military influence on fashion, WWI (part two)

i've excavated my archives and photographed a few of my favourite pieces from the time period discussed below.  every garment posted is part of my wardrobe rotation -- and every time these lovely ladies see the light of day, people are astonished to hear their story (and age!) since the styles are surprisingly fashion foward.  below is a woman named agnes bickel on her wedding day, 1922:

here is the wedding suit, a delightful creation of the darkest blue wool with exquisite hand embroidery, tassels, and asymmetrical cummerbund belt closure.

black wool walking suit with incredible embroidered petal detail.  labelled "hamburger's, los angeles, cal".  hamburger's department store opened on 8th and broadway in 1908 and was celebrated as the "biggest department store in town".

charming blue wool coat with teal contrast, trimmed with celluloid buttons large and small.

whew!  taking military button trim to an extreme with this black wool walking suit jacket that would take the wearer ages to close.  luckily, it looks equally stunning worn open.  labelled "exclusive wearing apparel, the stern and mann co., the woman's store, canton, ohio".

lastly, it is not uncommon to find these walking suit jackets are lined with vibrant patterned silks, intentionally done to offset the understated exteriors.  unfortunately, many of these extraordinary jacket linings were constructed of weighted silk, which disintegrates rapidly even under the most favourable storage conditions.

military influence on fashion, WWI (part one)

a design project i've recently been assigned had me contemplating one of my favourite (but sadly neglected) periods in fashion, the late 1910's and early 1920's.  when considering military inspiration in fashion, we've yet to see an era that changed the way we dress as substantially as world war I.  for the first time in history, women began working outside the home in droves; they supported the war effort by entering the navy and the red cross.  a need in the workplace also arose from the absence left by enlisted men, forcing women to abandon domestic work for postal work and administrative tasks.  the police even began to accept women for positions.  these catalogue pages ranging from 1918-1921 clearly illustrates the impact of these changes in society, creating a high demand for practicality which emerged here and still remains a staple nearly a century later.

notice the use of details directly derived from military uniforms -- soutache, military braiding, button trims, and belts with buckles.  these techniques of decorating garments evolved with the introduction of more subdued colours coupled with the lack of jewellry.  the trend stemming from necessity extends beyond the conclusion of the Great War in 1918 and on into the early 1920's.