A History of Blouses Part 4 (1920s)

When writing about blouses, the 1920s is a challenging decade.   For the first time in  my little history they fell out of fashion (though not entirely out of use!)

Sears "Bargain Counter" sale, 1920

This assortment consists of good quality, stylish and serviceable all silk Georgette and all silk Crepe de Chine waists.

This decline didn't happen all at once.  At the beginning of the decade the blouse was as popular as ever (and as decorative and dainty).  Catalogues had pages of blouses for sale, often illustrated in full colour.

Perry Dame catalog, Winter 1920-21

6W295.  A fascinating new style slip-on overblouse of GEORGETTE pattern Flowered Voile.  Made with a "Pierrot" frill collar and the three-quarter length sleeves have cuffs to match.

6W597.  A beautiful hip-blouse for dressy occasions.  It is the luxurious combination of an exquisite fabric and a lovely unusual design... Made with a collarless "Grecian" neckline which fastens in back with a ribbon bow.

A6W299.  Here is a handsome Silk Blouse at a great saving... Designed with a sailor collar and long sleeves.  Embroidery attractively trims the blouse as pictured.

6W259.  Frills—such as are exploited on this attractive blouse of French Voile will give just the right feminine touch to a tailored suit or separate skirt.

Another notable thing about the 1920s was the way in which overblouses almost entirely replaced the traditional tuck-in styles.  Year by year in these catalogue pages you can see the ratio of overblouses to traditional styles increasing.

National Cloak & Suit Co., Spring-Summer 1921

GT 375—Figure Printed Voile.  Here is one of the newest versions of the fashionable Overblouse—a smart and becoming Tuxedo coat-effect model...

GT 377—All-Silk Georgette Crepe.  Fashionable wool trimming, smart simplicity of style... make this blouse a handsome and dressy model.

GT 378—All-Silk Georgette Crepe.  ...It is made with a beautiful front panel trimmed with double hemstitching and good quality lace in effective Irish point pattern.

GT 379—All-Silk Georgette Crepe.  The front of this handsome... Blouse is trimmed with chenille-and-silk hand embroidery and French knots.

GT 380—All-Silk Georgette Crepe.  It is a fashionable kimono-cut model, and the front has a distinctive design embroidered in self-and-harmonizing colors.

GT 386—All-Silk Georgette Crepe.  One of Fashion's most popular Overblouses is presented in this smart model... Both the front and back panels are attached to a sash-belt which ties at each side.

"Blouses have come up in the world.   It's different than it used to be when "shirtwaist" meant a feminine addition of a man's shirt. One shirtwaist was as near like another as two peas in a pod. Now you couldn't count styles in blouses—the glorified shirtwaist—on two hands."
Isabel DeNyse Conover  A Complete Course in Dressmaking Lesson IV: How to Make Blouses (1922)

National Cloak & Suit Co. Spring and Summer 1923

6 W 713.  You have only to see the serviceable quality of the Cotton Voile used in this Smart Tailored Blouse to fully realize what a splendid value it really is.

6 W 714.  This new and very becoming Hip Blouse of Tricolette is one of the most attractive styles we have ever sold... The material is knitted from Fiber Silk (artificial silk) and is very lustrous and rich looking.

6 W 715.  ... Smart semi-tailored style marks the becoming which features the popular tucked effect.  The Peter Pan collar and turn-back cuffs are embroidered in self-color...

6 W 716.  A dressy yet practical Blouse is this stylish and becoming model made of a good quality All Silk Pongee—an excellent suit blouse.

6 W 717 ... Newest Fifth Avenue style is displayed in the novel sleeves and the All-Silk Crepe de Chine in paisley design...

6 W 718.  Here is a dressy new style Hip Blouse... Blouse is a slip-over model with new style collar, hip band and and sash ends of contrasting color tussah.

6 W 719.  This stylish basque-effect overblouse is a popular slip-on model... Note the dainty style of the new short kimono sleeves with self-material bows.

