Evolving Elegance: Women’s Fashion Trends during World War I
In this post, I’ll discuss women’s fashion in historical fiction, including two of my favorites, The Great Gatsby and Outlander. Next, I’ll highlight trends in the UK during World War I that I referenced in Roseleigh.
Ethel walked toward him from the main house, looking like spring itself. She wore what his mother called an afternoon suit, although it was just before five in the morning. The flared skirt and long jacket with a wide belt were white jersey trimmed in emerald green. Her matching green shoes and white high-neck lace blouse completed the ensemble.
The importance of fashion in historical fiction
Fashion plays a crucial role in historical fiction, as a lens through which readers can glimpse the past. It intertwines with cultural norms and social status, and can even reflect the traits of the characters. Descriptions of clothing, accessories, and styles are one way I’ve attempted to immerse readers in Roseleigh’s historical setting.
Many of the novels I’ve admired have used fashion to convey their themes. For example, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the lavish styles of the 1920s Jazz Age mirror the excesses of the wealthy elite. They also contrast with the more drab and conservative attire of the working class. This highlights the novel’s themes of materialism and the divide between the haves and have-nots.
Similarly, in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Claire Randall’s wardrobe reflects her identity as a 20th-century woman who finds herself in the 18th-century Scottish Highlands. Her modern fashion sensibilities clash with traditional period attire. This acts as a metaphor for her struggle between the choices she must face: adapt to her new surroundings or hold on to her sense of self.
Fashion in historical fiction isn’t just decorative; it’s an important element in worldbuilding and character development, as well as providing a strong sense of time and place.
Fashion adapted to the times in World War I
In the tumultuous landscape of World War I, fashion served as both a reflection of societal shifts and a symbol of resilience. As the world grappled with the devastating effects of war, women’s fashion underwent significant transformations, adapting to the realities of the era while retaining elements of elegance and style. From practical innovations to symbolic statements, the trends in women’s fashion during World War I tell a captivating story of adaptation and ingenuity.
The trend toward more utilitarian clothing
One of the most noticeable trends during World War I was the shift towards more practical and utilitarian clothing. With men leaving to fight on the front lines, women took on new roles in the workforce and society, necessitating attire that was both functional and comfortable. The restrictive corsets and voluminous skirts of the Edwardian era gave way to more streamlined silhouettes, characterized by shorter hemlines and simplified designs. The emergence of the “working woman” brought about a greater emphasis on practicality, with garments designed to accommodate the demands of various professions, from munitionettes to nurses.
Nursing — and nursing attire — for everyone, from “duchesses to dressmakers”
Or so said The Tatler’s witty gossip column Letters of Eve, written by the eponymous nom de plume society girl, detailing real-life women about town, many of whom had turned to nursing. In this era of British history, it was common to see aristocratic women photographed and featured wearing their voluntary aid detachment (V.A.D.) uniforms. As noted in Roseleigh,
[…] Women everywhere seemed to be wearing red cross-emblazoned crisp white pinafores. Lady Michelham appeared on the cover of The Sketch working on an ambulance train and The Tatler featured the Duchess of Sutherland in a demure nurse’s veil.
Military style: not just for the front lines
Another significant trend in women’s fashion during World War I was the rise of military-inspired styles. With patriotism running high and the military playing a central role in daily life, fashion reflected these influences. Women’s clothing adopted elements borrowed from military uniforms, such as brass buttons, epaulets, and tailored jackets. The khaki color associated with military attire became popular, symbolizing solidarity with the troops and a sense of national pride. These military-inspired fashions not only served as a visual reminder of the war effort but also empowered women to embody strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Suffragettes led fashion trends too
In addition to practicality and patriotism, symbolism also played a significant role in women’s fashion during World War I. The concept of “fashion as propaganda” emerged, with designers and consumers alike using clothing to make political statements and express solidarity with various causes. One notable example of this was the adoption of the suffragette colors — green, white, and violet — as a symbol of the women’s suffrage movement. For the first time in British history, women’s fashion became a powerful tool for those advocating change. Suffragettes wore sashes, ribbons, and badges in these colors to promote their cause and demand equal rights. In Roseleigh, the main female character’s best friend has a pair of suffragette earrings.
