Fashion In Pop Culture Essay

Ana Velez

Prof. Toole

ENC1101

09 Dec. 2015

Pop Culture: Fashion in the 1900s

Fashion is a form people use as a way for self expression. For me, fashion dictates how a person sense of style is; some may be bold and loud or simple and calm in which it also gives others an outlook on how their character may be. Although fashion is a way to express ones’ sense of style it does not tells us who the person is personally. Fashion in the society of the 1900s has changed female gender roles then and now by the way their roles changed during the time.

At the beginning of the 20th century it was a moment when the U.S was starting to become more powerful than other countries and that’s when an exposure of multiple fashion began to occur in the 1900s. Fashion such as: corsets in which incudes a variety of corsets created throughout the Era, lingerie dresses, hobble skirts, over/under skirts, V-necks, flappers,

casual suits, cut hair styles, brassiere, and plenty more. Coco Chanel had played a role on the development of fashion in the 1900s for most women with class. As Ann Beth Presley stated in the article that “French fashion designer Coco Chanel exerted a major influence on fashions of the 1920s. She is best known for her classic cardigan style suit… Chanel popularized costume jewelry and tanned skin for the first time” (“Fifty Years of Change”). As years began to pass, women’s fashion were invented and renovated as time went by. Coco Chanel was considered at the time an influential fashion artist who made women throughout the 1900s to have confidence and a stronger pride for themselves. Since this was considered a time period that women were starting to get more freedom they followed trends by multiple sources; the article states how, “Mass circulation magazines, pattern catalogs, and mail order catalogs such as those of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. made it possible for the average American to access the latest fashion styles” (“Fifty Years of Change”). Even with limited sources, women during the 1900s were still kept up to date with fashion at the time.
Throughout the 1900s fashion had changed female gender roles; becoming more dominant.

In the article it informs the readers that “No period has shown more rapid change in silhouette of woman’s fashion than the first 50 years of the twentieth century. Each change of outer fashion was reflected in the underfashion in order to give women the silhouette and [character] that fashion demanded… which nature intended” (“Fifty Years of Change”). At this time period, female roles became more reasonable because women were given the rights to vote and as well as being apart of the workforce. According to Presley, “By 1970, 7,500,000 woman worked outside the home. Social and political unions for women were formed… The suffragette movement continued to grow” (“Fifty Years of Change”). Changes that happened to female gender roles during the 1900s were shown throughout society at the time by the types of clothing such like pants normally worn by workers, and even corsets that women at home used throughout the day; women wore what was suitable for those who worked or stayed at

home.
Today, fashion is still a symbolism of changes that occur in the real world in which constantly affects female gender roles. Female’s have an abundance of freedom now, styles that are exposed to society impacts their gender roles by giving them more exposure to new ways to be who they are. During the 1900s that was when women were first given the right to vote but reading through the article I noticed that the author also implied “… gradually improved their legal position and economic status, their clothes expressed these changes as well… societal changes in women’s roles” (“Fifty Years of Change”). With this statement, it shows how then and now fashion exposed to society will continue to change female gender roles and speak for their character as a female.
Overall, fashion disclosed to society in the 1900s has changed female gender roles then and today by the way they carried themselves during the time span and the revolution that has gone by. After studying the article “Fifty Years of Change: Societal Attitudes and Women’s Fashions. 1900-1950” it expressed the differences in styles that took place in time and how it played a role in female gender roles and living. Fashion is a form of self expression and many people use it to show how they feel about themselves and also use fashion in a way to represent who they are.