This was as much for purely practical reasons as anything else.  The decade started with a fashionably high waistline, but by 1923 it had dropped to the hips.  It was difficult, if not impossible, to keep a separate skirt in place while it was suspended from the hips.  Add to that the flat, straight figure that was modish in the 1920s and it became impossible to keep a blouse tucked in as well.

National Cloak & Suit Co., Spring-Summer 1924

6X 521.  A Dainty, Quality Blouse with Peter Pan Collar.

6X 523.  For wear under your sweater or suit when continued freshness is a necessity this dainty Porto Rican Hand-made Hip Blouse of fine White Cotton Batiste is an ideal choice, for after each laundering it appears in all its original freshness.

6X522.  This dainty Porto Rican Hip Blouse is all hand-made, with that skill in needlework that will delight you who love beautiful blouses.  The material is fine White Cotton Batiste and is a desirable model to wear with suit or sweater because of the pretty finish the Tuxedo collar gives.

6X 524... Porto Rican Hand-made Slip-over Hip Blouse.  The material is fine White Cotton Batiste and the blouse is made and ornamented entirely by hand.  Collar and front are trimmed with hand-drawn panels in padded effect.

Charles William Stores Fall and Winter 1925

24 R C3144.  A beautiful Blouse of heavy quality Crepe-de-chine.  The attractive design in front is beaded by hand , making the beads much more secure.

24 R C3139.  Printed overblouses are very popular this season, especially when made of Rayon Silk.

24 R C3147.  Soisette fashions this youthful Overblouse with its neat collar and fine pleating of self-material.

24 R C3149.  Isn't this a charming Overblouse?  It's made of All Silk Crepe-de-chine with faggoting on the sleeves and two rows down the front of the blouse...

By the middle of the decade there were few pages dedicated to blouses in the catalogues and sewing magazines—and in some smaller publications they were omitted altogether.   One piece dresses (sometimes with dickies that mimicked a blouse effect) and matching two-piece dresses became fashionable for day wear instead.

Australian Home Journal, June 1926

Jumper, 11,018.  A delightful style for a sports jumper ornamented with oriental trimming.  The deep revers provide for a V neck with which a small vest is worn.  Set-in sleeves extend to the wrist: these may be gathered into a narrow cuff.  Small buttons add a further trimming to the front and sleeves.

Jumper 11,021.  A cosy winter jumper with deep revers and a roll collar; these are faced with contrast fabric as is also the base.  Set-in sleeves to the wrist may be left loose or finished with a turn-back cuff.  Patch pockets are both useful and ornamental.

There's some interesting terminology here.  In modern Australian/British English, a "jumper" is a knitted pullover (a sweater in American English).  In American English a "jumper" was, and is, a sleeveless dress or tunic  meant to be worn over a longer-sleeved garment (aka a "pinafore").  However, in 1920s Australian/British English, a "jumper" appears to have been a casual pull-on overblouse, similar to the American "middy"!

McCall Style News, April 1927

4883.  Original Model by Jenny.  Ladies and Misses' Sport Blouse.

("Jenny" was a French fashion house, well-known in 1927 but forgotten today.  The blouse pattern they designed for McCall's was accompanied with patterns for various kinds of sports clothing, including a pair of knickerbockers!  Note the design details meant to keep the blouse tucked in to the wearer's outer garments during strenuous activities.)

The blouse has become a different garment.  Lingerie sweater-blouses are the accepted wear with flannel suits, and mousseline blouses with coats and skirts of heavy silk.
Dainty blouses are made of frilled linen, or linen and crêpe-de-Chine mixed.  Sometimes they are tucked all over.  Sports blouses have little ships embroidered on them.  I've seen a silk blouse worn with a simple tailor-made that had a white linen handkerchief scarf appliquéd at the neck, and on this was embroidered a bright blue ship.

Fashions For All, May 1928

Fashions For All, May 1928

Pattern No. 42, 325.  The blouse sketched above is such an attractive design for wearing beneath a tailor-made with its softly falling pleated fichu and turn-back collar.

