# 每天读一点服装史91篇# ANTIFASHION

1900 -1920

ANTIFASHION

Transforming women’s clothing into something more practical, timeless, “aesthetic,” or all three, had been the aim of dress reformers since the 1850s, albeit without much success.

ART NOUVEAU 1900

Despite the introduction of specialized clothing for some physical activities, many women at the beginning of the 20th century still wore restrictive clothing and, if they could afford it, changed their wardrobe frequently according to fashion’s demands.

Artists and designers in several countries tried to change this state of affairs.

While they proposed different solutions, their designs had common features.

ISADORA DUNCAN IN GREEK CULTURE DRESS 1910

Corsets, seen as the root of all evil, were generally abandoned; dresses often had a high, relatively loose waistline, while voluminous sleeves and skirts allowed greater freedom of movement.

Prominent surface decoration incorporating the swirling lines a d motifs of Art Nouveau — or based on patterns derived from Ancient Greece, the Renaissance, or Byzantium — was a common theme.

AUSTRIAN DESIGNER EDUARD JOSEF WIMMER WISGRILL PATTERN DESIGN 1913

ANNA MUTHESIUS

In 1903 German concert singer, and wife of a well-known architect and writer, Anna Muthesius published a book entitled Das Eigenkleid der Frau (Women’s Own Dress).

ANNA MUTHESIUS

Muthesius believed that dress should express the individuality of the wearer, and she urged women to break free from the fashion dictates of Paris and develop their own taste.

Only then would they be able to make suitable sartorial choices and design clothes to suit themselves, using aesthetically pleasing textiles and patterns.