Adam's Women's Dress Designing&Tailoring

03/03/2020

03/03/2020

Our new LED BOARD

12/02/2020

The post-war years were a time of major social progress, with women earning the right to vote and entering the workforce in even greater numbers. Social customs were relaxed and clothing soon became more flexible, practical and masculine.

Designer Coco Chanel led the trend. Corsets were ditched in favour of a flatter bust and streamlined silhouette. In 1925, she brought casual chic to women’s tailoring with the introduction of her cardigan-style jackets. The menswear-inspired look put comfort first, using wool and dispensing with the fussy details of yesteryear. Her frill-free designs in navy and black were an instant hit with women keen to keep their newfound freedom. “I gave them real arms, real legs, movements that were authentic and the possibility to laugh and eat without, necessarily, having to faint,” she said.

12/02/2020

At the beginning of the 20th century, women’s dissatisfaction in their social status once again played a key role in the progression of tailoring. In a direct denunciation of French designer Paul Poiret’s fashionable hobble skirt (featuring a hem so tight at the ankles that it was almost impossible for women to take unrestricted steps), the American Ladies’ Tailors’ Association created the ‘suffragette suit’. Along with a blouse and jacket, the suit had an ankle-length divided skirt that allowed the wearer to take long strides, providing emancipation on two levels. Not surprisingly, those who championed the look were publicly derided for it, targeted in the media for their ‘spinsterish masculinity’, which only fuelled paranoia about the perceived dangers of gender equality.

With the outbreak of the First World War, tailoring became more practical. Day suits (also referred to as walking suits), featuring long skirts and loose, belted jackets, defined the look of women joining the workforce.

Suiting Style

From long, fitted coats with narrow sleeves to looser, more practical two-piece suits.

Icon of the Era

Model Denise Poiret, wife and muse of designer Paul Poiret. Poiret used her slender figure as the basis for his radically simplified constructions.

12/02/2020

Perhaps the earliest example of women’s suit tailoring dates back to the 17th century in the form of riding habits, which comprised a fitted jacket and long skirt (with train to ensure legs were fully covered), often worn with a masculine hat. Even in this rather demur design, the prospect of women dressing in anything but the most feminine of ensembles shocked society. Diarist Samuel Pepys wrote in 1666 upon encountering women “dressed in their riding garbs, with coats and doublets and deep skirts, just for all the world like men” that it was “an odd sight, and a sight which did not please me.”

Though the style and cut of riding habits changed with time and fashion, they continued to be tailored in a masculine manner throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and into the early-19th century.

With the rise of the women’s rights movement ̶ and, on a more practical level, the popularity of cycling ̶ in the mid-19th century, came another radical development in women’s tailoring. In a backlash against the cumbersome skirts and restrictive corsetry women were required to wear, the bloomer suit was born. Designed by Elizabeth Smith Miller in New York in 1851 and championed by women's rights activist Amelia Bloomer, the suit consisted of long trousers tied at the ankle that were concealed under a skirt, which made riding a bike much easier.

12/02/2020

To celebrate this growing trend, and to coincide with International Women’s Day, we’ve decided to look at the (sometimes) controversial history of women’s tailoring. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be bringing you the definitive King & Allen historical guide to women’s tailoring – looking at how this once-unthinkable fashion statement has evolved. We’ll then take a look at the current trends and bring you our best tips on how to choose the right suit for you.

For now, step back in time with us for part one as we show you how this modern-day wardrobe staple has reflected the socio-political status of women, from its original incarnation to the defining outfits of the early decades of the 20th century.

08/02/2020

Handmade washable sanitary napkin

22/12/2019

New dress for birth day
Designer frock