10 10s
Decade defining moments of fashion
Written by Veronica Polanco, Nikki Cohen, Isabel Burden Edited by Karina McCarthy, Faveanny Leyva & Lexi Fernandez
Fashion at the start of the 1900s shared something in common with the decade itself: it was divided into two periods- pre and post-World War I. WWI had an intense effect on societal culture, and fashion was not exempt from such an influence. A substantial transition in fashion resulted in silhouettes shifting from the norm, transitioning from tight straight-fronted corsets into a soft, natural shaping silhouette. This fresh, freeing silhouette was formed due to the outcome of how women’s bodies were molded into the “S-curve”. Such a form was the result of a straight-fronted corset that started lower on the bustline than the corsets women had been wearing in previous years. After the S-curve style began to fade, skirts narrowed toward the bottom. This definitive moment in early 1900s fashion allowed women to express their bodies in an entirely new style, focusing on exploring their waists and the sex behind a tapered waist.
30s&40s
As the 1930 and 1940s approached, women’s fashion evolved from the boyish appearance attributed to the previous decade into the feminine silhouette of the early thirties. Hemlines migrated to ankle length, and waistlines ascended to their typical placement. This style was described as having a slender, elongated torso featuring widened shoulders and a smooth, perfect head of finger waved hair. The look of the 1930 and 1940s aimed to dominate romanticism and femininity. This paved the way for later looks involving more daring pieces of clothing.
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20s
Throughout the 1920s, women’s fashion became increasingly controversial by rejecting formality and traditional layering. Instead, they developed a more convenient, modernized female wardrobe by maintaining a stunning yet simplified choice of dress. This revamped wardrobe created the popular phrase “la garçonne” look that dominated much of the decade. By definition, la garçonne means a young woman of the 1920s who rebelled against conventional ideas of ladylike behavior and dress. This identity, more commonly known as the flapper, is symbolic of the glitz and glamour of the 1920s.
