1918 Pandemic Fashion and Tips for Analyzing Clothing Clues

The Photo Detective

Fashion clues in pictures can document trends over a decade, but specific details can sometimes pinpoint an exact year or two. Like the puffy large crown hats of circa 1910 or the Paul Poiret tapered narrow skirts of the circa 1912, supposedly influenced by bi-plane rides. Or the Garibaldi shirt style popular in the early 1860s. In 1864, walking skirts that belled out above the ankles were the rage in Paris. it was a winter of dresses drawn up over colored skirts with plaid edging.

There are fashion repeats like the balloon like Gigot sleeves of the 1830s reappearing in the 1890s. In episode 91 Dress and the Vote, Emily Boisvert spoke about generations of women who bonded over their desire for the vote by wearing certain style clothes in particular colors. Have you spotted any of these trends in your family photos?

Fashion trends can be influenced by politics, wars, people (Garibaldi), technology (think the smokey eye of the silent film era for instance) and even pandemics.

Pandemic mask wearers had a wide variety to choose from including character themed ones. If you have a photo of an ancestor wearing a mask from that era, I’d love to see it.

Fashion clues can be difficult to read. In this episode you’ll find tips to help you decide when and where an image was taken.

Related Episodes:

Episode 91: Dress and the Vote

Links:

• The Flu Pandemic
• Rethinking Fashion in the midst of a Pandemic, a Radio Boston podcast
• How the Spanish Flu of 1918 Affected Fashion by Booth Moore. (Subscription required)
• Mask-Wearing Rules in the 1918 Pandemic faced resistance.
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About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen is a frequent keynote speaker on photo identification, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., London and Canada. She’s the author of several books and hundreds of articles and her television appe

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.

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