In the early 1900s, women slowly began
One can say that perhaps the demise
to ‘liberate themselves… of their own
of the very restrictive corset occurred
helplessness and their male relatives’
not only due to feminist dress reform,
wealth’ (Lurie, 1992, p. 223). ‘A few
but also due to ‘turn-of-the-century
radicals advised the abandonment of the
health
corset’ (Lurie, 1992, p.220) with Paul
(Fields, 1992, p.358) in which corsets
Poiret ‘waging war on the corset’ (Fields,
were made with stretchy fabrics and
1999, p.358) with the introduction of his
pliant stays which allowed more room
hobble skirts in 1910 (Lurie, 1992,
for movement however still keep the
p.223). Poiret stated that he ‘proclaimed
ideal figure (Stewart and Janovicek,
the fall of the corset’ (Poiret, 1931, pp.72-
2001, p.179). From this one can see
73 cited by Fields, 1992, p.358) since the
that the use of the corset was too
demise of the corset did not happen
integrated into women’s everyday lives,
straight away, with the idea of the
proving
garment still being needed for support to
suggesting that Lurie’s (1992, p.222)
achieve the fashionable line (Fields,
statement of ‘first wave feminism… did
1992, p.358) and that women still wanted
not liberate most women’ in the early
the ‘ultimate shape decreed by fashion
1900s was very accurate.
and
hygiene
difficult
to
be
movements’
abolished,
(Mendes and De La Haye, 1999, p.13). Lurie (1992, p.223) thought that the hobble skirt was unsuccessful due to it being in a transitional period, however, it did provide a ‘useful guide in terms of political and social views of the women who wore them’ (Lurie, 1992, p.223).
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