Pattern No. 42,326.  Below you see a very smart jumper-blouse of a striped silk material or striped Tricoline.  The collar has long scarf ends slotted through a buckle at the neck to match the one at the waist.

Pattern No. 42,327. The new yoke effect is the smart feature of the above jumper.  It is cut in a pretty slanting line finished by a bow.  Made in a patterned artificial silk... it would be delightful with a plain pleated skirt.

One thing to note is, that by the later 1920s blouses were being made, for the first time, in artificial fibres.  Rayon (also known as "artificial silk") was now a part of every woman's wardrobe.

Weldon's Ladies' Journal, April 1929

No. 80311.  For wearing with your new Spring suit, you will want a smart jumper, and perhaps you would like to copy this Model with narrow belt and envelope pockets.  I should like to it be of Marichine or Thierline artificial silk, matching the skirt, and finished with ribbon bow in a contrasting colour.

No. 77898.  For slipping on in the morning or for sports, I can imagine no more suitable style of jumper than this high-necked model.  Spun silk, Luvisca or Delysia artificial silk in ivory would be my choice, with ribbon tie, introducing the necessary touch of contrasting colour.

No. 80316.  A really dainty Blouse, tucked in at the waist, for which I have in mind ivory Celanese crépe-de-chine or Celanese satin, or, if preferred, beige or grey, which will go with any skirt.

 And so we come to the end of the 1920s.  Blouses were creeping back into regular day wear, mainly as an accompaniment to suits.  They were to become part of the standard costume of "business girls" in the 1930s.

"Le Petit Echo de la Mode" (December 23, 1934)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

For Christmas Day itself we have a very chic young woman handing out toys to a group of children (surely not all her own!)

ROBE élégante en velours, ave découpes formant poches.  La garniture est en crépe satin de ton clair.  Les manches trois quarts se terminent par deux volante doublés de crépe satin.

Elegant velvet DRESS, with cutouts forming pockets.  The trim is in light-coloured satin crepe.  The three-quarter length sleeves end with two frills lined with satin crepe.

McCall Style News, December 1928

The cover of the December 1928 issue of McCall Style News features five patterns from the McCall Company.  In keeping with our Christmas theme, one of them is for a Santa costume!  The others are for fashionable fur-trimmed coats, including one for the little girl on the left.

Australian Home Journal, December 1958

In keeping with our Christmas theme this month...

The Australian Home Journal wishes its readers "A Merry Xmas" and offers free patterns suitable for a summer holiday season.  At left (5258) a "frock" for a mature woman, next (9923) a dress for a little girl, second right (11594) a casual "blouson" for a younger woman, and at right (5259) a bouffant frock for a younger woman.  All these look as if they could have been worn at an informal Christmas lunch on the beach or a backyard barbecue!

Peterson's Magazine, January 1859

 

FIG. I—Evening Dress of Black Net over black silk, and trimmed with three broad, black lace flounces.  Greek body with a long point in front and at the back. The sleeves are made wide, and supported by full puffs of white tulle.  The trimmings of the dress and head-dress consist of clusters of grapes and leaves.

FIG. II—Dress of White Tulle With Two Skirts Embroidered in Floss.—Each skirt has a lining of pink silk of a quarter of a yard in length, run under the embroidery.  Wreath of pink roses on the head.

Here we have two young ladies ready for a party (a New Year's party?) in 1859.  Peterson's Magazine's description of the dresses illustrated in this plate is remarkably clear and straightforward for the era, probably because they expected some of their readers to try making their own versions. 

Lana Lobell Holiday Catalog (1960)

The supermarkets are full of hams and mince pies, Christmas carols are being piped through the sound systems of shopping malls, and tinsel and fairy lights are popping up in the most unexpected place.  Yes, Tis The Season once again, and what better time to post these pictures from Lana Lobell's Holiday 1960 catalogue?

Festive dresses for the Festive Season... the plain and checked combination on the lower right is a one piece dress: above it is a low-necked dress worn with a coordinating jacket.

