Summary by Elizabeth Lykken

 

Jamie surveyed the changing silhouettes and the altering of the population’s perception of fashion over last century.  Her hypothesis was that through examination of the clothing styles of the twentieth century, we also trace the shift towards concern for the individual and the growing emphasis on individuality versus conformity.  This change may have evolved partly from the slow increase of consumer demand for variety and diversity on their clothing choices. 

           

Jamie traced twentieth-century fashions beginning with the tightly corseted monobosom silhouette of the 1900s through the diverse clothing choices and the advent of punk in the 1980s.  The first decade of the twentieth century saw fashions that were strictly proscribed by French couturiers.  This time was the “Gilded Age,” a time where fashion was primarily a sign of social status and wealth.  The corseted silhouette that was favored during this period was closely tied to conceptions of social correctness.  In addition, corsets indicated that a woman was not expected to work for a living, but was instead a member of the leisure class and would be supported by her husband and family.

           

In the nineteen-teens, clothing became slightly less restrictive and in many ways more practical.  With World War I, it became necessary that women take over traditionally male jobs.  Thus, although shirtwaists and tailormades had found favor, many respectable women began wearing pants to fit their jobs in the working world.

           

The 1920s saw the advent of women’s suffrage and more general social rebellion.  Women’s dresses began to resemble a modified version of the men’s wear silhouette, with the emphasis being on straight, rectilinear lines.  In this way, women began to resist conformity.  So although they retained a single basic silhouette, the seed for change had been planted.

           

A return to social appropriateness occurred in the ‘30s.  Hollywood glamour and more mature, elegant silhouette became desirable.   Hemlines dropped for eveningwear, and we began to see the establishment of certain skirt lengths for certain times of the day.

 

Fashion froze in the nineteen-forties in response to the second World War.  But after the war ended, Christian Dior introduced the New Look and America experienced a return to feminine emphasis and social correctness in dress.  However, for the first time we see group identification among young people through the adoption and adaptation of certain subcultural clothing styles. 

           

Jamie suggests that today’s fashion philosophy is largely based on the perceptions of fashion in the 1960s and 1970s.  During these two decades, dramatic social change took place.  As a result, or perhaps as a cause, we see the increased emphasis on individual identification and diversity.  More variety in styles become available to the general public, and the consumer begins to dictate their needs and desires to the apparel industry instead of the industry dictating their fashions to the public. 

 

Thus, she concluded with a look at the 1980s and the emergence of radical dress and the availability of multiple styles and silhouettes.  Subcultural styles emerge with a new force and eclecticism in dress takes on a new acceptance.  In addition, social change continues with the general acceptance of women in the workplace. 

           

It is interesting to see this view of how fashion in the twentieth century evolved and what these changes and this pattern of evolution implies for the future of fashion.

 

Course Description

About the Future of Fashion

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