“What does 1910s fashion look like?” I found myself typing into Google last weekend, searching for inspiration. 1980s I knew, 1960s I was all over. I even had an idea what to look for for the 1930s… but 1910s? I was pretty sure I had no clue. But then Google images came up and I had to slap myself, because of course I know what 1910s clothing looks like, I’ve seen Downton Abbey. I’ve seen Titanic. 

Epiphany complete, I looked up images from these, and hit another roadblock. There are actually so many different styles from the 1910s, as the decade prior and the decade ahead battled it out on sartorial grounds. Not to mention the literal war that also had a huge impact on the styles of the era.

The 1910s were definitely a transition period between the 1900s, with its strict Edwardian styles and the footloose and fancy-free dresses of the ‘20s. If you want to get technical about it, pretty much every decade, when examined individually, shows traces of the era that came before and the era soon to come. The 1910s are no exception, as I’m sure you’ll see as we discuss the decade’s sartorial history. 

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1910s Fashion Overview

Early 1910s fashion still retained many of the Edwardian styles of the 1900s, but as the years progressed, the fashion industry saw styles become increasingly relaxed. This was partially thanks to designers like Paul Poiret, and later, Coco Chanel, who redesigned women’s fashions to be more fluid than they had been previously. 

The uncomfortable bustle and corset combo of the 1900s was abandoned within the first few years of the 1910s, though the hobble skirt, which proved to be near impossible to move in, briefly came into fashion. As if to make up for it, the empire waist dress was introduced soon after, and became very popular, especially for evening wear. Throughout the decade, women’s skirts became more and more relaxed, and even inched up to (scandalous!) ankle height during the war period. Dance corsets, which were softer and easier to move in, were introduced, followed by the first modern styled bra in 1914. Finally, mascara was finally created in a form that wasn’t toxic in 1913, leading for cosmetic companies like Maybelline to invest in safe quality products for women.