Navigating the Heartache WWI Brings
As the new century dawned in 1901, fashion was quickly changing. Soon hemlines would rise while necklines would fall, and dress styles began to hug a woman’s body. Wedding fashions, however, did not change as drastically and were somewhat behind the times compared to streetwear. Wedding traditions, on the other hand, are surprisingly recognizable. Let’s…
The corset is probably considered the most uncomfortable garment ever invented, not only because it constricts the body, but also because it is symbolic of women being constricted in society. Was this true, or is it a stereotype? Corsets have been part of a woman’s wardrobe since antiquity. Over the centuries, they evolved and changed. The…
Around the turn of the 20th century, a curious, new creature emerged in the world. This creature was called “the new woman” or an “independently minded female.” She was the sign of things to come, a woman who relied on herself, not a man. Who Was the New Woman? The term “new woman” was coined…
Even if you don’t know much about the history of advertising, you’ve probably heard of the Gibson Girl. She represented the feminine ideal of the 1890s and was the first media image of an ideal woman, establishing society’s preference for an hourglass figure and portraying the image of the girl next door. Illustrator Charles Dana Gibson developed…
Today, women’s friendships are a big deal. There are websites dedicated to helping friends meet, books have been written on the subject, and blogs are filled with helpful how-tos. They all say women need friendships in their lives, but that it’s hard in our modern, busy society for people to meet. They also point out…
Mata Hari is World War I’s best known spy, but is this designation deserved? “For the past 100 years, Mata Hari has been revered as the ultimate femme fatale — the seductive, glamorous exotic dancer who spied for the Germans during World War I and caused the deaths of thousands of Allied soldiers,” the Washington Post…
If you were to time travel and attend a wedding in 1914, you would be quite familiar with the ceremony and customs. Weddings have not changed in the past century. However, marriage and how the couple got to the altar has. Dating, as we know it, came into existence in the 1920s, a direct result…
Women’s suffrage is back in the news thanks the 2015 release of the film Suffragette. The movie follows a young woman in 1912 London caught up in the suffrage movement. Most of the characters are fictional, but Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Davison were real individuals. A suffragist was someone who believed in women’s right to vote,…
The bicycle is a simple invention, but for woman, it became a symbol of freedom, mobility and athleticism. For society, it became a symbol of change and upsetting the status quo. The bicycle craze of the 1890s began with the introduction of the “safety bicycle.” Although bicycles had been produced before, these newer versions had…
Today, parenting styles tend to lean toward warm and nurturing. This style is a modern trend. For much of history, children lived hard lives, without much of a childhood. Childhood as we know it is a Victorian invention. A parent’s job is to prepare children for life as productive members of society. In the late…