The bias cut, pioneered by Madeleine Vionnet, was introduced in the 1920s but popularised in the 1930s. It was designed to emphasise feminine curves along with a slender figure. It reintroduced the waistline and ushered in a very different style to the 1920s, where women’s clothing was more “boyish” (Reddy, 2020) and hid the female form. With full-length skirts and an “elongated torso with widening shoulders” (Reddy, 2020) effect, it became the “epitome of femininity” (Mallon, 2018).
The decade’s fashion took great influence from Hollywood and the glamour that surrounded the film industry. Disseminating trends and styles, women wanted to replicate these looks and “copy their favourite stars at a small cost” (Reddy, 2020). This became a driving force for designers to create Hollywood inspired garments at all price points especially Ready-to-Wear collections during the early 1930s.
Figure 1: Gabrielle Chanel Evening dress, 1930s (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021)
Combining both Hollywood elegance and the bias cut, Figure 1, (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021) shows a pale pink, silk Gabrielle Chanel dress which is a statement piece from the 1930s. Its silhouette creates the illusion of a one-shoulder garment with a large draping bow on the right shoulder designed to “highlight discrete zones of the body, such as neck … providing further animation” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021). The bodice and central quarters are more form fitting with “spiral, arced and crisscross” (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021) seams which accentuate the curves of the body, especially the waistline, whilst maintaining a structural yet decorative design. The lower quarter of the dress is a straight, full-length skirt. Such quality of dress would be typically custom-made and worn by wealthier consumers, however alternatives were designed within the Ready-to-wear collections to reach more people and extend the market for those wishing to partake in the ‘Hollywood glam’. Naturally the lowest classes were hit especially hard by the Depression and couldn’t afford Ready-to-Wear lines either. Some women made clothing out of cotton flour sacks in order to wear new garments. This led to flour manufacturers printing designs on the sacks to allow “even those hit hardest … to update their wardrobe” (Reddy, 2020).
Even though the bias cut was popularised in the 30s, it is a silhouette we regularly see today. Although always having been associated with women’s luxury clothing, “given that it requires more fabric” (Mallon, 2018), the silhouette is today appearing in Ready-to-Wear men’s clothing lines. Referring to the bias cut as one that blurs the lines between how society perceive femininity and masculinity, Mallon (2018) suggests that rather than restricting it to womenswear, there is hope that through traditional binary systems, the bias cut will “offer a new simplicity” (Mallon, 2018) one that is “elastic, liberating, unifying” (Mallon, 2018) to menswear.
Menswear in the 1930s was very traditional and owing to the Great Depression featured an increase in Ready-to-Wear collections and the development of synthetic materials. This came in the form of the suit. In order to advertise menswear in an innovative way, the appearance of “the first male photographic and catwalk models were documented” (Maynard, 2010), providing the opportunity for a new visual presentation of products. Unfortunately, this was cut short by the onset of World War II.
Although synthetics were favoured by the majority due to their washability, their drying speed and their lack of creasing, (Maynard, 2010) the upper classes still maintained their appreciation of natural fibres such as wool. As shown in Figure 2 (Powerhouse Museum, 2007) this three-piece pinstriped suit, made of wool, is a great example of the “sleek tailoring” (De La Haye and Mendes, 2021. P94) associated with the 1930s. Although Figure 2 (Powerhouse Museum, 2007) is of Australian origin, suits were also very popular among British men at the time. Savile Row tailoring emerged in 1938 and was promoted as the “ultimate in sophistication” (De La Haye and Mendes, 2021. P95). This contrasted with the more casual, “rugged” (De La Haye and Mendes, 2021. P95) American image during the same period.
Figure 2: Men’s suit 1930s, made by Farmer & Co (Powerhouse Museum, 2007)
Akin to the Gabrielle Chanel dress, suits were at times custom-tailored for the wealthier consumers whereas high-street shops would sell mass produced suits to the middle and working classes. Suits of this time were “usually in dark colours” (De La Haye and Mendes, 2021. P95) and similarly to womenswear, accentuated the physical form. Farmer & Co was well known during the 1930s for its mass production of suits and as shown in Figure 2 (Powerhouse Museum, 2007) the jacket and waistcoat feature brown buttons which purposely contrast the grey colour of the suit, a trait of this manufacturer. The cut of the jacket broadens the shoulders, is more form fitting around the waist, has naturally widening shape towards its bottom and is relatively figure hugging over the hips. The waistcoat helps to enhance the slimming of the waistline and features a v-opening. The trousers are cut high-waisted and straight which, aligned with the pinstripe pattern elongates the legs and creates a heightening illusion. These particular trousers in Figure 2 (Powerhouse Museum, 2007) have a slight turn-up, which was a common feature from this time.
Suits are undeniably still a huge part of formal menswear. Many different cuts and fits are now available to accommodate a wider variety of body shapes meet demand for a greater range of styles. With different price points, the suit style is accessible to everyone and considered a wardrobe essential. In the 1930s this was not necessarily the case as the increasing access to television exposed youths to foreign fashions particularly the informality of emerging European and American designs. With youths opting for more relaxed styles the suit became identified as the divider between younger and older men and throughout the decade highlighted the contrasts among casual and formal attire.
Visual Analysis References
Mallon, J. 2018. The Gender-Bending Evolution of the Bias Cut. [Online]. [Accessed: 8 November 2021]. Available from: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/the-gender-bending-evolution-of-the-bias-cut/2018070230505
Reddy, K. 2020. Fashion History Timeline: 1930-1939. [Online]. [Accessed: 16 November 2021]. Available from: https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1930-1939/
Maynard, M. 2010. Berg Encyclopaedia of World Dress and Fashion: Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Available from: https://www.bloomsburyfashioncentral.com/products/berg-fashion-library/encyclopedia/berg-encyclopedia-of-world-dress-and-fashion-australia-new-zealand-and-the-pacific-islands
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021. Evening dress, 1930s. [Online]. [Accessed: 8 November 2021]. Available from: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/82559
De La Haye, A and D. Mendes, V. 2021. Fashion Since 1900. World of Art, 4. Third Edition. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
Visual Analysis Image list
Figure 1: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, c2021. Evening dress, 1930s. [Online]. [Accessed: 8 November 2021]. Available from: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/82559
Figure 2: Powerhouse Museum, 2007. Mens suit made by Farmer & Co worn by Dr C A Monticone. [Online]. [Accessed: 8 November 2021]. Available from: https://collection.maas.museum/object/367837
Comments