TIP #504 - FASHIONS REFLECTED SOCIETY 1910-1920 In a former tip, I tried to help us muddle through some of the clothing styles of various decades so we could hopefully date some of the photographs we all have stuck away with no identification. I was just given a tin type by my mother which belonged to her grandmother. No identification, no memory of who it was - a beautiful and serene woman sitting in a straight backed chair, holding a Bible and in an ornate case. In checking with a friend who is quite good in dating photographs, he dated it pre-Civil War, approximately 1850. That helped ... now, if I knew who she was! I am also awaiting pictures of 3 wedding gowns from a museum in Woodford Co IL. One of them belongs to one of our Gorin gals who married in 1846. But, during a renovation at the museum, all the names and donor cards were lost. I only caught a glimpse of a photograph of the gown about 10 years ago and have to try to determine for them, and for me, which was belonged to our family. This week, I'd like to take a little different approach and see how the world reflected the wardrobes of our 20th century ancestors. As much as I hate to admit it, this is the 21st century so I am now history! With each decade, there was a change in people's wardrobes that in some ways reflected what was going on in the world around them. I'm starting with 1910-1920 as there was a dramatic shift in the world at this time. 1910-1920. Several major events occurred during this decade. Up until 1914, Americans felt rather secure. All was well with the world, Americans were prospering and giving little thought to the past wars we had gone through; the Revolutionary War was just a memory and the Civil War veterans had settled back into their lives, many with permanent injuries and illnesses related to the war. But in 1914, the world changed and soon America could change forever. World War I rumblings at first might not affected people in the Ohio Valley, but the headlines wouldn't go away. Soon, local papers began carrying more and more reports of atrocities and all too soon America itself would be thrust into yet another war, this one fought not on our soil but in areas barely known except in the geography books. Then other changes made their presence known - Women's Sufferage - the beginning of Prohibition - the flu epidemic of 1918 - the sinking of the Titanic. It was a decade of change, uncertainty, fear, promise and changing clothing styles. Women started breaking free of the corseted look of earlier times; they felt freer. Skirts reminded one of Middle Eastern "harem" skirts. Some skirts were so tightly fitting and narrow that women were said to have put rope around their legs under the dress to keep them from taking too big a step and splitting the skirt! Color in clothing came into vogue instead of the basic black and white outfits of earlier times. Boots and shoes were often jeweled and not the plain shoes of the past. As the war continued, another change was forced upon the women. Most of their men were off to war and the women had to work outside of the home. They needed practical clothes too; comfortable shoes for standing along the assembly lines; clothes that were comfortable and easy to work in. This was likely the first time that the hemlines started to creep up. It was difficult to stand for a long period of time around equipment with bulky, frilly dresses full of lace and buttons and swooshing across the floor. So women's dresses became more masculine in appearance as they were called on to do a man's job. Even the shoes took on what would now be called a unisex look, many going back to older time with laces going up high on the leg to give support to the lady's legs. During the war times, even the social gatherings were less "dress up" and people wore more "casual" clothes to the fanciest of affairs. As soon as the war ended and the menfolk who were fortunate enough to have survived came home; Americans all over again started looking at more fashionable attire. Many women turned in the assembly line for changing diapers again; some chose to remain in what was once the man's world. But, at the same time, the casual wear had grown in popularity and companies began producing sporting clothing in great numbers. Shoes known as Keds, made the scene in 1917 and people loved them. Manufactured by U S Rubber the soles, much like the moccasin, made no noise and people could "sneak" around in them. Looking at the man's wardrobe, if not a military uniform, it was fashionable to wear a one, two or three button cutaway frock coat or a double breasted jacket known as "straight-lined" or "sack" Slacks were wide at the ankle, normally about 22 inches! If a gent wanted to look really in vogue, he was always seen with a cane in public, even when it was not needed. We have all seen pictures, I am sure, of the hero in the movies of that time frame with his fancy and highly decorated cane that he often twirled around. Even in the movies with the famous male dancers of those time and newer, the cane was a stable. And men would not be seen without their hat that had to coordinate with their suit. Bowler hats, homburg hats (a little less formal) or a boater (a straw hat) for non-formal wear. The women liked the latter also. No man was well dressed unless he had a high collar and a bow tie! Boys and younger men who had not reached the pinnacle of society dressed in three piece suits which consisted of coat, vest and knee pants. The hem of the pants met at the top of their socks. What if you didn't live in high society? What if you were just an average man and woman working on the farm in Kentucky and your idea of a social evening was a singing at church, a circus passing through town or sitting on the front porch sipping lemonade? Then you wore what was comfortable, cleaned and often patched, homemade sometimes still from the town mercantile, or ordered from some far away place like Louisville or Nashville. More comfortable than the pioneer days but not in vogue for a night out on the town in the big city. Next week - 1920-1930. (c) Copyright 26 Aug 2004, Sandra K. Gorin. All rights reserved. Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/