Fashion In The 1910 Essay, Research Paper

1910’s

North America in the 1910’s was a turning point in history. Historic events

include the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912 when more than 1500 people

lost their lives. The first moving assembly line began in 1914 and in 1915, the

one millionth Model T ($345) rolled off the assembly line. Other news events

included the initiation of the The National Park Service and Prohibition (1919).

Jim Thorpe, an American Indian, won gold medals at the Olympics (although his

medals were later taken away because he had played baseball for a salary earlier

in his career), the first parachute jump was made, and the Girl Scouts of

America were formed. North America became the most highly industrialized place

during this time. Tobacco was a big business, with immigrants to New York City

accounting for 25% of the tobacco purchasing. The mass production of cars

created a nationwide prosperity and resulted in one of the most profound social

changes in our history. Popular culture became a national product and pasttime.

All over the world people were dancing the new dance crazes, listening to jazz

tunes, and wearing new fashions. The Gibson Girl was it the last year of its

popularity. Women were begining to want to think more of comfort during the

1910s, although they quickly fell for the hobble skirt. Fabrics became lighter,

colors are brighter, and styles are looser. Rayon, a manufactured fiber, becomes

more popular in the 1920s for women’s clothing. This causes a decline in

cotton’s use. Lowered necklines became popular and sales of cold cream and lemon

extract escalate. The Tea Gown was worn ‘at home.’ The sack, the sheath,

oriental costumes, harem trousers, and the Hellenic tunic were all introduced.

These were important years for furs. Head gear was worn, for costume putposes.

Automobiling costume was needed to protect clothing from the dust of the dirt

roads because cars did not have windshields. A duster (long overcoat) was worn

with a visor and goggles. Women wore face veils. Once cars became more practical

transportation, special apparel was not needed. When the war began, fashion

design and export came to a standstill. "Made in America" fad began.

The suffragettes started a more comfortable fashion – no more hobble skirt – and

lots of pockets. Hemlines inched up. Since women were entering the work force

the clothes needed to be more comfortable and enable for easier movement. Some

women even wore trousers for war work. Visible changes in acceptable dress for

women paralleled changes in women’s social roles. Men,on the other hand, during

the 1910s, wore striped trousers, a morning coat and starched white shirt. A top

hat and frock coat were also worn. At home, informal lounge suits, tweed jackets

and striped blazers were popular with dinner jackets in the evening.

Duriing the 1910’s social problems flourished in the U.S. During the 1910s

labor unions continued to grow as the middle classes became more and more

unhappy. Unsafe working conditions were growing. A big example of that was the

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in which 145 female workers were killed.

Children were hired to work in factories, mills, and mines for long hours in

unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Though efforts to pass a federal law proved

unsuccessful, by the middle of this decade every state had passed a minimum age

law. A commission found that up to 20% of the children living in cities were

undernourished, education took second place to hunger and while children worked,

only one-third enrolled in elementary school and less than 10% graduated from

high school. Women were also striving for equality. The first suffrage parade

was held in 1910 – the 19th amendment finally ratified in 1919.

Altogether, a decade to remember.