Author: Avera

We are starting this weeks Vintage Vocab with  a term that quickly faded in and out of fashion in the Victorian era.  Bustles were popular during the late 1800’s.  Many women owned at least one and wealthy women would have owned many different styles  The three most popular categories  were the lobster-tail; the small bustle; and the bustle cushion, which was accessible to most women simply because it was the easiest to manufacture.  Bustles  were made of wicker, whalebone, and  coiled steel springs that were used as support to give the body an “S” shape. Bustles were originally Introduced in 1868 to replace the cage crinoline

In 1881, designer Charles Worth reintroduced the bustle into high fashion. The new style of  bustle of the 1880s fit closer to the body, and was smaller, lightweight and easier to walk around in. Sometimes, it was even  collapsible to allow for easy sitting. This style came in many different versions but all of them had the same goal in mind, to exaggerate the female posture. 

Overtime exaggerated body shapes were going out of style and more comfortable options were offered. Women’s skirts became simple and less restrictive. As a result, the bustle was replaced with the “A line skirt” and the corset. But was this change really for the better? Originally, corsets were introduced to give the body an attractive looking hour glass shape. But in order to achieve this, the corset would often squeeze the waist tightly in the middle which caused many health problems. Tightly laced corsets reduced lung capacity, irritated skin, and squeezed the rib cage. The corset was originally intended to give women more comfort, but actually caused more health problems.

Today, women have more freedom and choice in fashion.  Fabrics are comfortable and durable. Women now use bras as supportive undergarments, and they are much more comfortable than corsets. Even though the corset and bustle are no longer used today, it serves as a reminder of how extravagant women’s fashion used to be.

Source: metmuseum.org, refashioninghistory.com, nyamcenterforhistory.org, vam.ac.uk

Kelly, juniper, sage, sea-foam, and emerald are familiar shades of lucky green. But, unfortunately, this bright and happy color hasn’t always been lucky, and in the fashion world, it has occasionally been considered a curse.
The unlucky charm of green is attributed to Carl Wilhelm Scheele, a late 18th-century chemist who developed a new pigment dye by mixing arsenic and potassium in a copper solution. The new shade turned the relatively rare color of green into a fashion phenomenon.
The “new” green was presented in dresses, trims, flowers, and even wallpaper. The problem, of course, was that the dye was toxic. Those who wore it, and primarily those who worked with it, became sick, blistered, and even died from the exposure. Despite its toxicity, the bright green color in various forms remained fashionable until the late 1800s.
By early 1900, after well-documented cases of injury and death due to the arsenic exposure, the color green went from fashionable to shunned and was considered “unlucky.” Even among more modern fashion houses such as Chanel, seamstresses consider the color green to be bad luck.
Long before the days of arsenic green, the color had its ups and downs throughout history. Before Queen Victoria set white as the traditional wedding gown, green was a popular choice for brides because it invoked fertility. However, Shakespearean actors in England refused to wear green on stage because it was bad luck. At the same time, Sailors banned the color aboard ships because it is believed to attract lightning.
Today, green is back on top, bringing a mostly positive and usually happy tone. Even a hint of green in accessories can bring freshness to any look. So, wear the green. Times have changed. It’s now a color of health, life and happiness.

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This summer FashionPastForward will produce a series of weekly theme content for Vintage Retailers.
Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect.

MONDAY • Swatch of the Week
Features the history and popular uses of fabrics, textures and patterns.

TUESDAY • Trending: Then and Now
Find out what was “Trending” way back when and is still in style today.

WEDNESDAY • Vintage Vocabulary
Learn the lingo of vintage fashion with the word of the day.

THURSDAY • Tips and Tricks
Vintage styling tips and tricks

FRIDAY • Flashback
Flashback with history making icons and events

Jump suits were first introduced in the early 1900’s. Throughout the decades the names changed but the style remained relevant and popular. By the 70’s both women and men were taking the trend center stage.

The mini skirt made its debut in 1963 when designer, Mary Quant, featured it in a London window display. Two years later, Super Model, Jean Shrimpton shocked the world when she made a public appearance in a mini dress at the Melbourne Cup in Australia. The length of the dress was shocking enough, but she also dared to wear it with no hat, gloves or stockings.

EYELET

Eyelet is a cool, comfortable summer favorite. The word eyelet comes from the old French word “oeillet” meaning “little eye.” Eyelet cutwork was used as early as the 1500’s. It gained popularity in the Victorian Era when women chose eyelet for their undergarments. Eyelet is also used as a cheaper alternative to lace. On a celebrity note, Actress Brigitte Bardot wore a pink eyelet wedding gown in the late 1950’s for one of her nine weddings during her lifetime. Today, eyelet is a popular summer fabric for sun dresses, shirts and trims.