This was an era of a lot of social change. The upheaval in the world led to even a striking change in trend in fashion. The First World War took place in this decade and the consequences of the war were so intense that it led to a natural depression… in every aspect of life. This was not a time when people really cared about luxury and other materialistic things. Fashion took a backseat. This was a time when people’s main worry was about staying alive. That is all that really mattered.
The First World War was of course a very historic and significant episode of the decade but other stuff too helped shape the fashion trends of the decade. There were significant movements before and even after this war that were not taken lightly. American society went through a radical change with the suffrage movement and the influenza epidemic. Titanic sank in 1912. Frank Wright became famous. And silent films were adored.
Dresses were not like they used to be. Women were rebelling all over the world. The corset was thrown away. Women refused to torture themselves any longer to get that tiny waist. The hobble skirt was the new craze. It looked a lot like harem skirts that were worn in the Middle East for ages. Paul Poiret was the ‘designer of the decade’. His clothes were strongly influenced by colours and designs of the East. Skirts became just so narrow that it became tough to even move in them without them tearing. Shoes and even hosiery became colourful and really exotic. Shoes too were different. Paul Poiret created a line of slippers that were jewelled and looked incredibly Eastern.
The years 1914 to 1918 changed everybody’s lives. Men were scarce. They were all off fighting the war. Women were left behind and so had to work in they factories to keep them functioning. Women became more independent due to this. They also became more active since they had to do all the running around because of work and to also keep their households together. Shoes had to be more practical. Clothes started to look Mannish. Fabric was scarce and so dresses became shorter. Evening wear was no longer a prerequisite for entry even at the most fancy places. Tie up boots were worn since they were practical, durable, and stable. This is when ‘spectator boots’ came into being. Canvas and leather was used even in women’s shoes and were decorated with cut steel buckles and other accessories.
Once the war got over, different things became a la mode. Sportswear became popular and was seen on everyone as daily wear. The first sneaker was designed in 1917. The name came into being since these were the only shoes that did not make noise when you walked and so it seemed as though a person had ‘sneaked’ upon another.
Men no longer wore frock coats and double breasted jackets. The ‘dandy look’ was ‘in’. The young wore three-piece suits though with pants that had double knees. Clothing in general started to resemble the clothes worn today and has moved in this direction ever since.
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