The inspiration behind Dangerous Times on Dressmakers’ Alley!
These days we are used to seeing the latest fashions, new colours and innovations in the High Street shops and the magazines that come regularly through our letterboxes. It wasn’t always that way. Historically, Fashion was for the rich and powerful. Some materials, like velvet, certain furs, silks, and the colour purple were forbidden to us, the people. Only the nobles could wear them and the rest of us were obliged to wear a lesser quality of cloth in browns and russet.
Time moves on and the desire for a pretty dress by young women overtook the old ways, but still it was only the rich who could afford satins and silks. Elizabeth 1st set a fashion for high ruffs and everyone did their best to follow as best they could, though much plainer and cheaper materials were used. Now, though, fashions began to be more generally worn and by the time of the Regency, when George 111 was ill and his son was Regent, fashionable ladies were to be seen everywhere, in towns and cities and not just at court. Gentlemen too loved their fine clothes and the elegant fashions set by important persons were copied widely; young men aspiring to the many capes and high starched collars worn by Regency bucks.
The Victorians preferred bigger skirts and lots of ribbons and laces, very cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear and these were swept away by the Edwardians, who once again preferred a more elegant line. However, the corsets needed to wear some of their gowns must have been torture. When you see pictures of gorgeous, flowing, tea gowns of palest pink silk and think how lovely, remember that underneath there was a whalebone corset laced so tightly it almost stopped one breathing. And they had the hobble skirt. To walk in that was an art in itself!
And so we come to the twenties. Now we have some wonderful fashions houses, like Worth, Patou, Lanvin and Fortuny, amongst others – but then along came Coco Chanel and at last women were allowed to have comfort in their clothes. Her relaxed suit that needed no boned corset must have been greeted with such relief and joy by women who longed to be fashionable but also be able to breathe. Of course the shorter skirts caused an uproar at first. Shocking! Disgraceful that women should show their legs in public. However, the critics were dealing with a population of women who had tasted freedom in the jobs they’d taken on during WW1. It was a losing battle and real fashion was here to stay.
Women owe Coco Chanel a big vote of thanks. I believe her suit probably did more for women’s emancipation than all the protestors chained to Buckingham Palace!