French fashion, women & the First World War

Abstract

"An unprecedented examination of the impact of fashion on society in France throughout the Great War. This fascinating exploration of French women's fashion during World War I is the first in-depth consideration of the role that fashion played in the upheaval of French society between 1914 and 1918. As the fashion industry-the second largest industry in the country-mobilized to help the war effort, Parisian couture houses introduced new styles, aggressively disseminated information through magazines, and strengthened their propaganda efforts overseas. Women of all social classes adapted their garments to the wartime lifestyle, and practicality was increasingly introduced in the form of pockets and "sportswear" textiles like jersey. While women were heralded for contributing to the war effort, the clothes they wore while doing so often provoked debates, particularly when their attire was seen as too masculine or militaristic. With focused studies of wartime garments such as skirt suits, nurse's uniforms, work overalls, and mourning clothes, this volume brings to life the passionate debates that roiled the French fashion industry and reveals the extent to which fashion was a hotly contested topic and a barometer for social tensions throughout this tumultuous era. Maude Bass-Krueger is postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Arts in Society at Leiden University. Sophie Kurkdjian is a research fellow at l'Institut d'histoire du temps présent (IHTP-CNRS)"--

Contents

French women and the First World War / Margaret H. Darrow -- Nurses' uniforms / Johanne Berlemont & Anaïs Raynaud -- "Needles en avant!": the militarization of women's sewing and knitting during the First World War in France, Great Britain, and America / Susan R. Grayzel -- Fashion, gender, and anxiety / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Mourning / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Photographing the working woman: the Excelsior archives at Roger-Viollet / Sophie Kurkdjian -- Overalls / Jérémie Brucker -- The wartime fashion industry / Maude Bass-Krueger -- The evolution of the fashionable silhouette, 1911-19 / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Selected designs registered for copyright, 1917-19 / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Jean Paquin, Jeanne Lanvin, Jenny, and Gabrielle Chanel, 1914-18 / Sophie Kurkdjian -- The costume tailleur / Michel Majer -- Restructuring French couture, 1914-18 / Sophie Kurkdjian -- "Copying is stealing!": the fashion press and counterfeiting / Sophie Kurkdjian -- The crisis of 1917: "national fashion" and American textile restrictions / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Midinettes on strike / Maude Bass-Krueger -- Returning to the gender question / Maude Bass-Krueger & Sophie Kurkdjian.