresses. The clothing industry

suddenly started mass marketing, making fashion available to more people than ever before.

Coco Chanel is arguably the fashion icon of Flapper style.

She pioneered a style for the modern woman that was comfortable,

practical, and gave freedom of movement. As a result, Chanel

created a sporty, boyish look which she took further by adding in

masculine details like collars, ties, long-cut tailor jackets, and

short hair13. In fact, Chanel cut her hair in 1916, and is often

credited with the short hair revolution, alongside two hairdressers:

Antoine Cierpikowski and Ren Rambaud14. Chanel is also

credited with the idea of a little black dress that can be used for all Coco Chanels designs,
Vogue 1927
occasions. Minimalism became the buzzword of the day. Chanels

style is still in fashion today.

12
Presley
13
Roberts, Mary Louise. Samson and Delilah Revisited: The Politics of Womens Fashion in 1920s France. The
American Historical Review. Vol. 98, No. 3 (Jun., 1993) pgs. 657-684
14
Roberts
 Cara Crain 7

World War I was a time of great social upheaval; fashion changed with it. Before the war,

women were, for the most part, relegated to domestic jobs. They dressed in clothes that were as

confining as societys expectations. During the war, fabric shortages and work forced fashion to

loosen its corset stays in order the allow women to move freely. After the war, women did not

want to return to their old place in the home, and became involved in politics and the workforce.

Fashion changed, and gave the New Woman more freedom and less coverage. As society

changes, and fashion along with it, many say there is nothing new, that we are only recycling old

ideas, and maybe thats true. We can only hope that this idea is not true for womens place in

society. Who knows, maybe we should start looking at hemlines to determine how women are

placed in society.
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Bibliography

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 Cara Crain 9

McConnel, Deborah L. Lou Cretia Owen and The Old Hickory Munitions Plant During World
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