Clothing fashion from the Wilhelminian era up to 1900
In the second half of the 19th century , overall fashion expenditure decreased. Instead, rapid and arbitrary change began in the early years after the Franco-German War of 1870–1871. Wide and tight, long and short skirts, high and low hairstyles, big and small hats came and went.
Womenswear
1870-1880
The previously common crinoline was replaced by the tournure (or turnure, French twist ), which no longer encompassed the entire abdomen, but only bulged the skirt over the buttocks with the help of half-frames made of steel, whalebone and / or horsehair. After a short break around 1880, it returned in 1883 as the "second tour". Around 1888 the hoop skirt finally disappeared from fashion. Since then it has been used almost exclusively in wedding dresses.
Otherwise bodices and pointed necklines as well as richly decorated collars determined the look. The hair was pinned up and held together with bows and pins. Fans and umbrellas were the usual fashion accessories .
1880-1890
With the disappearance of the tour around 1880, the line of women's clothing changed significantly. The clothes were now body-hugging from neck to knees. Only below the knees did the skirt widen and form a flat train . The narrowness of the skirts was often emphasized by transverse draperies. The waist, on the other hand, was kept relatively inconspicuous, perhaps just enlivened by the combination of different fabrics.
1890-1900
Around 1890, the time of the skirt supports was finally over, and in the further course the now drapery-free skirts took on an increasingly bell-shaped shape. The so-called blouse waist developed, which hid a stiffened lining under the folds of an apparently loosely fitting top. In the early and mid-1890s, fashion dictated ever narrower wasp waists, which with the funnel-shaped skirt was often compared to an "hourglass". This trend didn't change until the S-shape corset appeared around 1900. In addition, the influence of Art Nouveau became apparent, which was reflected in the appropriate decorations and flowing lines as well as smooth and bell-shaped skirts.
From 1890 to 1891 the sleeves were still slim, in 1892 they were a little wider at the shoulders and a little pointed upwards, tightly fitting at the wrist. In 1892/93 the so-called "gigots" or ham or mutton sleeves, known from the Biedermeier period, finally reappeared. From mid-1893, the round, large balloon sleeves became fashionable again. From 1893–94, the balloon sleeves were mostly slender and hanging, 1894–95 fluffed up particularly large, and around 1896 they were worn again lowering to the ground. From around 1897/98 on, the small puffed sleeves came back up again, which, like the discreet, slim, close-fitting sleeves, remained in fashion for the next few years through the turn of the century.
Menswear
During the whole time, men's fashion did not follow the diversity of women's fashion either in terms of shape or color. Rather, in this time of economic and social change, it had a pronounced tendency towards simplicity. Clothing should not be a hindrance to work or movement. The complicated necklaces of the Biedermeier period gradually disappeared. Functional jackets with long trousers of different colors and a colored tie were preferred . Outside the house, the gentleman wore an overcoat , a low, stiff hat, and low-heeled shoes. Beards and sober hairstyles completed the look.
Jackets , jackets and tailcoats were still modern at the end of the century, but the frock coat was replaced by the " cutaway " with rounded front lapels. The tuxedo was added later. Common coat shapes were double-breasted Ulster , Chesterfield with concealed button fastenings, tailored paletots and sporty, comfortable raglan coats . The preferred colors were black, gray, brown and blue.
See also
- Spanish fashion
- Clothing fashion at the time of the Thirty Years War
- Rococo clothing fashion
- Revolutionary and empirical fashion
- Clothing fashion of the restoration and the Biedermeier
literature
- Erika Thiel: History of the Costume . Henschel-Verlag, Berlin, 8th edition 2004, ISBN 3-89487-260-8 , p. 352.
- Gertraud Rakewitz, Gisela Krause, Gertrud Lenning: Little costume studies . Schiele & Schön, Berlin, 13th edition 2003, ISBN 3794907019 , pp. 198ff.