Lily had already noticed the slender gold earrings. Each was set, from top to bottom, with a cabochon-cut peridot, a cultured pearl, and a transparent amethyst teardrop.
“Daddy sent these a few months ago from New York. He has such exquisite taste. The stones’ colors represent the movement: green for give, white for women, and violet for votes.” Meridel took one off and handed it to Lily.
Shortages necessitated creativity in fashion
Despite the challenges of wartime rationing and shortages, creativity flourished in women’s fashion during this period of British history. With resources in short supply, women turned to innovative methods and materials to create fashionable attire. Alternative fabrics such as rayon and viscose became increasingly common, allowing for the production of affordable and stylish clothing. Thrift and resourcefulness became fashionable virtues, with women repurposing old garments and mending clothing.
“Debenham & Freebody are advertising they have frocks of stockinette,” Allegra continued to no one in particular.
“Yes, because no one likes cashmere anymore.” Philippa ran her hand over the bottle-green dress of that material she was wearing. “Really, Allegra?”
Philippa, Roseleigh’s posh society girl, would never be caught dead in a synthetic. She is a very fashion-forward snob, often dressing in the latest Poiret or other French designer. For example, in one diary entry, she laments the thrifty trend in furs.
It can’t be bleak for everyone. I saw no fewer than a half-dozen advertisements for furriers in The Tatler and just about all of England reads it. Someone, somewhere must be buying a new fur! Why not me? I’ll ask Ash for an increase in my allowance to get a new coat for winter — something lovely in Japanese marten or Russian sable (even though Harvey, Nichols and Co. and Harrods are showing practical furs in skunk, pony, and muskrat — eww!). After all, as one advertisement accurately noted, a new fur is an investment, since their price is always increasing.
Looking good for the boys: “War Crinoline”
Just as with Philippa, there was a countertrend to the desire to make do with less. In 1915, the so-called war crinoline expressed this trend with mid-calf-length, voluminous, bell-shaped skirts. Though criticized by some as wasteful, as well as indecently revealing, they remained popular. Some said it was the duty of women to present themselves in these daring, sumptuous, and colorful designs to lift the spirits of soldiers home on leave. As one cartoon quipped, “The war is long, but the skirts are short!”
British history includes other racy trends related to the need for women to appear in public during night air-raids, including fanciful suggestions like fashionable pajamas.
Just as today, fashion trends reflected the times
In conclusion, the trends in women’s fashion during this period of British history offer a fascinating glimpse into a period of profound change and resilience. From practical innovations to symbolic statements, fashion served as a mirror of society, adapting to the challenges of the era while retaining elements of elegance and style. As women embraced new roles and responsibilities, their clothing reflected their strength, creativity, and determination to navigate a world in flux.
What are some of your favorite ways historical fiction has used fashion? Are there any sources on fashion from the WWI era you’ve found helpful? I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.
If you want more information about the fashionists Ethel and Phillipa, as well as Lily and Meridel and the other women of Roseleigh, please join my mailing list.
Resources on fashion I love and have found useful
“Something in the Air: Fabrics, 1917,” witness2fashion, October 10, 2015.
Lucy Adlington, Great War Fashion Tales from the History Wardrobe, The History Press, 2013.
Lucinda Gosling, Great War Britain; The First World War at Home, The History Press, 2014.
Picture Sources
- clarerosehistory
- Photograph: Starz! movie channel.
- The Delineator, March 1917, page 63.
- Photograph taken 1914–1918 © Reproduced by permission of Historic England Archive ref: bb94/08006
- The Illustrated London News, July 6, 1918.
- The Delineator, November 1918. From Joy Spanabel Emery, A History of the Paper Pattern Industry (Bloomsbury, 2014).
- Lucy Adlington, 2013.
