Fashion is often associated with a negative message as being frivolous. Humbly, I believe this viewpoint can be the furthest thing from the truth.
Fashion whether we want to admit it or not is a necessity (just try to walk outside in the cold without anything to protect you from the elements) and quite simply, it's a form of communication of, and changes to social norms. By trying to diminish the roll that fashion plays in history and our lives as a frivolous pursuit is to try to silence others. Creating and wearing fashion, whether it's fast, couturier, ready-to-wear, bespoke, me-made, recycled, vintage, emotionally intelligent clothing or refashioned, speaks volumes about our society, communities and ourselves. It would be frivolous to call it frivolous! Fashion is meant to be a conversation starter not an invitation to pass judgement on others. It is a window into social changes that have and continue to happen all around us. It is also a symbol of the freedoms that we have gained and hold dear.
As today is Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day in many parts of the world), let us look at how military inspired clothing details have moved into everyday fashion.
World War I brought about many societal changes including changes to fashion. The trench coat is an example of a war era garment that has moved into today's fashion designs.
The shirtwaist dress may often be associated with Dior's New Look and the 1950s but it actually goes back further. Before the Great War, women's fashions were dominated with lavish clothing of the Edwardian period and this quickly changed as war broke out and people took to a plainer lifestyle and gender roles shifted as to help the war effort in roles as nurses, factory workers and helping out on the farms. Certainly austerity played a role but so did the uniforms of this time.
As gender-roles shifted in this time, so did gender specific dress codes. Skirts became shorter, as they often do in times of austerity. Not only did the styles change with the changing gender roles so did the fabrics used to make clothing, moving away from elaborate lace designs of the Edwardian period to chambray fabrics and somber colours reflecting the times. This is where we see the appearance and rise of the shirtdress.
The shirtdress moved into iconic status when Dior took this garment and updated it with lavish fabric and a generous skirt marking the end of the war and austerity measures of the past wars. As it was easily adapted as a comfortable garment for different roles of the war era, it remains as a staple in today's fashions.
The updated shirtdress is
a trend for Spring 2020. Which leads to the question, had the shirtdress ever went out of style once women realized the freedom and comfort it provided?
The jumpsuit had it's humble beginning during the war years as it appeared as a form of overalls.
Overalls and the jumpsuit were designed for women to "help solve the labour problem" according to an Eaton's catalogue advertisement. Women played a key role in the war effort taking up jobs that were traditionally held by men back home on the farms and working in factories that made supplies and equipment for the war effort.
Overalls continued in popularity when the second world war broke out and Rosie the Riveter appeared as a propaganda icon that emerged from this time as a way to encourage women to help out in the war effort. This fictional character wearing this iconic fashion is found today not only in vintage pattern releases, also in the freedom and comfort of this garment redesigned over the century since it first appeared.
As we thank and pay respect for the men and women who played a role in the freedoms we hold dear, let us remember that our freedoms (and yes, even our fashions) were created in a history of tragedy, sacrifice and austerity.
Happy Sewing!
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