The fashion of the 1900s was focused on keeping women in the United States concealed. Women were always seen wearing long dresses, because society thought that it was …show more content…
Sometimes women would wear skirts with blouses that were known to be very heavy and puffy. Women’s fashion changed slightly in 1908 and women started to wear “tailored suits tailored blouses and skirts. The s-shaped corset was still worn, however” (Hilke). Ready to wear clothing was very popular during the early 1900s as well. The ready to wear clothing was a way to mass produce clothing, so that people wouldn’t have to go through the lengthy process of making clothes to exactly fit one person. The popularity of these clothes is expressed in the following lines, “The sustained demand for ready-to-wear clothing at all price levels convinced manufacturers of the need to create efficiencies” (Marketti and Parsons pg 2). This reference shows that ready to wear clothing appealed to all social classes in the United States and everyone loved that these clothes were created in a less timely manner. Everyday life for women consisted of caring for the house and the children. Women were seen as the maids and nannies of the household. They didn’t have a lot of independence and society in the 20th century told them that …show more content…
Women were allowed to wear makeup as long as it was in small amounts and modeling become very popular. People started to see “fashion was a part of their identity” and they supported the women’s new fashion (Harrison). This reference shows that society as a whole was changing and people were more open minded to alterations. Another addition to the 1920s was the acceptance of drinking and smoking. The author of Flapper Fashion In the Context of Cultural Changes of America in the 1920s stated, “Drinking and smoking became symbols of young culture” (Park). Established above is evidence that fashion has the ability to change civilizations perception of acceptable behavior. As a nation, people started to accept the increasing display of women’s legs. This change in societal opinion is seen in the following lines, “At the beginning of the decade it was considered risque for a woman to reveal her legs to society, however, by the end of the decade it was acceptable for women to wear dresses and skirts which revealed their legs” (Harrison). The changes explained above show the increasing freedom and acceptance of America as a whole. Women now had the ability to break away from the stereotypes that society had retained for so long. The rising hemlines were a symbol for “womens freedoms to be more involved in activities such as dancing, dating several men, and working in jobs that were more traditionally