Over the last few days we have felt something of a sombre and reflective mood across the shores of Britain as we all take time out of our busy schedules to honour and remember the young lives that were cut short during The Great War of 1914-1918. Of course, World War I was a turning point in history, the effects of which are still being felt today in many aspects of our daily lives and even in the clothes we wear and the Dress Fabrics we use. The period before WWI was considered to be a time of luxury for fashion, especially for the higher echelons of society. By the period prior to WWI, women's clothing had already lost the rigid, tailored lines of the Edwardian period and young ladies were moving away from restrictive, corseted designs in favour of a more fluid line, already paving the way for the linear style of The Jazz Age.
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Women's fashion took a much more military approach with the outbreak of war.[/caption]
With the outbreak of war in August 1914 the lives of the young and fashionable were to change irrevocably. As men went off to fight, it was the women remaining at home that were called upon to take on the traditionally male roles and contribute to the war effort. Suddenly, women who had worked within their own homes or as seamstresses and domestics were called upon to take up the task of drivers, factory workers and farm hands. Many of these occupations called for a uniform and as a consequence, women's fashion was to take on a more military inspired style, featuring a combination of feminine style and practicality. Women began to shun garish jewels and lavish styles of dress and as a result, skirts would become shorter and trousers would become a feature of the female wardrobe as more formal gender related codes of dress were relaxed. During this time, luxury Dress Fabrics and dyes were scarce meaning the colour palette of fashion would become more muted reflecting the sombre mood of war.
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Thomas Burberry was responsible for the invention of the trench coat which remains a staple of modern fashion.[/caption]
The Great War was responsible for introducing an item of outerwear which is still considered to be high fashion today. The trench coat arose from the need for an "all weather" coat for army officers and it was London based fashion house, Burberry, that first patented the design. It was a young Thomas Burberry who worked on creating a Dress Fabric that would protect wearers from the elements whilst keeping them warm and as comfortable as possible, with his efforts resulting in what we know today as gabardine. As the war drew to a close and officers began to return home, they would continue to wear their trench coats and the style became a staple of civilian life. Even now, 100 years later the trench coat is still a much sought after style and has been replicated by many design houses and high street brands. Many of the world's most fashionable men and women continue to covet the style including Victoria Beckham and Charlize Theron.
Over the past few days we have seen members of government and royalty attending centenary services all over the world to pay their respects for those who gave up their futures to secure ours. Many in attendance have chosen to not only pay homage to the fallen, but also to the enduring influence of WWI fashion. Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge was as elegant as ever as she stepped out to commemorate the start of WWI alongside her husband yesterday. Kate's outfit was as always, perfectly selected and suitable for the occasion. The tailored coat dress with full skirt and dropped waist was reminiscent of the latter period of wartime fashion, albeit a few inches shorter! The beautiful shade of cream Dress Fabric was elegant and stylish, without being overly garish to take attention away from the occasion.
One does not always think of fashion when we consider the effects of war, however this was a topic that was as important as ever to ladies during this time and fashion itself has contributed greatly to war efforts for many years, with many of the worlds biggest designers, including Thomas Burberry, inventing and even donating clothing items which greatly benefitted soldiers of the time. Even today, fashionable men and women the world over will hold charity fashion shows with the proceeds being donated to help and assist the troops who continue to serve and protect us.
Women's fashion took a much more military approach with the outbreak of war.[/caption]
With the outbreak of war in August 1914 the lives of the young and fashionable were to change irrevocably. As men went off to fight, it was the women remaining at home that were called upon to take on the traditionally male roles and contribute to the war effort. Suddenly, women who had worked within their own homes or as seamstresses and domestics were called upon to take up the task of drivers, factory workers and farm hands. Many of these occupations called for a uniform and as a consequence, women's fashion was to take on a more military inspired style, featuring a combination of feminine style and practicality. Women began to shun garish jewels and lavish styles of dress and as a result, skirts would become shorter and trousers would become a feature of the female wardrobe as more formal gender related codes of dress were relaxed. During this time, luxury Dress Fabrics and dyes were scarce meaning the colour palette of fashion would become more muted reflecting the sombre mood of war.
[caption id="attachment_7472" align="alignright" width="215"] Thomas Burberry was responsible for the invention of the trench coat which remains a staple of modern fashion.[/caption]
The Great War was responsible for introducing an item of outerwear which is still considered to be high fashion today. The trench coat arose from the need for an "all weather" coat for army officers and it was London based fashion house, Burberry, that first patented the design. It was a young Thomas Burberry who worked on creating a Dress Fabric that would protect wearers from the elements whilst keeping them warm and as comfortable as possible, with his efforts resulting in what we know today as gabardine. As the war drew to a close and officers began to return home, they would continue to wear their trench coats and the style became a staple of civilian life. Even now, 100 years later the trench coat is still a much sought after style and has been replicated by many design houses and high street brands. Many of the world's most fashionable men and women continue to covet the style including Victoria Beckham and Charlize Theron.
Over the past few days we have seen members of government and royalty attending centenary services all over the world to pay their respects for those who gave up their futures to secure ours. Many in attendance have chosen to not only pay homage to the fallen, but also to the enduring influence of WWI fashion. Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge was as elegant as ever as she stepped out to commemorate the start of WWI alongside her husband yesterday. Kate's outfit was as always, perfectly selected and suitable for the occasion. The tailored coat dress with full skirt and dropped waist was reminiscent of the latter period of wartime fashion, albeit a few inches shorter! The beautiful shade of cream Dress Fabric was elegant and stylish, without being overly garish to take attention away from the occasion.
One does not always think of fashion when we consider the effects of war, however this was a topic that was as important as ever to ladies during this time and fashion itself has contributed greatly to war efforts for many years, with many of the worlds biggest designers, including Thomas Burberry, inventing and even donating clothing items which greatly benefitted soldiers of the time. Even today, fashionable men and women the world over will hold charity fashion shows with the proceeds being donated to help and assist the troops who continue to serve and protect us.