Fashion: Need Help?

[ivyflight]

Jan 1, 2012 16:28:51 GMT -5 annieofwessex said:

Oh, I know what you mean. My Opa and all of his siblings were forced to go to HJ, and he was so traumatized he wouldn't let my mother or any of her siblings join Boy or Girl Scouts. It was THAT bad.
But I'm glad I could help! Good luck!!

Ooh, ouch. That's... just terrible.
Ugh, I just can't even think about how many lives Hitler screwed up without wanting to go crazy.

You too

[RhiaRaye]

Hey, Anne, I'd like to seek your fashion advice. In Northern North America, (Right now I'm thinking New York), what would be the most common clothing for ladies? My story is set in 1883, and i'd like to put in a little more detail about clothing.

[annieofwessex]

@ Rhia
Yay! I was waiting for someone to ask for fashion between the 1880s-1910s- it's my forte! Firstly- in New York- most women were quite friendly with the day's latest fashions (NYC), so there were more slaves of fashion. Back then (as there are today) there were women who would forsake their health for the sake of fashion: there was even a 'Rational Dress Society (founded 1881) that argued against the tightlacing of corsets.
Most ladies would wear dresses with bustles- bustles were HUGE (bigger than in the 1870s) in the 1880s.
Mainstream fashion (aka Paris) was frilly, with lots of drapery (esp. on the bustle) and rigid corset-tying. (examples:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Toulmouche_Love_Letter_Detail.jpg upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Tissot_Bridesmaid_Detail.jpg
There was a smaller movement, called Aesthetic dress, that was also rather popular in some groups. Aesthetic dress was more simple and (in my opinion) inspired by Pre-Raphaelite artistry. (Examples: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Frith_A_Private_View_detail.jpg upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Symphony_in_white_1_whistler.jpg (Believe it or not, those paintings are from 1883 and 1882, respectively.)
Hope that helped some! Tell me if you need more links~

[RhiaRaye]

Thanks Anne! that is very helpful!

Just one more question, in case it becomes important to the story - if the daughter of the keeper of a boarding house were going to lend someone clothes, would there be much difference from what you've told me?

[annieofwessex]

Jan 5, 2012 17:33:42 GMT -5 RhiaRaye said:

Thanks Anne! that is very helpful!

Just one more question, in case it becomes important to the story - if the daughter of the keeper of a boarding house were going to lend someone clothes, would there be much difference from what you've told me?

Hey Rhia; I don't think it would be much different at all. Middle class clothing was as fashionable as the family could afford. The fabric might be less fine and the dyes may be less brilliant (also, avoid purple, as it is the most expensive dye), but it should be-roughly- the same style. Remember, bustles weren't seen, so they could be made out of really anything- even scrap fabrics- so everyone could have one. Also- cheap/work corsets can have rope rather than boning in them; just a thought. The main thing to keep in mind is that most clothes were homemade with whatever the family could find within their budget, but tailored to fit the fashionable silhouette of the day.
Hope that helps~

[RhiaRaye]

Thanks Anne! That's exactly what I needed to know!

[annieofwessex]

Jan 6, 2012 15:56:21 GMT -5 RhiaRaye said:

Thanks Anne! That's exactly what I needed to know!

Glad I could help! ;D

[ivyflight]

Hi Anne-
When was it really socially acceptable for girls to wear trousers?
Though I don't know an exact date I was under the impression it would have been later than 1942-but I had some questions regarding a few details. My FMC Isolde likes to ride horses-she lives on the outskirts of the city of Linz, Austria, which was pretty bustling at the time-and she likes to ride in pants/overalls (coveralls?) But her neighbors are also farmers, so would trousers be considered more practical?

My MMC Gabriel is from Berlin, German, also a bustling city. I'm planning a scene where she comes inside wearing her pants-and I was under the impression that though her parents may have had some previous notions about girls wearing pants, in the case of her riding, they're just over it, and Gabriel is slightly amused and says something like, "Do all country girls wear trousers?"

Now this is just a rough outline I thought up in my head on the way home from a nordic meet, but if you have any information about what was proper/what girls did regarding pants in the '40s/what people thought of girls wearing pants/if it was acceptable in the city but not in the country that would be excellent

Thank you, and I hope you're doing well with your novel!

[annieofwessex]

Jan 19, 2012 18:57:59 GMT -5 ivyflight said:

Hi Anne-
When was it really socially acceptable for girls to wear trousers?
Though I don't know an exact date I was under the impression it would have been later than 1942-but I had some questions regarding a few details. My FMC Isolde likes to ride horses-she lives on the outskirts of the city of Linz, Austria, which was pretty bustling at the time-and she likes to ride in pants/overalls (coveralls?) But her neighbors are also farmers, so would trousers be considered more practical?

My MMC Gabriel is from Berlin, German, also a bustling city. I'm planning a scene where she comes inside wearing her pants-and I was under the impression that though her parents may have had some previous notions about girls wearing pants, in the case of her riding, they're just over it, and Gabriel is slightly amused and says something like, "Do all country girls wear trousers?"

Now this is just a rough outline I thought up in my head on the way home from a nordic meet, but if you have any information about what was proper/what girls did regarding pants in the '40s/what people thought of girls wearing pants/if it was acceptable in the city but not in the country that would be excellent

Thank you, and I hope you're doing well with your novel!

Hey, Ivy~
By 1942, female trouser wearing was far more socially acceptable than it had been in 1932, thanks to both the efforts of early women's rights activists (read, Coco Chanel) and especially the war. Women were a vital part of the war effort at home on all fronts, and trousers are far more practical than a dress.
I believe that overalls (coveralls) and trousers are each practical, overalls more so due to the fact that it covers more (if you're shoveling up mud, you'll need all the protection you can get xD) so either is fine. As for how women in trousers were received by their communities, it depends. Cities (especially big ones like Berlin and to a lesser extent Linz) would be more open to the idea of girls in trousers than in the rural country, where people tend to be more conservative and less focused on fashion trends (and as I stated before, Coco Chanel popularized trousers on ladies around this time period and later). However, as you said, Isolde lives on a farm and has to do work. I think it would have been considered socially acceptable for her to wear her trousers in certain situations (riding a horse, etc.) and looked down upon in others (like daily life, in the house, out in town, etc).
Your scene works and seems hilarious to me; I'd love to read it! Hope this helps~

[ivyflight]

Thank you so much! Definitely useful info. And I'm just about to the scene, so I'll let you know