1990–1919 ∼ Discarding the Corset
Paul Poiret discards corsets (1909) / Gibson Girl anticipates modem woman’s wardrobe (1909) / First publicly advertised maternity wear (1911) / Blouses are mass produced in sweatshops (1910s) / Comfortable clothes created for wartime working women (1917–1918)
MILESTONES: Color photo reproduction provides cheap, eye-catching images for ads (1900) • Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era; Edwardian era begins (1901) • Andrew Camegie gives $350 million for social causes (1900–1919) • World War I provides new roles and opportunities for women (1917–1919) • Workers demand and receive an eight-hour day and equal pay for women (1918)
1920–1929 ∼ Flapper Fashion and the New Woman
Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden start the cosmetics business (early 1920s) / First shopping mall opens in Kansas City (1922) / Federal Trade Commission officially recognizes manmade textile filaments (1925) / Mail order catalogues and magazines bring fashion awareness to every household (1925–1929)
MILESTONES: Flappers frequent speakeasies, smoke cigarettes and engage in promiscuous activity • Harlem Renaissance produces renowned African American writers, artists, and musicians • Harper’s emphasizes up-to-date articles on current questions (1925)
1930–1949 ∼ Depression, Wartime and Movie-Star Fashion
Conservative attire reemerges (1930–1935) / Development of nylon (1938) / Claire McCardell designs clothes for the American career woman (early 1940s) / Wartime restrictions on goods cause fashion to be more austere (1942–1944) / Christian Dior introduces his “New Look” to American women (1947) / Dior becomes the first designer to license his name for ready-to-wear clothing (1948)
MILESTONES: Under pressure, the movie industry enacts the Production Code, addressing crime, sex, vulgarity, obscenity, profanity, costumes, dancing, and religion (1930) • One-third of college professors are women (1930) • Five million women enter the labor force (1940–1944) • Seventeen Magazine is founded (1944) Women’s Day, Family Circle, and Better Living become actively engaged in social issues (1940s)
1950–1959 ∼ Expanding the Rules of Decorum
Decade of “correct” fashions and complicated rules of behavior (1950s) / First fully enclosed shopping center opens in Minnesota (1956) / Italian influence in design comes to America (1958) / Baby boomer children inspire diversity in clothing (1950–1959) / Barbie creates public debate about her unattainable body standard (1959)
MILESTONES: Kinsey reports that more than 50% of American women are not virgins when they marry (1953) • Elvis Presley releases first single (1956) • Supreme Court rules that a literary work containing explicit materials must be judged as a whole and not by its parts (1957)
1960–1979 ∼ Women’s Liberation
Jackie Kennedy sets standards for elegance (1960) / Mary Quant creates the miniskirt (early 1960s) / Bra burning protests symbolize women’s liberation and have tremendous impact on the fit of clothing and the undergarment industry (1963) / The Gap opens, catering to “generation gap” buyers (1969) / Political rebellion causes anti-establishment dress codes (1968–1975) / Dress for Success becomes a bible for corporate America (1975) / Disco has profound impact on fashion (1977)
MILESTONES: Women’s liberation movement encourages smaller families and free access to the birth control pill • Oral contraceptive pills approved (1960) • Surgeon General declares cigarette smoking a health hazard (1964) • Ms.
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