1900 - 1910

1900 - 1910

The Ballets Russes (The Russian Ballets)

The Balleys Russes was a ballet company from Russia which performed between 1909 and 1929 in many countries. It was directed by Sergei Diaghilev, it is regarded as the greatest ballet company of the 20th century. The Ballets Russes was noted for the high standard of its dancers, most of whom had been classically trained at the great Imperial schools in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Their high technical standards contributed a great deal to the company's success in Paris, where dance technique had declined markedly since the 1830s. 

Ballets Russes poster

Women's outfit for one of the performances

Some of the outfits they wore for the performances

Lewis Hine

He was an American sociologist and photographer who used his camera as a tool for social reform. His photographs were instrumental in changing the child labor in the United States. This amazing person took four years of his life to show extremely bad conditions in which some children had to work. His documentaries had a huge impact on the the law which was then changed as well as the minimum age at which children could start working. 

Most of the children were not able to write or read. They worked from the morning to the evening. From some of them, they required 13 hours of work and they worked for a minimum wage. Kids usually had to do the work that was rather suitable for adults. 

Hine believed that his photographs could finally change something and 'wake up' the conscience of society, which should of reduced child labor. 

After a lot of people saw his photographs, his effort finally worked. They started to fight for children's rights and the law got changed. A lot of children stopped working in factories and mines. 

Liberty

Liberty is one of the last great emporiums for innovative and eclectic design. Situated in the heart of London since 1875, it remains to this day the destination of choice for the savvy and sophisticated shopper. The store became the most fashionable place to shop in London and Liberty fabrics were used for both clothing and furnishings. 

The Edwardian corsets and the "S" bend

The straight-front corset, also known as the swan-bill corset, the S-bend corset or the health corset, was worn from circa 1900 to the early 1910s. It's name is derived from the very rigid, straight busk inserted in the centre front of the corset. This corset forced the torso forward and made the hips jut out in back. 


The straight-front corset was popularised by Inez Gaches-Sarraute, a courtesies with a degree in medicine. It was intended to be less injurious to wearers' health than other corsets in that it exerted less pressure on the stomach area. However, any benefits to the stomach were more than counterbalanced by injury caused to the back due to the unnatural posture that it forced upon its wearer. At this time, the bust lowered and corsets provided much less support for the breasts. 

Belle epoque

The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque  was a period in the European history that is conventionally dated as starting in 1871 and ending when World War I began in 1914. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic, it was a period characterised by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. The peace and prosperity in Paris allowed the arts to flourish, and many masterpieces of literature, music, theatre and visual art gained recognition. The Belle Époque was named, in retrospect, when it began to be considered a "golden age" in contrast to the horrors of World War I.

Fashion:

By 1895 - leg of mutton sleeves swelled 

to gigantic proportions and were also 

used on décolleté evening dresses. The 

size of the sleeves was highlighted by the 

comparison of the tiny sashed or belted 

waist against the simple gored skirt that 

flared out all round to balance the 

massive sleeve heads.

High neck blouse - high necks were usual 

by day, but by night exceptionally low sweetheart, square and 

round décolleté necklines allowed women to wear quantities of fine  jewellery. No cleavage was visible as the bust was suppressed into 

a mono bosom. The skirts were often gored and created an 

elongated trumpet bell shape like the gently opening head of a 

longiflorum lily. Modified versions were less extreme over the 

hips, simply flowing to more width at the hemline.

Bodice pouched Edwardian day dresses - at the front of the 

bodice, pouches of cascading lace or gathered fabric gave 

emphasis to the low bust line. The straight sleeves of the late 

1890s developed into bloused effects gathered into 

wrist bands. Very deep high lace fabric collars that reached right 

under the chin elongated the neck. They were often kept in place 

with wire covered in silk that was twisted into a series of hooks 

and eyes from one piece of wire. Little wire or boning 

supports covered with buttonhole silk were sometimes dispersed 

every few inches of the collar to maintain the rigid effect.