"La Mode" (25th of July, 1915)

 

I got this magazine—bound with a number of other issues from the same year—at a vintage fashion fair where someone was disposing of material used in an exhibition of First World War fashion.  The covers of the issues from earlier in 1915 all have patriotic themes: pictures of Huns confronting innocent Belgians, pictures of women and children giving gifts to wounded soldiers, pictures of royalty from allied nations.  However by this issue La Mode had banished the war from its front cover and had reverted to its role of a fashion magazine pure and simple.

The clothes worn by the models in this illustration are noticeably simpler and easier fitting than the clothes that were fashionable less than a year earlier.  The war was already making its mark on women's clothing.  Inside, the editorial staff had a few words of praise for tailored suits:

Costumes Tailleur

Avec un simple et correct tailleur, une femme est toujours élégante, sis a chausure et ses gants sont irréprochables de fraicher.

On tait cette année beaucoup de tailleurs à rayures plus ou moins irrégulieres, à damiers, éccosais, dans des tons neuters et doux de preference.

Mais nous insisterons sur la corréction de la coupe tailleur tradionnelle: et qui reste la caractéristique d’une femme élegante.

Malgré la coupe correct, le costume en lainage léger sera trés agréable pour les villégiatures de l’éte.  

[Tailored Suits

With a simple and correct tailor, a woman is always elegant, wearing impeccably fresh shoes and gloves.  

This year there have been many suits with more or less irregular stripes, checks, and tartans, preferably in neutral and soft tones.

But we will insist of the correctness of the traditional tailor cut which remains characteristic of an elegant woman.

Despite the correct cut, the light wool suit will be very pleasant for summer resorts.]