1890-1910

Industrial revolution

Before the 1800's, fashion was restricted because making garments was a long process with long hours of hand-sewing, however in the mid 18th century the industrial revolution took a turn, which changed fashion completely. This impact from the industrial revolution was huge for fashion,as new machines were built to manufacture clothes.Such as, the cotton gin. this machine changed how cotton was cleaned and processed, increasing cotton production and use. Other machines that were a major impact in fashion included  the flying shuttle,spinning jenny and "mule" machines. they were used for weaving fabrics, therefor making the mass of production in fabrics increase. all this meant fabric became cheaper as it was easier to make, so the poorer were able to buy more clothes and it was more common to have nicer attire. 

Flying Shuttle Machine

La Belle Epoque

la Belle Epoque was a very prominent era in fashion. The French names this era La Belle Epoque which means beautiful age. I believe that the name is very appropriate as the era was full of beautiful clothes, but only the very wealthy could afford this kind of luxurious lifestyle, however more people were becoming richer and the increase of middle class. The clothes were more accessible as more factories opened and there were more options about transportation such as steam ships. La Belle Epoque was the period 1890-1914. This era ended just before the First World War started. This comes to no shock to me as the materials needed for the dresses must have been expensive and with the war brewing, money was tight.
this was also the age where empire line and leg of mutton sleeve came into fashion, however the popular trend of the S-bend corset ended in 1910. The s-bend worked by forcing the torso forward to make the hips more protrude, removing the pressure from the abdomen and creating an s-shaped silhouette. you can see how this would have been a much more healthier option to a standard Victorian corset. What I love about this age is that it wasn't just the accentuated silhouettes that made the clothes beautiful on women, but the fabrics that were used. Exotic fabrics, silks, elaborate laces.

Edwardian Fashion

Edwardian fashion was focused very much on the silhouette of women. In the 1980's "The Gibson Girl" was a influential part of what beauty should look like in a woman. An American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson drew tall, confident young women with slender waistlines and layers of soft waved hair piled high on their heads. this is what became the next beauty standard for the next two decades!

Paul Poiret- french designer

When queen Victoria died in 1901 her son king Edward the 7th came to the thrown. Edward the 7th was a more relaxed and enjoyable king, therefore fashion began to change to be more relaxed as well. Paul Poiret then designed (in 1910) much looser fitting dresses.Poiret worked with empire lines a lot and he developed a way of pleating silk so that it hung and draped beautifully. One example of the dresses he designed is a dress called  a "lamp shade dress". this was constructed with an over-blouse with a hoop that finished around the waist and then layers underneath that.
 "whenever I sign a garment with my name, I consider myself as the creator of the masterpiece" Paul Poiret 

I personally love this era. Just the variety in beautiful clothes, The dresses are delicate and each one has the most amazing detail. Fabric styles changing considerably. You can really see the changes in fashion in the first decade of the 1900. A wonderful era for fashion.