Fashion: industrial age fashion icons

icons from the industrial age and onwards drastically changed and shaped fashion in many way, heavily influencing the trends. perhaps the most notable icon being fashion designer Coco Chanel. certain societal changes brought more freedom and exploration to women’s fashion up into the early 1920s, not just icons and designers. 

most of the  inspiration for style and fashion of this era was taken from the illustrator CHARLES GIBSON, with the famous "Gibson girl" image. the S curve shape, or pigeon shape waist and bust was enforced by this, designer would base their creations on the body shape for the era, eg. swan build corset. (though exceeding impractical) The icon of the time, the "Gibson girl" was actress Camille Clifford, as her shape matched Gibson's drawings. 

A prominent designer of the era was JACQUES DOUCET and of course CHARLES WORTH. who helped eliminate the petticoat hoop skirt and instead developed the fullness of the bustle and created a more feminine shape and form. 
the upper body was still restricted however, in regards to the corset. a very stiff panel was needed for the corset, this was called a busk, this time the fastening at the front rather than the back. 

designers who have been inspired by this era and the gibson girl such as mCQueen, Ellie Saab, JP Gautier, most designers either choose to four of the bustle shape or the corset. 

LA BELLE EPOQUE

the beautiful era

the style and body shape continued onto the next century the early 1900s, into an era the French named "la belle époque" the beautiful era.  with the industrial need for work and life practicalities, a more functional, easier to wear version of the 2 piece design by Worth was created, tailor made suits styled with high neck blouses, using much more practical materials were also used, rather than the heavy silks and taffetas of previous styles., though these styles were still not 100% practical, designed with the huge puffed sleeves, constricting corsets and heavy skirts, though an improvement all the same especially with the many frills no loner needed. The suit helped women show more confidence and liberty which suited the mood of the era following the ideals of the suffragette movement of Women's right and the vote for women. 

designers who have taken inspiration from this include:
MIU MIU, Serafini, gucci.

the 2 piece suit then developed into a different form, however it still included the restricting corset, and the era's "s" shape silhouette which pushed the bust forward and the shoulders back. the tiny victorian waist had returned but with more of a flat front creating a mono bust. the puffed shoulders moved down to mid arm around the elbow.
 thankfully due to the constricting, impractical, uncomfortable form created with this corset, this shape did not last long and began to relax into a more comfortable shape. 

designers who had styled from this include 
Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs, 
who used style, shape or colour palette in their collections

FASHION- The Turn of a Century Curves Into a Corset

LOUIS XV
brocades and ermines continued in style, Louis XV emulated in father. the main influencer of this period was Marie Antoinette working closely with dressmaker Rose Bertin.
https://uw.pressbooks.pub/lafrancesauvee/chapter/style-evolution-of-marie-antoinette-rose-bertin/

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/07/rose-bertin-famous-french-fashion-designer-dressmaker-milliner-queen-marie-antoinette/

the style was now a tight pointed bodice, square low neckline, with sleeves tied at the elbow - restricting movement - edges were finished with ruffles and ribbons sometimes in ridiculous proportions resulting in a raised hemline (or else it would have inhibited them from walking) layered over panniers.
the Queens style was all about being elaborate heavily adorned and embellished

designers who have taken inspiration from this period include : Karl Lagerfield, McQueen, Balenciaga, Alaia, Vivienne Westwood, Dior, J.P. Gautier, C. LaCroix.

The Victorians

the fashion of France ended with the execution of Louis and Marie, it moved next to Europe, England and an era with photography bloomed. 

the excessive puffed sleeves ended. Queen Victoria chose of a white wedding dress in the 1840s for her marriage to Albert, set the trend that is still used today (the previous colour often being silver or light grey) 

Victoria had high morals, in particular womanhood and virtue influences a sort of conformity in fashion and modesty. skirts were still full and soft, made with ruffles of stiffened netting made from horsehair which came to the floor. Her husband Prince Albert also greatly influenced fashions, for example the frock coat, also known as the Prince Albert, skirts became fuller and heavier. the crinoline was unable to support this and so the Hoop skirt again replaced it, heavy restrictive skirts once again became the fashion, the bodice narrower, therefore the undergarments and corsets more and more confining. The freedom of restriction of the female during the romantic period was lost, women were once again portrayed restrained frail and delicate - once again the idea of meek and docile playing through as the message. 

in 1894 Prince Albert unexpectedly died and Victoria went into mourning wearing online black dresses made of dull non sheen fabrics. Victoria did not only adopt this for the required 1 year but for the rest of her life until she herself also passed. She adapted the huge skirts to a more practical wearable level, and her interest in fashion style became more utilitarian. 

Designers who had used the influence of the fashions of this period include, Dunhill, Ellie Saab, Gucci, Guo Pei, McQueen, Comme des Garcons, 

EMPRESS EUGENIA 

wife of Napoleon III

Charles Frederick Worth of England moved to France and started a hugely influencial fashion status with the Empress. Worth and the Empress would collaborate on the designs rather than the designer creating to the style choices chosen, creating the path for couture. Worth designed the dresses in pieces, bodice, skirt etc, making it easier to wear and enabling the wearer to mixed match.  

Worth knew that due to the contemporary fashions the skirts needed to remain bulky and luminous, but instead experimented shifted the weight and style around. he liked a narrow bodice that continued down into a straight skirt panel hugging the figure moving to the back of the dress for bulking - creating a more figure enchanting shape- Worth's style was emulated by other designers. colours and frills were explosive and unending. fashion magazines did not exist, instead designs and styles were shown via fashion plates.   

designers who have taken inspiration from this include: JPG, Zac Posen, Dior, steampunk fashion trend

steampunk is a DIY blend of fashion which trickled up into high fashion designs