Fashion Slaves
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Remaining in their petticoats for as long as possible became a way for these women to signal they were prepared to return to their feminine sphere once their journey was over. Women who stayed home, however, began to realize the extent to which their fashion objectified them and put them at risk.
The anti-slavery movement inspired women such as Elizabeth Phelps to press for dress reform. Women such as Phelps demanded liberation from the limitations thrust upon them by society and fashion, urging women to throw off their shackles just as the slaves had theirs. Dress reformers began openly condemning fashion for the health and moral dangers it posed to women. They pressed for reform for healthy and comfortable clothing, which brought about the bloomer outfit. Though regardless of the fear it may have sparked, the bloomer outfit served as a preview of what was to come in the following years, particularly regarding the way women viewed themselves and their place.
At the turn of the century, America was experiencing rapid urbanization and industrialization. To look at the country as a whole unit at this time, one would see waves of immigrants arriving and countless city dwellers being forced to clump together into crowded slums infamous for high rates of disease and infant mortality. Massive migrations to cities meant that women lost established support systems, resulting in alienation for some and liberation for others. In an environment where young women were isolated from their families and very much left to fend for themselves, women needed to adapt.
Thus the New Woman emerged: Finding her fashion choices limited, a woman by the name of Mary Phelps Jacob created a prototype for the brassiere in , which soon rose in popularity amongst other women looking to become this new, active woman. An emphasis was certainly placed on this new, mobile woman, though she was still expected to maintain some air of femininity.
People who were able to flaunt their wealth did so through extravagant and costly accessories that were necessary for anyone who viewed herself as fashionable. Hats, usually adorned with a large variety of ornamentation, were a staple for every woman regardless of economic status.
The spread of automobile travel furthered the change in fashion since there was now a need for women to easily enter, sit in and exit vehicles. This led to entirely new outfits comprising of gloves, caps, and goggles for both women and men. As a result, working women needed practical clothing. Style was simplified while skirts were shortened, resulting in a tailored suit that became essential for women at the time. Although women lost their jobs when men returned from war, nothing could stop them from careening into the public sphere now that they had a taste of life outside their homes.
The s was a zooming decade filled with fast cars, flowing bootlegged booze, and an entire generation of women that refused to return home. The youth of the s were more educated than their mothers and enjoyed a freer life filled with romance and sex, and to separate themselves from their mothers, young women needed a new style to call their own. Sexually free young women who would come to be known as flappers acted as both competition and companions to men and soon adopted a style of dress that gave them a lanky, boyish silhouette. To ensure every curve disappeared, women would bind their chests, harkening back to the days of corsets and demonstrating the extreme and unhealthy lengths to which women will go to achieve the ideal body image thrust upon them.
It is pausing to reflect on the practice and to think that women had to literally repress their femininity in order to be accepted. Unfortunately for them, their short time in the limelight would quickly wear out. The flappers had hopefully enjoyed their youthful gaiety while it lasted, for now it was time to grow up.
Slave labor sneaks into the fashion industry in myriad ways, from to address slavery and human trafficking in their supply chains, the act is. Currently, modern slavery is linked to the hazy supply chains of many industries including electronics, agriculture and fashion. This 30 billion dollar industry.
Since the s brought about a notion that thinness indicated extreme poverty, straight boyish silhouettes were retired seemingly overnight in favor of much more natural forms. Waistlines and prominent bosoms returned due in part to the ideal body type set in place by silver-screen starlet Mae West, most likely to the delight of many.
Skirts got progressively longer, though backs were left bare for evening affairs. Despite a return to a plumper figure as an ideal sign of prosperity, high fashion took a back seat to the desperate economic crisis. The s were a time defined by war, where men left home and women were required to take over their duties whether they wanted to or not. The war affected everything, including fashion since the need to ration goods and materials impeded on the ability to create specific or unique styles.
Millions Still Slaves to Fashion
In an effort to conserve fabric, clothes were simplified in every way possible: Many women turned to Mexico to buy dresses since they were cheaper, which inspired designers to incorporate colorful patterns into their clothes. Rationing also inspired many to make their own clothing, harkening back to a simpler time when clothing only served as necessity rather than a luxury. The refashioned suits still possessed a masculine silhouette, giving them a boxy appearance with wide shoulders and skirts that did away with the narrow waists of yesteryear.
Women began wearing pants as well since they offered even greater functionality and mobility than their skirts could offer. Pants especially rose in popularity since working in factories around heavy machinery while wearing a skirt simply was not practical. Their fashion needed to adapt to their new lifestyle, which meant it was time to bid those dresses goodbye and say hello to a nice pair of functional slacks. Feminine clothes did not completely disappear during wartime for those who could afford to enjoy evenings out, however.
