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Embellished day and evening dresses:
Long skirts
Loose tops (emphasize this top-heavy shape)
Dramatic sleeves
soft colors

Throughout the decade fashion softens and the preferred silhouette changes dramatically:
straighter more natural shapes (less forced curves), but still a prominent S shape was seen in dresses and corsets.

Photos: Les Modes magazine 1900-1907

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Mme. Inès Gâches-Sarraute. creates the strait front corset which is less dramatic than previous styles.
S-shape created by a new “health” corset.
Emphasized small waist and large bosom.

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Paul Poiret founded a couture house in 1903 and was a huge influence in defining a new physical ideal for women. He pushed away from corsets and s shaped curves and towards slim bodies.

“It was still the age of the corset. I waged war upon it . . . It was . . . in the name of Liberty that I proclaimed the fall of the corset and the adoption of the brassiere.” - Poiret
(however others had profound impacts on the resistance of corsets such as Vionnet and Duncan)

HIs works helped shift the style of this time towards straight, high-waisted sheath dresses with the empire silhouette.

He also helps to shift fashion trends from pastels to vivid colors.

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1900 End of the decade: Women start to reject corsets and the brassiere is developed

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1900 End of the decade: Women start to reject corsets and the brassiere is developed

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It is interesting to see that women start to reject corsets not for feminist or health reasons but because fashion leaders such as Poiret start to shift the trends.

As the beauty ideals changed from curvy to slim, the rejection of corsets lead to a shift towards brassieres.

Herminie Cadolle invented the modern brassiere with her corselet gorge in 1889. After working on it and redisplaying it in 1905 the soutien gorge was finally being sold and popularized.

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“From 1907 and 1913, a fashion world dominated by the corset, frou-frou skirts, and pastel shades turned into one where women increasingly wore brassieres and high-waisted “Empire” frocks or “Oriental” fantasies in bright, “barbaric” colors. They sometimes even wore trousers.” Steele

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Fashion becomes even simpler that the decade before:

Rejection of the S shape created by corsets and a stronger resistance to corsets.

As the top heavy look started to fade, skirts began to taper towards the bottom and an empire waist line was repopularized.

Photo: Georges Doeuillet Evening dress, 1910-13

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Poiret’s new fashions are inventive and news-making.

His “hobble skirt” narrowed so much at the bottom it was difficult to walk in.

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Tunics worn over skirts, uniforms, trousers, overalls

Simple, utilitarian clothing. Even French designers produced simple, cotton designs during the war.

The french government still prioritizes fashion and fashion exports even in war time to keep Paris as the fashion capital. The Worth evening dress from 1916 shows that fashion was not entirely forgotten (seen in the photo above).

Many women continued to pay close attention to their appearance even during war time, as we can see in WW2. Dressing up showed their hope and resistance as well as cheered up soldiers to see "pretty women".

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One of the most defining french fashions of WW1 was the war crinoline.

War crinoline: dresses with full shorter skirts (mid calf length). They were practical and simple for freedom of movement but also very feminine and pretty to cheer up soldiers.

The popularity of the War Crinoline reflects the move of fashion towards showing ankles and calves more often.

Another major trend was the incorporation of V necklines into day-dresses, which before were only acceptable in nightwear.

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1916: War Simplicity and the Barrel Dress

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1916: War Simplicity and the Barrel Dress

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As the war continues, fashion shifts from pretty and feminine to simple.
It became chic to dress nice but simply. The war helped spur a return to simplicity: natural colors, soft and light materials.

Women also started to wear small symbols of the military- incorporating military jewelry,  tights, and jackets into their outfits.

The barrel dress (pictured above): Full skirts started to shrink into straighter lines. High waistlines were still in style. Overskirts and hanging panels were also very common.

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After the end of the war, simple styles continued and the barrel like silhouette continued to be popular.

Long skirts and cylindric bodies.

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Still recovering from the war, the 1920s fashion was still very simple and convenient.

"La garçonne" / Flapper look dominated:  Tubular, drop waist, creeping/high hemlines. (Coco Chanel was an important figure in popularizing this look). More androgynous.

Simplicity was important to evening and day wear but evening wear was often elaborately decorated.

An important thing to note in the history of Women's fashion in Paris is the fact that this decade was marked by two of the most powerful and influential women in haute couture-Chanel and  Schiaparelli (who we will discuss in the 1930s).

This decade was called the "golden age of couturiere".

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Although she is known for the little black dress and going against corsets, none of these were originally her work.

Chanel became famous for her use of neutral colors and practical clothing. Following the simplicity of WW1, her clothes were made of the bare minimum essentials and were "boyish". Her "La Garçonne" or "La Femme Moderne" androgynous looks with no curves were widely adopted and reflected the changing role of women in society (it also caused men anxiety).

