A Fashionable Uniform
1900-1909
The tailor-made was known as the ‘fashionable uniform’ in the first decade of the 20th century. With its precise lines, structured silhouette, simple details, and RTW accessibility, the tailor-made was extremely popular and versatile.
The House of Chanel has been known for its tailored suits and sets, and this style of fashion is still seen in almost every collection produced by the house today in both its Haute Couture and its Ready-to-Wear lines. In Chanel’s Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2019 Collection, the iconic structured suit embellished with big buttons was present, but instead of the hemline landing above the model’s knee, the hemlines were collectively inches above the ground similar to the historical tailor-mades that were purposefully hemmed for walking.
While the initial tailor- mades were somber, the pieces in Chanel’s 2019 line were an assortment of vibrant and traditional colors like bright red and royal blue, with rich maroon and staple black. Even though this has been Chanel’s iconic look since the beginning, I do think the masculine influence of the tailor- made can be seen through these collections. These suits and sets are modern for these times in the same way the tailor-made was modern for the early 19th century woman. Conversely, today suits are a part of womenswear as much as they are a part of menswear.
Works Cited
Chanel. Autumn/Winter 2019 (Look 4). 2 Jul. 2019. WGSN Catwalk Gallery. WGSN. Web. 2 Jul. 2019. https://www.wgsn.com/catwalk_gallery/#gender=2&season=0&city=0&show=55751.
Chanel. Autumn/Winter 2019 (Look 52). 2 Jul. 2019. WGSN Catwalk Gallery. WGSN. Web. 2 Jul. 2019. https://www.wgsn.com/catwalk_gallery/#gender=2&season=0&city=0&show=55751.
"Fashion: Tailor-made Street Gown." Vogue. 4 Jan 1900: 5. ProQuest. Web. 2 Jul. 2019. https://0-search- proquest- com.library.academyart.edu/vogue/docview/911823249/F1FCA24144B24E1EPQ/6?accountid=27957.
"Fashion: Variations of the Smart Tailor-made Gown." Vogue. 16 Apr. 1903: 528. ProQuest. Web. 3 July 2019. https://0-search-proquest- com.library.academyart.edu/vogue/docview/911833589/F1FCA24144B24E1EPQ/1?accountid=27957.
