Introduction:
In this time period a slimmer hourglass figure regained popularity. In this time period a new form of corset was created, which was much less painful to it's wearer. This new corset created the new S-curve which had a very unnatural-looking bent posture. As WWI began and women started to take up jobs to provide for their families, fashion had to become much more comfortable for women. This lead to the increasing popularity of the shirtwaist, a simple button down blouse that is tucked under the waist band. Due to the ongoing World War, this working woman was heavily promoted as being a "patriotic" look, causing it to grow rapidly. In the 20s clothing continued to become more comfortable as the plated skirt was introduced and the restricting corset where finally discarded in popular fashion.
Primary Source:
This photo was taken out of a vogue magazine from 1920. In this picture, we can see how the tight, form-fitting design of previous time periods have been completely discarded, in favor of more simple and comfortable designs. These loose fitting clothes were perfect for the ideal look of the working woman developed in the time due to WW1.
Photographs:
This is an example of the S-curve that was developed in the early 1900s before the outbreak of WW1 which began to develop the more comfortable loose attire. The posture for the S-curve was very unnatural, as the it forced people into a forward leaning position. While the corsets that were used the achieve this silhouette were an improvement from the former corsets that caused extreme pain for their wearer, they were still linked to many abnormalities in the spine and rib cage.
This picture is of an evening gown designed in 1912. This shows the shift from very stiff, and tight clothing that heavily emphasized the curves of the body, to loose fitting garments that were comfortable to wear. The design is also much more simple and modest, which is likely due to the shift of focus in the nation to the ongoing war efforts in Europe, and the emphasis on the working woman.
This image from 1929 shows a couple on a cruise ship. The woman is wearing a skirt that is much shorter than what we had seen in previous time periods. she is also wearing very simple and comfortable top-wear, which also contrasts with previous eras. This shows that the comfortable clothing with more freedom of movement remained popular even after WW1, where comfortable clothing was made necessary because of the influx of working women.