Long dresses still ruled the night and were often adorned with sequins to add some sparkle.
The 18th & 19th Centuries
Rosie the Riveter, although born out of necessity rather than empowerment, was a direct threat to men and their place in society. She was traditionally masculine in her style and in her attitude, which meant she had to go. By the end of the war, family life had never looked more appealing.
Women continued to burden themselves with girdles, corsets, stockings, slips, and the occasional petticoat. Women in Modern America: It's a book with brains, brawn and heart. The question is, would clothing become unaffordable and too exclusive if everybody was forced to pay couture prices for the well paid talented US based artisans to make their clothes? I sense a second-wave gathering in the anti-sweatshop movement. Anyone who is concerned about this urgent social and economic topic and wants to go beyond the headlines should read this important and timely contribution to the rising debate on low-wage factory labor. Some articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them.
Society suddenly found itself returning to a patriarchal sense of the home where Rosie the Riveter could not have been more out of place. Now that men were returning from war, there was no reason for women to continue participating in the work force, though that did not stop some women from working regardless of what men had to say about it. To combat the fear that women would steal jobs away from men, propaganda began to be released detailing the wonderful, romantic ideal of a life at home.
Slaves to Fashion: A Brief History and Analysis of Women's Fashion in America | Bellatory
Many women took the bait, thus returning to their traditional roles and much more traditional fashion. In , a new style known as the shift dress made its way into many American homes. The mockery directed toward the dress is a poignant example of when the ideal image does not match the real image of the modern American woman. Women continued to burden themselves with girdles, corsets, stockings, slips, and the occasional petticoat. Fashion of the fifties, for the most part, was conservative and constricting — possibly the most constricting it had been since the Victorian era.
The shift dress undoubtedly came as a welcome blessing to some, but its presence was certainly an exception to the rule. Youthful fashion for girls stayed very much in stride with their mothers with flowing skirts, tiny waists and an altogether preppy air. Some edgier styles managed to sneak through the woodwork and challenge fashion norms such as the greaser look or the controversial short-shorts of the late s.
In an era where conservatism ruled, it is no small wonder that short shorts were deemed immodest and resulted in revised dress codes across the nation. There was something in the air during the s: Feminist Betty Friedan planted a seed for ideological change with her book The Feminine Mystique that inspired many women, especially those who were young and unmarried, to take charge of their own bodies. Sex was once again in style so, naturally, American fashion would slowly begin to reflect that. Jacqueline Kennedy stood out as the most public supporter of traditional French haute couture, but her imitators were mostly found among the wealthy.
The majority of Americans instead embraced a fashion that was minimalist and primitive. A woman of the s would typically wear long, floor length skirts or dresses during the day and mini-skirts when taking on the town at night, which presents and interesting swap from traditionally long and more provocative evening dresses and shorter daytime wear. Very few brands received an A and most had D-F grades.
Giving consumers the tools they need to make the right purchases is just one part of the process in ending slavery. Other organisations work directly with the governments and the industry to combat injustices. Most of them were foreign and young, therefore, they were potentially vulnerable. Ford Models has a history of protecting young women and men by providing housing, shelter, food and medical care, if needed.
Bringing awareness to this expansive issue is just the first step.
Praise / Awards
There are obviously many factors that go into ending modern-day slavery, but in hopes of bringing change to the issue keep in mind the clothes you buy and the products you use! Yoga loving model and environmentalist, connects the FG to the world of eco fashion. Educated in San Francisco, she now treads the streets of the Big Apple seeking new talents that share her vision of wellbeing.
As a fashion professional with over 20 years global experience of turning this industry inside and out from many different angles, I have discovered the crux of the problem lies within the consumer and their desire for quick and easy affordable clothing. I value talented sample makers, seamstresses, and sewing machine operators and I pay top dollar for them but I also charge top dollar. The Global Slavery Index puts the figure at closer to 46 million — nearly the size of the entire population of Spain. More than half are women and girls, and despite industry efforts, many still work within the fashion supply chain.
Many fall ill and leave before the end of their tenure, receiving no pay at all. Others experience mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and are prevented from seeing family and friends. The experience leaves them traumatized, yet families continue to send their daughters to the mills, so desperate is the situation at home.
Our experience on the ground has taught us that you cannot tackle modern slavery without addressing the complex and interconnected root causes of the problem — poverty, weak rule of law, and systemic gender discrimination, among them. Industry and NGOs cannot do it alone either. Real political leadership is needed, which is why public statements by politicians — and better yet, commitments to act — are so important.