In the 1900s the Victorian era clothing “spilled over” into this decade. Your clothing showed how rich or poor you were. For the women, an hour glass shape waist was a very popular look and all the women wanted this look. No matter what type of garment, it would be made to show off the tightly corseted torso. This image was achieved by wearing a corset. A corset was a waist synching device that made the body fit the dress that women would wear. Sometimes women had to go to a dressmaker to have alterations made on the dress. Despite the health risks of a corset, they remained a popular part of a woman’s everyday outfit until the 1920s.
Women would need many types of dresses such as, evening gowns, morning dresses, afternoon dresses, and dresses that were less occasion specific. To complete the outfit a petticoat, which was invented a long time before the 1900s, would make a fuller skirt, which would make the bottom of the woman larger in contrast to the willowy waist of the woman.
Some of the must have items of the 1900s were parasols, gloves, large hats, and a small bag. Feathers, lace, sheer materials, bows, and silk and real flowers adorned the large hats.
The fan was also an important piece to the outfit. Most of the fans were made of lace, silk, paper, or feathers. They were used at a fancy gathering as a lure for young single men. Also they were used in the hot summer months to keep cooler.
Elbow length gloves were worn with evening gowns during the evening dinner parties served by the upper class groups of the times. They were made of silk usually and were made in the same color or the same color as the dress that was being worn.
The wedding dresses of the time were a sight to see! They were elaborately done with layers of silk and lace covering the dress. You would have a long veil and a very long circular train, and as usual, they were white.
In 1902 high collared dresses and blouses with a brooch and a little straw hat perched on top of a side bun was a popular look among the young women of the time.
The bows that the young girls would wear were huge a floppy. The boys grabbed a look that girls used now, ringlet curls! Boys would have their hair curled in bouncy ringlets all over their head.
The young children wore a copy of the adult clothing. The only difference was that the outfits were shorter.
The fashion of the 1900s built up to become the 1910s fashion.
