Fads and Fashions 1910-1919

Some of the fads and fashions of the 1910’s may seem strange to us. The woman’s hair was often put up in hats and turbans with close cropped hair underneath. The hemline of their fashionable skirt became higher and rose above the ankles. This was partly because women began to work in the garden and using cars more often. They needed a higher skirt so the material didn’t get in the way of the accelerator or brakes. The skirts of women also became narrower.

A look that became popular because of ballets was the Arabian look. One of the ballets that used this look was Scheherazade. The 1910’s were really simple on style. Society dressed according to what was excepted in society and morally correct. Fashion in the years 1910–1919 is characterized by a rich and exotic opulence in the first half of the decade in contrast with the somber practicality of garments worn during the Great War. Men’s trousers were worn cuffed to ankle-length and creased. Skirts rose from floor length to well above the ankle, women began to bob their hair, and the stage was set for the radical new fashions associated with the Jazz Age of the 1920s.

The fashion for men stayed quite the same as in the 1900’s. Black suits were quite popular. Also, on a more casual day, they would wear trousers with suspenders. A look they often wore were arrow collars, but they didn’t have any special way to fix their hair. In general, styles were unchanged from the previous decade. Hair was generally worn short. Wide moustaches were often curled. The sack coat or lounge coat continued to replace the frock coat. A frock coat is a man’s coat characterized by knee-length skirts all around the base, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. For most informal and semi-formal occasions. Three-piece suits consisting of a sack coat with matching waistcoat (U.S. vest) and trousers were worn, as were matching coat and waistcoat with contrasting trousers, or matching coat and trousers with contrasting waistcoat. Trousers were ankle length with turn-ups or cuffs, and were creased front and back using a trouser press.