The Mid 20th Century Women's Clothing Styles - A Very Concise Review

Female styles were extraordinarily different at the beginning of the 20th century. This was partly because of the lack of modern materials available then, and also high cost of production. The whole outlook on design is different also. Today's designs such as G Star womens clothing designs could not be imagined at that time.

1900 was the period of long dresses that covered the legs.

The Hobble Skirt arrived in 1910. When looking at the Hobble Skirt it is easy to see why it had that name - it was very difficult to walk in.

A milestone occurred in 1913 when Mary Crosby created a support for breasts. It was made from ribbon and two handkerchiefs. It was the world's first bra.

Liptick in tubes arrived in 1915.

For the period of the 1920s the length of women's knickers shortened. They started below the knee and ended well above the knee by the end of the decade.

The 1920s also saw a style change from a feminine look in the direction of a more boyish styles during the mid-20s. In 1924 a replacement for leather, vinyl, was launched.

This changed again in the 1930s when women became slightly more conservative and feminine.

During the 1930s that Wallace Carothers invented nylon. This {brought new design ideas|enabled a whole range of new clothing ideas.
Nylon made its appearance in the mid-1930, making fashions more availablebringing new design ideas.

Skirts got shorter all through World War II for the reason that, well, there was less material for making them: textiles, just like everything else including food was rationed.

A fresh wave of design occurred during the second half of the 1940s. 1946 saw the arrival of the bikini. The hour glass figure also arrived with the Christian Dior New Look in 1947.

Meanwhile the bikini was invented in 1946. In 1947 the 'New Look' from Christian Dior was introduced bringing long skirts and narrow waists - the hour glass figure had been born. The second half of the 1940s was a time of fashion invention.

A more female elegance was in full swing in the 1950s rock and roll years, with more full skirts being worn, great for dancing.

The 1960s were a mix of many styles but Mary Quant's mini skirt is a particular icon.