1910's

The 1910's

Orientalism

Orientalism is a term that is used by art historians, literary and cultural studies scholars for the imitation or depiction of aspects in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian cultures.

"Orientalism" to refer to a general superior Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian and North African societies and cultures. The overall feeling of Orientalism was that these cultures are exotic because they are not "advanced" like Western culture which makes their style of dress exotic and almost rebellious to wear. We now understand and acknowledge just how damaging and insulting this viewpoint is and how that leads to cultural appropriation. Nevertheless, it is an important part of fashion history and cannot be ignored.

The 1910's were characterized by exotic extravagance and a small feminine silhouette. This was because the 1910's was directly after World War 1 when clothing needed to be more practical and less showy. But now that the war was over that allowed women to dress much more boldly and more feminine than they could during War time.

Each garment to our eyes today, seems like a costume or a show piece. Hem lines rose to just above the ankle, which may seem very restricting to us, it was revolutionary for women, since before this all hem lines reached the floor and beyond, making walking great distances difficult. Now that hemlines were at ankle length, women could venture out and do more such as sports and more lively dancing. They could walk!

Defining Characteristics of a 1910's Design:

Waistlines were high falling just under the bust, the most popular silhouette being a tunic over a long underskirt.
Vivid colors, ornamentation, turbans, harem pants, and kimono styles were popular.
Overall a feeling of decorative femininity.
Elaborate hats, fur stoles, ribbons, embroidery were popular.
Corsets also became less restrictive, paving the way for the complete abandonment of them in the 1920s.
Hair is pulled back and done up to accommodate the head pieces. Natural curls were celebrated.

Paul Poiret

Paul Poiret (20 April 1879, Paris, France – 30 April 1944, Paris) was a leading French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.

He is the man responsible for throwing elaborate parties and the some of the first official "fashion shows" as we know them today. He understood the cultural and society around his designs were just as important as the clothing itself.

The Art Deco movement also happened at this time, further influencing the decorative quality to fashion. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.

Assignment # 1

Copy and paste the following questions into a new slide in your google slide presentation and answer them in complete sentences.

What happened to hem lines in the 1910's?
Why was that so important?
Why was fashion more feminine in the 1910's?
Name at least 3 defining characteristics of a 1910's look.
What is Orientalism?
How did Orientalism effect fashion of the 1910's?
Why is Orientalism problematic?

Assignment #2

You are to create a collage with at least 10 images about the 1910's. Don't just limit yourself to fashion. Look up 1910's background for the background of your collage.

Remember this is your reference/ brainstorming stage for your design!

Assignment # 3:

You are to create one 1910's inspired women's garment. It must include the following:

It must be a fully drawn and colored look from head to toe.
There must be a hat or head piece of some kind.
There must be a background.
There must be at least one additional accessory (this can include parasols-umbrellas, fur stoles, walking cane, flowers etc) Think over the top decadence!
It must have a silhouette that was popular at the time. Look at examples on this webpage or on google images.
It must show evidence of good work ethic and EFFORT.