The period from 1913 to 1921 is incredibly interesting in social history. In 8 years there is an enormous shift in beauty and societal standards. World War I left Victorian and Edwardian morals behind, and ushered in the modern woman. While the outward silhouette of fashion changes a great deal in this period, body ideals, and the undergarments that supported them, underwent a more subtle change.
This series looks at body ideals in the WWI period, and how they changed over the seven year period. It also covers how corsets and other undergarments were used to achieve the ideal figure and ‘correct’ the less than ideal figure in the 1913-1921 period.
- Part I: The Ideal WWI Figure: a range of Ideals
- Part II: Breaking Down the Elements that Made the ‘Ideal’ figure
- Part III: The Changing Ideal Figure, 1913-1921
- Part IV: Staying Fashionable and Supporting a Full Bust
Correct Corsetry For The New Military Vogue Feb 1915 via the NYPL digital collections