Made it chic to look look poor, but her clothes were very expensive and no poor people could ever afford them.

Her secret was making the rich look young and casual.

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Although La Garçonne was extremely popular, there were some more feminine looks that were very popular too.

French designer Lanvin created dresses characterized as "feminine" and "romantic" with lighter colors, full skirts, and sometimes even panniers for shape.

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A trend that emerged in the 1920s was that of wearing sportswear during the day.

Although men had been wearing sportswear as daywear for years, the 1920s popularized this for women.

Coco Chanel , Jane Regny and Jean Patou:  Inspired by tennis dresses.

Knee length, sleeveless, pleated tennis dresses

photo: Suzanne Lenglen and Julie Vlasto playing tennis in a "la garconne" style

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Women desired to be thin and without curves so that the androgynous style of La Garçonne looked good on them. Tanned skin was also a trend.

Hair: The decade started with extremely short hairstyles like the Eton crop but as the decade progressed a big longer cut was preferred. The bob was the most famous hairstyle during this period. The cloche hat with short bobs was popularized.

(Dynevor Rhys illustration of two women’s hats from Paris; Delineator, April, 1928.)

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The "democratization of fashion" in the 1920s

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The "democratization of fashion" in the 1920s

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Because dresses and silhouettes were strait and simple, many women were able to recreate these dresses with cheap materials. These famous and trendy styles were now available to most women.

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The 1930s saw a shift from the androgynous/boyish look into a more feminine one. The short hemlines were replaced with long ones and waistlines were brought back up. The 1930s dress was still very simple like the last decade.

The straight curveless lines of the 1920s were now tightened to slightly hug curves giving a more feminine look.

The slender/thin body type was still preferred and the silhouettes of the time played off of this and an elongated torso. They also incorporated wide shoulders and skirts that flared at the ankles.

The preferred hairstyles were still short, but now wavy and a bit longer than the Eton cuts popularized in the 1920s.

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An extremely popular silhouette during this time period, the bias cut, was used to accentuate feminine curves by cutting fabric at a 45 degree diagonal angle.

The last decade tried to hide curves while this new silhouette skimmed over curves, highlighting them. Although different, the two decades both relied on simple designs.

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While the bias cut and slight hugging of curves took over nightwear, daywear was experimenting with fun and unique patterns and defined by femininity and romanticism.

The length of day-dresses were usually mid calf and the waists were defined.

Exaggerated shoulders took over this decade.

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Although she found fame in the 1920s, Schiaparelli was a very influential designer in the 30s.

She followed the trends of the time but added a lot of surrealist elements and decorations. She collaborated with multiple surrealist artists and was influenced by multiple kinds of art forms.

Her works were characterized by a cinched waist and exaggerated shoulders, along with bold lines. She was especially famous for her smart suits and her style has been described as hard-edged chic.

Her surrealist designs that usually were marked by a unique and peculiar accessory gave women the ability to show their individual styles. Her surrealist fashion became chic in high society and women loved the individuality aspect.

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Similarly to WW1, WW2 caused a decline in the new fashions being created in the beginning of the 1940s.
France was cut off from the rest of the world so the designs that developed in France differed greatly from the rest of the western world. The rest of the world usually followed French designs in womens wear, but they diverged without French influence.

Due to German occupation, the fashion scene in Paris was extremely slow and little was developed. Designers moved and fashion houses were closed.

The clothing during this time was military inspired and included short trousers and flying skirts. German authorities banned women from wearing trousers however many more women adopted trousers because of warmth and practicality.

The photo above shows Schiaparelli in culottes.

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As Germans monopolized automobiles, fashion shifted a bit to make bike riding more comfortable. Skirts were short and full to both be practical for riding and fashionable.

Shoulder-bags became a lot more popular than handbags for the ease of riding.

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French Occupation and resistance 1939-1945

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French Occupation and resistance 1939-1945

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While British and American women wore military uniforms and utility clothes, French women, had no way of showing they were against the Germans. As a result some women turned to flaunting fashionably ridiculous hats and short skirts with large power sleeves.

Dressing beautifully and outrageously even in the given circumstances was important for Parisian women. Pride and superiority of Parisian fashion continued through the war.

Unlike other countries that turned to saving materials and not focusing on fashion, French women, although they were forced to use cheaper and different materials, kept up their appearances as a form of resistance. They also used up as much material as they could get so that the Germans wouldn't have access to it.

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Mostly concentrated in Paris, Zazous resisted occupation with crazy flashy fashion and dance.

Female Zazou fashion: Short skirts, exaggerated shoulder jackets, bright red lipstick, heavy makeup, curly shoulder length hair or braids, platform shoes.

