The Generational Files

Decades | Generations |

[thegenerationalfiles]

Fashion in the year 1900.

Women’s Fashion.

The ideal body shape was the S-curve silhouette, breasts pushed forward, butt pushed back and a tiny waist, thanks to extremely tight corsets which were very popular at the time. These corsets were structural, and women could not slouch in them. The figure was intended to look modest but “dramatic” and women wore petticoats, padding, and floor length skirts to exaggerate their shape.

Blouses had high necks, puffed sleeves, and lace or embroidery details. Bodices were tailored and structured with boning or internal stays. Most dresses were in two pieces, a bodice and a long, elaborate skirt. Lots of muted tones, deep jewel colors, or pale pastels for upper class women. Earthier colors for the working class. Huge, ornate hats with feathers, flowers, and ribbons were essential, gloves also worn everywhere. Hair was long and always up in pinned styles, soft waves, buns and Gibson girl updos.

Men’s Fashion:

The ideal silhouette was clean, fitted, and controlled. Three-piece suits were standard (trousers, vest, and jackets). Waistcoats were often richly patterned or textured. Suits had high collars and narrow lapels. Bowler hats or top hats were popular, depending on how formal. Pocket watches, walking sticks, and leather gloves were in style. Facial hair was going out of style surprisingly, clean shaven or neatly groomed mustaches were in.

The style of 1900 was of restrained elegance, but behind the scenes it was uncomfortable, over layered and had many social rules to it. Fashion was about class and respectability, showing you knew your place in the world. Working class people wore simpler versions of the same styles, mostly hand me downs or homemade clothes. For upper class, a lot of fashion was practically a full time job for them. You couldn’t not be dressed to the nines.

[thegenerationalfiles]

1900: The Turn of the 20th Century

Babies: 1899 to 1900

Toddlers: 1896 to 1898 (first memories appear)

Children: 1892 to 1895

Tweens: 1888 to 1891

Teens/YAs: 1875 to 1887

Adults: 1861 to 1874

Middle Aged: 1841 to 1860

Elders: 1840 or earlier

Optimism and anxiety lived side by side. This was a year of the tail end of the Belle Epoque in Europe. Everyone was obsessed with progress, electricity, science, art and new inventions. The future felt very exciting and endless, if you were rich, white and a male. WW1 was only 14 years away during the period. A lot of people actually believed that technology would solve everything, but many were scared of loosing their traditions. Cities were growing, empires were still strong (the British Empire was massive), and colonization was in full swing. Women were starting to demand right and minorities were still oppressed globally.

Most people lived in rural areas, especially in the US and Europe, but cities were growing fast. But sanitation and labor rights were far from keeping up. The rich had electricity, telephones and carriages (even some had cars), most poor people were still using chamber pots and coal stoves.

Women were still considered property in many parts of the world. No voting and barely any rights. However, in the US, the women's suffrage movement was gaining traction.

Life expectancy was low, around only 46 years old in America. Many died from pneumonia, TB and childbirth.

Electricity was spreading, but very unevenly. Many homes still used things like gas lamps. Trains, steamboats, bicycles were pretty much the only choices for travel. Airplanes were not even invented until 1903. The telephone existed, but was very rare in normal homes, most communication was through letters, newspaper and literal word of mouth. Photography was common, but cinema was just starting. Color photography wasn't common until the 1960s to 1970s.