Object: Suit
Date: c. 1916
Medium: Cotton denim
Country: USA
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: P85.35.2
DescriptionJacket: white cotton denim with black stripes; sailor back notch collar; below hip length with stitched down shoulder flange; two-piece long sleeve with two button turn back pointed cuff; one center front button. Matching belt: wide self tube band; one button at pointed ends. Matching skirt: 6.4 cm waistband with pointed sides; above ankle length A-line, gathered at back waist; slanted, one button pointed flap patch pocket right and left front hip; four decorative buttons at left and right waist; four snaps, left hip.
Label Text:This suit follows the fashionable silhouette of the 1910s, with its raised waistline, elongated, tunic-like jacket, and skirt that falls just above the ankles. Rendered in tough and durable denim, it represents a trend toward more utilitarian fabrics that arose during World War I. As fashion historian Birgit Haase describes, “Simplicity and functionality were the fashion watchwords of the day.”
Exhibitions:
- Minimalism / Maximalism: Fashion Extremes
- Denim: Fashion’s Frontier