Fashion: the beginning of the 20th century in Russia and Europe

In the twentieth century, many events happened, many discoveries were made, which subsequently turned the world around. It touched and fashion. Thanks to the events of that time, we see women in pants and swimsuits today, which was once unacceptable, but, interestingly, what happened in the beginning of the 20th century for the fashionable "upheavals"?

Features of fashion in the early 20th century

By the beginning of the 20th century, the same fashion features remained as in the late 19th century. Women's clothing was not very comfortable. By this time the young ladies wore dresses in the floor, fashionable were still high hats and hairstyles, heavy fur coats. Ladies before the beginning of the century still wore low uncomfortable corsets, which could reach a girth of 45 centimeters at the waist and could thereby ruin health, which was the last straw before completely giving up this attribute of clothing. Something had to be changed, and by that time many changes in fashion had just begun to take place.
The very first years of the 20th century still retained the echoes of the end of the previous century. Designers followed the style of Art Nouveau, who dominated art. The woman was presented as very feminine, airy and unearthly creation.

Women's fashion of the early 20th century

But nevertheless, some innovations began to appear at the very beginning in 1900. If earlier women wore A-shaped dresses, then in the first decade they were replaced by dresses that were more contiguous to the hips. And uncomfortable corsets with a low waist were replaced first by soft corsets with a high waist, and then completely ceased to be used. Also before 1906, very wide sleeves were popular, which narrowed to the elbows and to the wrist. Such changes have changed the look of women.

A very long fashion for the "hourglass", which consisted of lush hips, a very narrow waist and lush breasts, the kind of which women tried to achieve with the help of clothes, gave way to a more "rectangular" and simplified silhouette. Uncomfortable, and sometimes sacrificial beauty, was replaced every time by practicality and convenience, so the beautiful half of humanity met innovations with absolute support and interest. By the second half of the decade, after the disappearance of the corset, the waist was emphasized with ribbons. Long dresses to the floor were shortened to the ankles.

Fashion designers greatly simplified the silhouette of clothes for women, making it more direct. Dresses were sewn already with a wide waist or completely unattached.

It was popular sportswear, which was a comfortable dress for various types of activity. The motorcycle veil worn on driving a car, and a canoe hat for walking on a bicycle, for playing tennis and much more have also gained popularity.

Accessories

The fashion also changed for women's bags. At the beginning of the century, small handbags were still worn, but a few years later they became larger and more roomy.

A special emphasis in the image was made on the bonnet. Ladies liked to wear models with wide margins with various decorations in the form of feathers, ribbons, beads. A hat is an essential accessory of any fashionista. By the end of the century, hats with hanging down fields, covering a little face, were in fashion. The shoes were narrow on a low heel and also decorated with ribbons and various buttons.

Jewelry also underwent a change: intricate patterns were replaced by a flat surface, precious stones were replaced with semiprecious pebbles and enamel, china was used more often. In other words, jewelry became simpler and more restrained.

Hairstyles and makeup

In the fashion was aristocratic pallor, which the girls tried to emphasize as much as possible with the help of powder and various means of bleaching the skin (for example, lemon juice). Make-up was applied at a minimum. Lipsticks used, but the color should have been very soft. Eyes were emphasized by a small number of shadows. Bright makeup was considered a bad form.

It was very fashionable hairstyle, called the "Marseilles wave", which was invented by Marcel Grato. With the help of hot tongs, a neat wave was made on the hair.

Thanks to the silent cinema, short haircuts entered in 1909, and their popularity lasted long thanks to the First World War, when women, helping wounded in hospitals, simply could not take care of their hair.

The beginning of the last century gave the world now known to all hairstyles - "quads" and "gansons."

But long hair was in fashion on a par with short. Girls liked loose curls (straight or curled) to gather behind the knot.

Children's fashion

The girls of that time wore knee-length dresses of the same type as those of adult women, who, with their finishing, looked very much like nightgowns. For the convenience of games appeared on dresses sleeves on the elbows. And as a shoe worn black shoes or boots with buttons or lace-trimmed.

Wore also woolen stockings or leggings and gloves.

Men's fashion

But in the men's clothes, no significant changes occurred. Everything also remained conservative and comfortable to wear. Men wore trousers, coats, long coats, which remains universal even today. Large long-fur coats made from animal wool, which were often worn in the winter in the second half of the 19th century, the fashion for which went along with the "gold rush", also went out of fashion.

