the vintage lady: cut

for the regular reader reader of The Online Edition, you would remember that in week six, i did a quick coverage of fashion history: the eras and periods. hence if that was your fashion lesson 101, consider the content of this week a step up from there. for this post, i want to take a closer look at the various silhouettes in vintage fashion. hopefully, you can find the perfect cut for your body type!

image from elusions

the past hundred years of fashion presented an array of silhouettes, from the dropped waist of the 20s to the broad shoulder of the 40s and the nipped waist of the 50s, it is an extensive list. this variety works perfectly in today's fashion world, women are no longer slaves to fashion dictates as they were in the past. fashion trends of the past were often so strict that they became virtual mandates. hem lengths were were exact, silhouettes limited. Not so today.

1) 1920s flapper

this is one of the few styles that demands the tiniest bust possible, especially if you have small shoulders. during the twenties it was common for women to actually bind their breasts. narrow hips are ideal and a defined waist line is the definitive trend.

2) 1930s bias cut

image from art deco

the bias cut dresses of the 1930s will show off every curve you own. they look gorgeous on a long slim frame but the good news is that they can be stunning on a curvy figure as well. if your curves are unruly the secret here is to wear undergarments that smooth and tame them so the bias glides over. 

3) 1940s shoulders

wide shoulders, narrow waist

during the 40s the shoulders were wide, the waist defined and the skirts modestly narrow. this is a perfect era for those with narrow or sloped shoulders. on the other hand it can be disastrous on a naturally broad shouldered woman. the broad shoulders are also good for creating the illusion of a smaller waist line. so if you have narrow shoulders and a slightly thick waist look for 40s jackets in your size to team up with modern skirts and pants. the 1940s look is also good on petite women. the obvious shoulder line draws the eye up. 

4) 1950s new look

1950s fashion

the 1950s brought in the impossibly small waist and full skirt. also most of these dresses have very full bust lines. if you do have a small waist and pronounced hips this is a great look for you. the full skirts are wonderful at hiding the hip size. hips are hidden under the skirt and usually a crinoline as well so size does not matter. a small bust will probably need to be padded.

Miranda Kerr

Emma Stone

perhaps it is true that the past is a great mentor for the present.

fash'on... BAM!

rise of the machines

the fashionable silhouette in the early 1900s was that of a confident woman, with full low chest and curvy hips. the "health corset" of this period removed pressure from the abdomen and created an S-curve silhouette.

image from historic fashion

in 1897, the silhouette slimmed and elongated by a considerable amount. blouses and dresses were full in front and puffed into a "pigeon breast" shape of the early 20th century that looked over the narrow waist, which sloped from back to front and was often accented with a sash or belt. necklines were supported by very high boned collars. skirts brushed the floor, often with a train, even for day dresses, in mid-decade. 

the fashion houses of paris began to show a new silhouette, with a thicker waist, flatter bust, and narrower hips. by the end of the decade the most fashionable skirts cleared the floor and approached the ankle. the overall silhouette narrowed and straightened, beginning a trend that would continue into the years leading up to the great war.

by 1907, clothing was increasingly factory-made and often sold in large, fixed price department stores. custom sewing and home sewing were still significant, but on the decline. new machinery and materials changed clothing in many ways.

garment sweatshops

the introduction of the lock-stitch sewing machine in mid-century simplified both home and boutique dressmaking, and enabled a fashion for lavish application of trim that would have been prohibitively time-consuming if done by hand. lace machinery made lace at a fraction of the cost of the old, laborious methods. new materials from far-flung british colonies gave rise to new types of clothing (such as rubber, which made gumboots and mackintoshes possible.) chemists developed new, cheap, bright dyes that displaced the old animal or vegetable dyes.

unfussy, tailored clothes were worn for outdoor activities and traveling. the shirtwaist, a costume with a bodice or waist tailored like a man's shirt with a high collar, was adopted for informal daywear and became the uniform of working women. wool or tweed suit called tailor-mades or (in french) tailleurs featured ankle-length skirts with matching jackets; ladies of fashion wore them with fox furs and huge hats. 

two new styles of hats that became popular at the turn of the century were the automobile bonnet for riding and sailor's hat worn for tennis matches, bicycling and croquet.

this first decade of the machine age marked the full flowering of parisian haute couture as the arbiter of styles and silhouettes for women of all classes. 

in 1908, a new silhouette emerged from callot soeurs, vionnet at the house of doucet, and most importantly, paul poiret. 

 merveilleuse, directoire and empire

the styles were variously called merveilleuse, directoire and empire after the fashions of the turn of the nineteenth century, which they resembled in their narrow skirts and raised waistlines. the new styles featured form-fitting gowns with high or indefined waists, or ankle-length skirts and long tunic-like jackets, and required a different "straight line" corset. 

fash'on... BAM!