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When the war came to an end, berets which had stood for multiple different meanings during WW2 had become politically contaminated.

The size and shape of a beret could indicate a wide range of political commitments.

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War time clothing is quickly replaced with the introduction of Christian Dior's Corolle collection. The Corolle collection elements became extremely famous and are known as "The New Look".

The New Look: cinched waist, round shoulders, long full skirt.
It used themes from the 1930s and just made them more exaggerated. It was appealing due to how feminine it looked. And after masculine war styles, women longed for more feminine dresses. It was highly adopted by young women.

As the US and UK were developing famous styles during the war, Paris came back as the most important place for women fashion thanks to the New Look.

The styles also used so much fabric which was shocking after the war period.

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Femininity and formality & Elegance.

Christian Dior's New look revolutionised the way women dressed.
After world war ll ended, fashion was transitioning from practical to formal with more opulent and extravagant silhouettes.  Christian Dior wanted women to dress feminine, and bring back romantic silhouettes after the long decade of war and practical clothing attire.
Fashion in the 1950s saw a clear gender divide. While men and boy’s fashion moved towards a more casual day-to-day style, women and girl’s fashion prioritized elegance, formality, and perfectly matched accessories.

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The idea of women having a choice arose in the 1950s instead of all women following one specific dress trend. Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert givenchy introduced new silhuettes they became more progressive, Less structured. The straight cut suit was was totally different to the new look created by Christian Dior. One important aspect of this decade was that women had different styles to choose from. As the decade progressed the silhouettes became straighter in cut. The straight cut suit in contrast to the new look emphasised a women's natural shape.

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The 60s combined influences of the french haute couture, ready to wear, and the popular culture during this ERA.

A lot of diversified trends

Fashion became progressively more casual.

The top Designers during this time:

Yves Saint Laurent

Paco Rabanne
Pierre Cardin

Nina Ricci

Emmanuelle Knahn

In the early 60s fashion continued along the lines of the 50s. Straight lines and skirt suits. As the decade progressed it became clear that the times were changing and the focus was more towards newer designers rather then the ones from the 50s.

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1965 The swinging London & the mini skirt

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1965 The swinging London & the mini skirt

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The term swinging London originated in London of course, it focused on youth, spotlighting music and fashion. This term brought the mini skirt into spotlight. It appealed to the younger generation. Mary Quant was the designer who led the way.
In Paris Pierre Cardin claimed he invented the mini skirts. Along with the miniskirts came the crave for playful colors and textures.

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Saint Laurent has a desire to make clothes for everyone not just the wealthy. He created the grammar of contemporary wardrobe. On September 19, 1966 Yves Saint Laurent opened a ready to wear boutique in Paris called Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. The first time a French designer opened a ready to wear boutique. It became the youths generation favourite.

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1970 Back to the 40s, Hippie style, Prairie Dresses

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1970 Back to the 40s, Hippie style, Prairie Dresses

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The swinging 60s turned into the 70s. The creation of boutique shops made ready to wear very accessible.  The 70s was a decade of hippie style, prairie dresses, disco, but also looked back into past decades such as the 40s.

Daywear looked to the past and Evening was modern

Hippies anti fashion

The recession and oil crisis dampened popular enthusiasm for consumerism.

Flea markets/Vintage clothing & Ethnic styles
Designers were incorporating "hippie styles" textures & patterns to their pieces and collections.

Designers looked back into the 40s silky dresses and boxy fur jackets.

Sparkle & glamour was as well apparent during this decade.

During this decade there was a lot of sexual freedom & it was reflected in the clothing. Lots of menswear inspiration for womenswear. Women wore trousers and blazer suits and combined them with animal print and furs to make them more glamorous.

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Power dressing & Statement pieces. The 80s was a decade known for  Structured shoulders/ Blazer over turtle neck

Velvet and Bustiers & High waisted mom and dad jean.

Women wore shoulder pads & Bold accessories. This allowed women to feel powerful, as women were starting to take on traditionally male-oriented positions.

The big designers dominating this decade were
Christian Lacroix, Gianni Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

Paris had always been the fashion capital of the world but after the 60s youth phase craze this died out, it wasn't until the 80s when Chanel & Paris came to the forefront again.

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1990 Final Decade Grunge, Minimal & Supermodels

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1990 Final Decade Grunge, Minimal & Supermodels

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Fashion continued to move more towards casual wear. Fashion became more minimalist in contrast to past decades and the 80s. The craze for vintage and secondhand clothing continued.

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In the Mid nineties styles became more feminine. Slip dresses were in. Kate Moss being the Icon of the decade was known for wearing this classic piece.