WWI: Fashion Trends

How War Shaped the Fashion/Clothing World for Women and Soldiers Alike

Ruth Murray

A Collection of Three Locations and Their Clothing History (Briefly)

Summaries

Laurel, MT:

  • News from the Laurel Outlook on Wednesday, July 24 , 1918
  • The Stage Women's War Relief requested that women in Laurel start creating vests for soldiers out of any bits of usable leather they could scrounge up
  • Girdles and plain dresses become popular in favor of flashier, more intricate dresses
  • Corsets become the foundation of dressing well
  • Evening gowns begin to grow outdated
  • Shoes cost (on average) $1.48

Select Articles from the Laurel Outlook newspaper, 1918

Billings, MT:

  • News from Billings Daily Tribune on Monday, April 19, 1915
  • Montana was not yet concerned with the ongoing war
  • Collars become the object of attention, for people had time to worry about such arbitrary things
  • High collars become outdated
  • Open collars are now trending

Article on Collars from the Billings Daily Tribune, 1915

Helena, MT

  • News from The Independent Record (Helena) on Monday, December 7th, 1914.
  • Short coats trending
  • Shorter cavalry jackets in place for soldiers
  • Velvet girdles still popular
  • Women were encouraged to buy as many clothes as they could afford for the sake of the economy
  • High collars are still seen as classy and trendy
  • People worry about linen supplies dropping, resulting in the popularity of cotton and muslin
  • Jabots return in the fashion industry
  • Lace blouses have reappeared

Sources

Marshall, Frances. "Fashion's Latest Word in Smart Creations: The Fascinating Collar of 1915." Billings Daily Tribune, Monday, April 19, 1915, p. 5.

"What Can We Do?" Laurel Outlook, Wednesday, July 24, 1918, p. 8.

"What Well Dressed Women Will Wear: Will the War Bring in Zouave and Short Cavalry Jackets to Take the Place of Long Ones?" The Independent Record, Monday, December 7, 1914, p. 3.