A selection of sheath dresses, and one "pretty whirler".  Most of these garments are made in wool.

Lana Lobell describes these as "Whirly, Swirly, Girly"!  The red dress at bottom centre is described as "date-bait" designed to make the most of a small wardrobe with its own "perky tartan plaid vestee" to spice it up.

A selection of date and party dresses in cotton velveteen.

Young fashions which can be worn at work or school... or dressed up for extracurricular activities.  The outfit on the top left is a jumper with matching blouse: by contrast, the dress at bottom left is a matching two-piece outfit.

And finishing on a more casual note: sweaters in mohair, wool and orlon and printed and plain capris.  Just the thing for opening your Christmas presents by the fire!

A History of Blouses Part 3 (1910s)

Clothes the College Girl Will Need by Katherine Clinton

...But you can not do without shirt waists and a tailored skirt.  In fact, you will be able to get on satisfactorily with a sufficient number of shirt-waists and a skirt...

Designer and Woman's Magazine, September 1911.

Weldon's Ladies Journal, May 1911

 42022—A Dainty Blouse.  Of heather coloured silk, trimmed cream lace and insertion, and tucked cream ninon, the velvet straps being of deep heather shade.

If a modern woman was to don a blouse from 1910  people would think she was wearing fancy dress.  If the same woman wore a blouse from 1919, people would think her appearance a little odd, but have trouble working out why.  In other words, the decade saw a desire for practicality merge with a pared-down aesthetic to create the first modern fashions.

National Cloak & Suit Co., Spring-Summer 1912

6437.  A Waist that every woman should have in her wardrobe—a fashionable and becoming model made of Pure Irish Linen.  The front is attractively tucked and the becoming side closing is tastefully effected with pearl buttons.  It has a soft, turned-down detachable collar...

6438.  A delightfully dressy Waist of Striped messaline beautifully made and trimmed.  It has a becoming yoke and high collar of handsome all-over net...

6439.  A charmingly dainty Waist of fine quality Lawn, prettily made and exquisitely trimmed.  The new and attractive double side frill is of plaited Val lace, while the front is becomingly tucked and lavishly embellished with rich Val and Cluny insertions...

6440.  Rich Hand-Embroidery and dainty material make this beautiful Waist of fine quality Lawn a most unusual value at $1.98.

The change didn't come immediately, however.  The first three years of the 1910s saw a continuation of Edwardian styles, with women offered a choice of blouses imitating men's shirts (complete with high starched collar) or blouses ornamented with lace, tucks, embroidery and insertions (also high-collared).

Advertisements, 1913

From Barkers: Jacqueline—Real Cluny and Valenciennes Lace Blouse, trimmed down the front with crochet balls.  Godiva—Good Quality White Japanese Silk Blouse with low turn-collar finished with a soft silk bow.

D.H. Evans & Co: No. 1 LB—Smart and becoming charmeuse Model with hand-stitched Robespierre collar...  No. 2 LB—Charming Broché Model of exquisite design with Robespierre collar (edged fancy handstitching)..

A new garment rendered necessary by the very transparent nature of the blouses and waists now worn is the under bodice of net or shadow lace.  These garments run from the bodice of net or all-over lace, trimmed with a ruffle of lace, to quite elaborate affairs threaded with ribbons in different widths.

The Dry Goods Review, July 1913

This began changing shortly before the First World War (as seen in the illustration below).  Necklines became lower, fastenings simplified, and decorative effects were largely achieved by the use of coloured and patterned material rather than the application of lace and embroidery.  (Judging by my sources, both stripes and checks were immensely popular through the second half of the decade.)

Home Fashions June 1914

No. 18,795... shows the new way of cutting the yoke and sleeves in one.  The lower part of the front is gathered beneath the yoke and arranged to cross slightly over it...

No. 18,794 ... an exceedingly smart blouse, to be carried out in one of the fashionable striped materials.

