On July 28, 1914 the First World War began in Europe. It lasted three years before the United States joined the fight in April of 1917. It is no question that the few years of United States involvement were greatly impactful on American society. Additionally, the three years before American involvement were impactful on American society. The First World War, or the Great War, had a large effect on the American people and American society, specifically in fashion. Women’s fashion dramatically, and permanently transformed during and around the years of World War I. As the war went on, dresses shifted from long, thin skirts to loose pants, to shorter dresses, consequently forming into the popular flapper style of the 1920s. This shift is largely
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They no longer wished to show wealth or opulence, but wished to gain some power in the world. The men went off to fight, leaving the women at home, but women did not choose to grieve, or sit alone all day. Women made an effort to fill places and, in a way, fight in the war alongside the men. Although women did not do much of the actual fighting, they supported the troops in any way they could. In Dressed For War: Uniform, Civilian Clothing and Trappings, there is a section on women in uniform and the many women who became nurses and went to the front lines to help wounded, or stayed in America for those who could make the journey for medical help. It mostly discusses the fashion of the women in uniform. Most of the uniforms were nursing uniforms because these women were mostly volunteers for the Red Cross; therefore they donned uniforms displaying the Red Cross emblem on the front. These uniforms expressed a great change in women’s status because women were able to help in the war and have an impact on the outcome, moreover gaining some power, or feeling of power and independence for themselves. They were right next to the war and, even involved in it. In her article, Susan F. Saidenberg included excerpts of the diary of one American nurse, Ella Jane Osborne. Osborn wrote about an experience where people bombed the makeshift hospital and they had to evacuate the tent at 11 P.M. She also explained in her diary the amount of work she did. Every entry includes a statement of how tired she was, or how much work she had done that day for the military. These small entries and stories show how much women worked at the time and how capable they were of hard work. These women experienced just as much pain and heartache as the men because of their involvement in the war. Many women, including wealthier members of society, joined the workforce during the war to support their country and fill the holes that men left.
They no longer wished to show wealth or opulence, but wished to gain some power in the world. The men went off to fight, leaving the women at home, but women did not choose to grieve, or sit alone all day. Women made an effort to fill places and, in a way, fight in the war alongside the men. Although women did not do much of the actual fighting, they supported the troops in any way they could. In Dressed For War: Uniform, Civilian Clothing and Trappings, there is a section on women in uniform and the many women who became nurses and went to the front lines to help wounded, or stayed in America for those who could make the journey for medical help. It mostly discusses the fashion of the women in uniform. Most of the uniforms were nursing uniforms because these women were mostly volunteers for the Red Cross; therefore they donned uniforms displaying the Red Cross emblem on the front. These uniforms expressed a great change in women’s status because women were able to help in the war and have an impact on the outcome, moreover gaining some power, or feeling of power and independence for themselves. They were right next to the war and, even involved in it. In her article, Susan F. Saidenberg included excerpts of the diary of one American nurse, Ella Jane Osborne. Osborn wrote about an experience where people bombed the makeshift hospital and they had to evacuate the tent at 11 P.M. She also explained in her diary the amount of work she did. Every entry includes a statement of how tired she was, or how much work she had done that day for the military. These small entries and stories show how much women worked at the time and how capable they were of hard work. These women experienced just as much pain and heartache as the men because of their involvement in the war. Many women, including wealthier members of society, joined the workforce during the war to support their country and fill the holes that men left.