FIFTY YEARS OF WOMEN’S FASHIONS
The turn of the century saw the women of
America forsaking the exaggerated style of dress
for the trim, tailored, dignified style of the Gib
son girl. The fifty years since that time have seen
Mrs. U. S. A. forsake many styles, finally arriving
at a happy medium for 1950.
The clothes that adorn the fair sex today com
bines most of the best features of the last fifty
years, while some of the worst mistakes have been
eliminated. Remember the flapper silhouette of
the 1920’s and the "New Look” of late vintage?
The skirts of today are neither too long nor too
short, neither too old or too young.
The style makers are not trying for the elegance
of the Gibson girl nor the boyishness of the late
20’s. Some believe that the ladies are growing up,
and that fashions of the future will be graceful,
comfortable and natural. However, since dress
makers were born, has there been a time when
fashion remained at a standstill. Women soon get
bored with the same silhouette, so the future will
probably see many old and new horrors appear
on the fashion sheets. Skirts will go up and down
and waistlines will go in and out of fashion.
The standard of beauty in 1900 was the 18 inch
waist, with the stays almost cutting the more de
termined ladies in half. By 1910 this feature had
not changed very much, and the Gibson girl was
still the idol.
World War I relieved the women of the cor
set—the unbelted waistline came by 1920. The
flapper silhouette reached its grotesque height in
1926—skirts above the knees, belts below the
hips, and the wash-pot hat.
Mrs. U. S. A. soon became bored with ugly
flapper, and by 1930 the skirts were down and
the waistline was up again. The mid-30’s brought
the Empress Eugenie silhouette—with dipping
hemlines and small hats with ostrich plumes.
As the tension of the times increased, skirts
started upward again and by 1940 was back at
the knees. With World War II the women found
their silhouettes frozen because of government
fabric restrictions. By the end of the war they
were pretty sick of the short skirt and every other
piece of attire—they were ready for anything.
That is probably why they plunged headlong
into the "new look,” with the awkward ankle
length, skirts six yards around the hemline and
lacets in their waist. The "new look” was short
lived and a year later common sense had returned,
and it looks as if its here to stay.
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