| S-curved
Edwardian corset, c. 1903, from Lily of the Edwardian Age |
 |
S
Curve
The Edwardian woman strove for a deep bosom, a tiny waist, and rounded
hips - not so different from the ideal of other periods. What made
the Edwardian fashion figure unusual (though not unique) was the S-curved
corset that pushed the bosom forward and the hips backward into a
S-shaped silhouette when view from the side. |
| Girl's
middy bloused sailor suit with pleated skirt, c. 1920, from May
Alice, Child of the 1920s |
 |
Sailor
Suit
Like other menswear, the traditional sailor's uniform has been the
inspiration for women's and children's clothes for generations. Sailor
suits nearly always have large square collar in the back, tapering
to a V in the front, often with a scarf or bow. Other elements usually
include braid and decorative buttons. Most sailor suits are white
or navy with red, white, blue and gold ornamentation. |
| Shirtwaist
dress with gigot sleeves and gored skirt, 1905, from Lily of
the Edwardian Age |
 |
Shirtwaist
Dress
Although skirt and blouse effects had been in and out of fashion for
centuries, the shirtwaist with this button up the front bodice and
attached skirt really took off in the Gibson Girl days of the early
twentieth century. The no-nonsense skirtwaist could be softened with
lace and trimmings or pared down for a crisp look. It fit perfectly
the trend toward an acceptance of a more active, self-determinate
woman. |
| Presend
day footed sleeper from Muchie Bear. |
 |
Sleeper
Present day sleepers for children are probably the progeny of the
union suit worn by the whole family in the late 19th century and very
early 20th century. The union suit was a knit or flannel undergarment
with sleeves and long legs. It usually buttoned up the front and sometimes
had ingenious flaps for hygene reasons. When knitted, it was most
often wool, but I've seen advertisements for silk union suits as well.
They were widely sold through mail order catalogs under a variety
of clever trade names. |
| Cotton
sleeve pads stuffed with down, c. 1830, from Estelle of the
Romantic Age. |
 |
Sleeve
Pads
Sleeve pads were worn in several periods, but perhaps most notably
in the late 1820s through the 1830s under enormous gigot sleeves.
These are stuffed with down and must have been very hot on a warm
day. |
| Present
day child's slicker. |
 |
Slicker
Originally raingear for fisherman, the waterproof slicker with its
metal clasp closing and big pockets is now a standard for children.
This little guy wears his with rain boots. His bear could use one
too. |
| Contempory
child's dress with a smocked yoke, from Janey. |
 |
Smocking
Smocking is a kind of embroidery frequently used on European traditional
garments and contemporary children's wear. It's made by the combination
of fine pleating or gathering flattened and embellished with embroidery. |
| Sundress
with spaghetti straps, 1959, from Kitty Dale |
 |
Spaghetti
Straps
Shoulder straps have been around for centuries, but they didn't get
to be named after pasta until the 20th century. Spaghetti straps tend
to be made of the ribbon or piping that faces the neckline of the
garment. They have to be skinny, or they're not spaghetti. |
| Cut
velvet spencer with decorative piping and buttons, 1815, from Regency
Cousins. |
 |
Spencer
A snug, 19th century jacket. We usually think of the very short spencers
worn during the very early part of the century; however, tight-fitting
Victorian jackets with natural waistlines were also called spencers. |
| Mini
dress with standup collar from The Way We Wore 1969 |
 |
Stand-up
Collar
The stand-up collar has a vaguely Manchurian look, but it's been around
a long time, often (but by no means always) fastening in the back
or on the side. This kind of collar is easy to sew, so it's seen fairly
often. |
| Handbag
with stirrup strap, 1916, from Pamela of the Nouveau Age |
 |
Stirrup
Strap
A looped strap fastened at one point only is often called a stirrup
strap. This one is the handle for a purse; notice that the strap begins
and ends in the center of the purse frame, not at each end as a normal
strap does. |
| Mini
skirt with stitched down pleats from The Way We Wore 1969 |
 |
Stitched
Down Pleats
Stitched down pleats top-stitch part of the length of the pleat and
then allowed to fall open. This skirt uses stitched down pleats to
create a snug hip with a swingy hemline. |
| Strapless
sundress, 1959, from Kitty Dale |
 |
Strapless
Completely strapless outerwear with nothing else to cover the shoulders
or neckline was new in the 20th century. Previously, sleeveless garments
were worn over a chemise or other undergarment. |
| Sequinned
dress with a sweet-heart neck, 1945, from Betty of the Gallant
Forties. |
 |
Sweetheart
Neckline
Also called the heart-shaped neckline, the sweetheart neck was popular
in the late 1800s and reappears from time to time. It's usually (thought
not always) used for realtively dressy clothes. |