Thaws, tuxedos, and butterflies were worn at official and solemn events.

In this sense, the English king of those times, Edward 7 was considered an icon of the style of men's fashion of the early 20th century. It is assumed that he introduced the fashion into arrows on pants and podvoroty.

It is worth noting that the silhouette of clothing has become universal for all classes: what for the workers, what for the rich. But, accordingly, clothes differ only in the quality of fabric and tailoring.

In the fashion remained hats and cylinders, but came to the male attributes of the so-called bowler, which was worn along with the daily outfit.

The hair of the man was sheared mostly shortly. The beard and mustache remained, only the beard was cut already more roundly, while earlier it was usually made acute.

"High-fashion"

The first decade also marked the flourishing of the so-called Parisian "high fashion", which spread throughout Europe. Fashion magazines have become popular, postcards on this subject have been issued. All kinds of exhibitions and shows were replaced one by one.

Paris is still considered the capital of fashion, although it has been a century!

Great couturiers

Jacques Duse wanted to become an artist, but when his parents died, he inherited the business of selling underwear. Thus, having connected himself with this body, at the beginning of the last century, he reborn the production given to him in the inheritance in the most important fashion house in Paris and thanks to him the world saw many beautiful outfits. He also helped a lot to become famous fashion designers such as Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionne.

A significant contribution to the history of fashion was made by a former umbrella merchant - already mentioned by Paul Poiret, who later became a great designer. It was he who simplified the dresses by removing the lower skirt-lining and corset in them. And it was he who shortened the skirts to the ankles. The designer also significantly decorated the outerwear, because before it, for all its quality, did not differ between the variety. Paul Poiret issued a collection of coats in the Slavic style, which differed in style and distinguished by the beauty of patterns and ornaments.

Jeanne Paken is the first woman couturier. She, together with her husband Isidore Paken, created the Fashion House, which has an unprecedented success. Dresses of her collections were worn by women of fashion all over the world.

Russian fashion of the early 20th century

What happened to the clothes in the Slavic world of those times? Women's fashion of the early 20th century in Russia fell under the considerable influence of the Art Nouveau style and in general was subjected to almost the same changes as in Europe. Also the silhouette with a narrow waist, but a magnificent breast, on more rectangular and more облегающий changed.

Were popular fashion magazines, such as "New Fashion", "Paris Fashion". There were famous even Russian fashion houses. There are many photos of the early 20th century. Fashion in the Russian Empire was in step with the world fashion.

But apart from the influence of Europe, the Russian fashion was significantly exposed to Japanese trends because of the Russo-Japanese War. Especially it is noticeable in the hairstyles of women of fashion who, thanks to the hair, tried to create on the head a tall, magnificent rise in the style of the Japanese geisha's hairstyles .

Another fashion of Russian women differed from the European with more vivid colors. Dresses were quite colorful, in contrast to the restrained colors of European outfits. They still had more decor than in the western. Dresses could be lined with a cross, smoothness, lots of lace and many others.

Furs remained popular. Ladies often wore couplings in the winter.

It is worth mentioning well-known personalities who contributed to the Russian fashion. For example, the Frenchman by origin Rene Brizak created the most famous fashion house in St. Petersburg. And Olga Bulbenkova created a workshop where luxurious dresses were made, where even the dresses of empresses of that time were sewed. There were many more fashion designers in the Russian Empire.

Conclusion

The beginning of the twentieth century brought about significant changes in fashion. The heaviness and closedness of the outfits changed the simplicity and ease. The ladies ceased to wear uncomfortable corsets, the dresses became shorter, light, tight, with a less expressed waist, but remained as feminine and beautiful as the modern style. Even decorations were simplified, but the decor of dresses and hats remained all the same very diverse and interesting: different laces, beads, feathers, ribbons.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a peak when large fashion houses and great designers became famous around the world, and their fashion collections from all over the world attracted their collections and dresses.

Russian fashion has taken a lot from European, but the European fashion has taken a lot from Russian. For example, a coat trimmed in a Slavic style.

There have been significant changes, followed by the subsequent fashionable "revolutions" of the 20th century, thanks to which we see clothes today as it is: simple and convenient.