WomanOfOrlandPark_v4_flippingBook

MANNEQUINS

The mannequins on display highlight three examples of women’s fashion over the course of four decades. In the late 1800s, two notable silhouettes dominated women’s fashion: the “princess line” (a dress that molded to the body) and the return of the bustle in the 1880s (a round, almost shell-like protrusion from dress at the small of the back). By the 1890s, women’s fashion began to shift away from these two silhouettes. Instead, women’s fashion in this decade often include a vertical puffed sleeve at the shoulder, a bell-shaped skirt, and a nipped in waist to create the illusion of an hourglass effect. In the early 1900s, many women embraced the “New Woman” look by including tailored blouses and skirts into their wardrobes. Their silhouettes were still largely structured, following the fashion of the previous decade. However, moving into the 1910s and 1920s, women’s fashion became much more simple. House dresses, such as the one displayed, were designed for completing household chores and quick errands. Despite their informal purpose, house dresses still used decorative fabrics, such as patterned cotton with floral designs. The main look that dominated much of the 1920s was the tubular “la garçonne” or “flapper” dress, though once the stock market crashed in 1929, the modest, more feminine silhouette returned in the 1930s.

MANNEQUIN DISPLAY • Molly Myrick Jackson’s Victorian dress, c. 1890s • Floral home dress, c. 1910s • Flapper dress, c. 1920s