1910s in Western fashion
Western fashion in this period carries influences from oriental and neoclassical inspirations as well as the subsequent effects of World War I.
Over the decade, Women's fashion experienced a shift towards shorter hemlines and dropped waistlines in addition to the more practical garments necessitated by the war.
Public interest in all things "oriental", in combination with neoclassical inspiration from the Empire or Directoire style of the early 19th century, were the major influences of the decade on women's fashions.
[2] The Empire-style revival was first seen in Paul Poiret couture collections of the late 1900s, an example being his iconic "Josephine" evening dress, created in 1907.
As an art practitioner with an Orientalist bent, couturier Paul Poiret was one of the first designers to translate this vogue into a fashion trend.
The French designer Doucet specialised in superimposing pastel colors; his elaborate, gossamer-light dresses suggested the Impressionist shimmers of reflected light.
Each garment was made of a single piece of the finest silk, its unique color acquired by repeated immersions in dyes whose shades were suggestive of moonlight or of the watery reflections of the Venetian lagoon.
[6] During this period, the first prominent female couturier, Jeanne Paquin, was the first to promote her couture by using mannequins to display her designs at prestigious public events, such as the racing at Longchamp and Chantilly.
Fashionable women of means wore striking hats and fur stole or scarves with their tailleurs, and carried huge matching muffs.
Social events were postponed in favor of more pressing engagements and the need to mourn the increasing numbers of dead, visits to the wounded, and the general gravity of the time meant that darker colors and simpler cuts became the norm.
"Without grading them to size, she mixed pearls with other beads to fashion original jewelry to be worn with her designs" that were inspired by women joining the workforce.
"Tango shoes" inspired by the dance craze had criss-crossing straps at the ankles that peeked out from draped and wrapped evening skirts.
[8][12] During the war years, working women wore sensible laced shoes with round toes and lower wedge heels.
[8] Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the preceding decade.
[14] As women began to become more active with dance and sport, they started to remove their corsets at parties in order to move more freely.
A decline in wearing facial hair, a trend which had begun around the beginning of the century, continued throughout the decade as more clean shaven styles appear.
The less formal dinner jacket or tuxedo, which featured a shawl collar with silk or satin facings, now generally had a single button.
Boys were dressed in suits with trousers that extended to the knee and girls' apparel began to become less "adult" as skirt lengths were shortened and features became more child-focused.
Military influences in apparel for little boys was typical and the lengths of skirts for girls were cut shorter yet because of material rationing.
