At the turn of the century, women’s fashions were seldom varied in style and swept long past the ankle. Anything shorter than that was considered quite racy and could get a female into a bit of trouble, not to mention they could acquire quite the unsavory reputation.
By the ‘40s, however, the hemlines had shortened considerably and the ankles had been getting plenty of airtime.
By the post-war era, the shortened style wasn’t considered controversial and became fairly mainstream. A perfect example of this is the “swing skirt” introduced in 1947. Tailored to emphasize a narrow waist and widened hips, this ensemble created an hourglass illusion. The skirt and petticoat combo often fell just below mid-calf, swinging upwards with exaggerated movement.
By the ‘60s, though, even the knees got to see the light of day. With the arrival of the mini-skirts and t-shirt dresses, hemlines were inching more than half a foot above the knee. The t-shirt dresses were accented with waist defining belts, but often had a bit of contrasting innocence added in with the virtuous looking Peter Pan collar around the neckline. Mini-skirts, however, had a decidedly edgier look, often paired with go go boots and tights. Bright colors and patterns also were helpful in drawing the eye to the ensemble.
Take a look at more fashions and hemlines of past eras with the following infographic.
Please include attribution to www.stopstaringclothing.com with this graphic.
Infographic courtesy of: www.stopstaringclothing.com