No. 18,693 ... illustrates the use of the accordian-pleated ninon or chiffon frill.  The blouse is simplicity itself, cut in the Magyar style...

La Mode, April 18 1915

Corsage simple en linon, garni du jours et d'un entre-deux de filet.  Cravate de velours noir.

Blouse en tissu froncée au bord d'un emplècement découpé en cent.

Corsage habillé en soie au en linon garni d'entre-deux de filet, formant bretelles et formant col. 

A Word About Blouses

Separate blouses for summer wear are made of fine handkerchief linen, embroidered voile, Swiss muslin, organdie, batiste, law, Georgette crepe, cotton voile, or marquisette, in white or one of the many pale tints available.  Most of the new blouses show a tiny yoke, a somewhat low-cut neck opening, and a long sleeve, and are joined with machine hem stitching.

Everylady's Journal, November 1916

W.&H. Walker Bargains for Fall of 1916

E411. A stylish waist of sport stripe tub silk in a very pretty combination of dark blue and green stripes.  Black velvet collar, cuffs and vest buttoning through with novelty buttons.

E12.  Middy of good quality linene.  Sailor collar, long sleeves and pocket.  Laces at neck.

E13.  Serviceable waist of white lawn.  Entire front is embroidered; trimmed with deep tucks; turn-down collar, long sleeves with cuff.

E601.  Exquisite and becoming taffeta silk waist.  High or low neck.  Buttons with silk loops and silk covered buttons.

E206.  A serviceable middy for Fall and Winter of gray flannel, with collar, cuffs and belt of contrasting plaid colors.

E410.  Handsome waist of wool-finished plaid flannel.  Vest, collar and cuffs of plain gray flannel edged with contrasting colors.

There has probably never been a greater demand for shirts and blouses than there is to-day, and with a practical tweed coat and skirt for morning wear there is nothing smarter than a well-tailored shirt.  In the afternoon, too, with their serge cloth suits women are wearing crȇpe de chine blouses of the simple, well-cut order.

The Gentlewoman, December 20 1916

The social upheavals of the First World War consolidated these trends.  Large numbers of working women marched off to the factories to do war work, meaning that the low-paid seamstresses, laundresses and ladies maids' who made and cared for the elaborate Edwardian blouses were no longer available.  Meanwhile, middle and upper class women were mostly doing war work of their own, so blouses that could be donned without help, worn throughout a busy day, and washed easily, became desirable.

Ladies Home Journal, March 1918

6. Such pretty waists as this one of plaided voile, collared and cuffed in white piqué with a tiny edge of Irish, forecast a demand for tailored coat suits.

19.  It is made of striped silk, the practical waist above, which will take a tubbing with the same equanimity as the juvenile white piqué turndown collar and cuffs which are such a youthful and essential part of it.

[Fashion]... has lost none of its taste for one-piece dresses and long blouses.  The idea of the long body has been transferred to the separate waist which is worn over a skirt, either a suit skirt, a sports skirt or a dress skirt, as the case may be...

The Delineator, August 1919.

Le Petit Echo de la Mode, August 10 1919

P.L. 4778.  Joli KIMONO en voile de coton, desin cachmire, avec collreette plissée en voile de coton blanc, et mȇme petit plissée au bas de la manche courte.

P.L. 5067.  Elégante TUNIQUE en voile de coton, dessin cachmire.  Le col marin se fait en voile blanc orné d'un jour et d'une petite cravate feminée par deux boules.

P.L. 5071.  CASAQUIN "haute monde", forme marinère, en beaux voile de coton, fond blanc à carreaux de couleur, col uni, manches kimono terminées par un large ourlet uni...

P.L. 4971.  Gentille BLOUSE en voile de coton uni, col marin, voile fond blanc à carreaux de couleur, cravate assortie au col et terminée par une boule.

In 1919 there was an emerging trend for unstructured overblouses—a fashion that was going to last through the 1920s.  Though the war had ended, it was clear that fashion wasn't going revert to pre-war modes.  Ease and simplicity were here to stay.