Fashion, Society, and the First World War i ii Fashion, Society, and the First World War International Perspectives Edited by Maude Bass-Krueger, Hayley Edwards-Dujardin, and Sophie Kurkdjian iii BLOOMSBURY VISUAL ARTS Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY VISUAL ARTS and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2021 Selection, editorial matter, Introduction © Maude Bass-Krueger, Hayley Edwards-Dujardin, and Sophie Kurkdjian, 2021 Individual chapters © their Authors, 2021 Maude Bass-Krueger, Hayley Edwards-Dujardin, and Sophie Kurkdjian have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identifi ed as Editors of this work. For legal purposes the Acknowledgments on p. xiii constitute an extension of this copyright page. Cover design by Adriana Brioso Cover image: Two women wearing a Poiret military coat, c.1915. Postcard from authors’ personal collection. This work is published subject to a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Licence. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third- party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: HB: 978-1-3501-1986-4 ePDF: 978-1-3501-1987-1 eBook: 978-1-3501-1988-8 Typeset by Refi neCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk To fi nd out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters . iv To our colleagues, friends, families, and everyone in between. v vi List of illustrations x Acknowledgments xiii A note on translations xv Timeline xvi Introduction 1 Maude Bass-Krueger and Sophie Kurkdjian Part One The reconfiguration of the international couture industry 15 1 Wartime marketing of Parisian haute couture in the United States, 1914–17 17 Mary Lynn Stewart 2 Boué Sœurs: “Compelled by the War” 29 Waleria Dorogova 3 “Gladdening the hearts of warriors”: The relationship between Lucile’s romantic fashions and morale in the First World War 46 Georgina Ripley 4 Die Kriegskrinoline : A feminine fashion between past and future 59 Birgit Haase 5 Fashion in Belgium during the First World War and the case of Norine Couture 72 Nele Bernheim Contents vii viii Contents Part Two The materiality of wartime fashion and textile industries 89 6 Dressed to quill: The origin and significance of the feathered showgirl in First World War Paris 91 Emily Brayshaw 7 Between fashion and folk: Dress practices in Alsace during the First World War 108 Sara Hume 8 The lace industry in France and Belgium during the First World War 122 Marguerite Coppens 9 Industrial and homemade clothing production in the Netherlands: A neutral country during the First World War 134 Marta Kargól 10 Wartime fabrics in the historical archives of Como weavers and in the collections of the Fondazione Antonio Ratti 151 Margherita Rosina Part Three Problematic uniforms: Male and female experiences and secondhand trade networks 163 11 “Breeched, booted, and cropped”: A dress historical analysis of the uniform worn by members of Britain’s Women’s Land Army, 1917–19 165 Amy de la Haye 12 The French home front in 1914–18: An investigation into female workwear 182 Jérémie Brucker 13 Rushing to suit up: French aviation’s adjustment to wartime uniforms, 1914–16 197 Guillaume de Syon 14 The spoils of war: Use and transformations of secondhand uniforms during the First World War in France 208 Manuel Charpy ix Contents Part Four Fashion in print: Questions of national fashion and gender 229 15 The gentleman turned “enemy”: Men’s fashion in the Hungarian press, 1914–18 231 Zsolt Mészáros 16 The politics of fashion: German fashion writings in times of war 246 Burcu Dogramaci 17 The Italian fashion magazine Margherita : The war, women, and the call for a “Moda Italiana,” 1914–18 260 Enrica Morini 18 Le Flambeau ’s fashion discourse during the First World War: Towards a retrograde femininity? 272 Nigel Lezama 19 Is beauty useless? Fashion, gender, and British wartime society in Punch Magazine, 1915 288 Andrea Kollnitz Notes on contributors 309 Index 315 0.1 “Expansion of the War—Dates on which Declarations of War were made.” xxii 0.2 Two women and a French soldier wearing a Poiret military coat, c . 1915. 6 2.1 Baronne Jeanne d’Etreillis and Sylvie Montegut with their children Mounette and Philippe in the park of Château de Maison Rouge, Gagny, summer 1917. c . 1915. 30 2.2 “Robe Corbeau,” taffeta and velvet dress with “new draped skirt and waistcoat effect.” 33 2.3 “Ma Patrie,” Summer Collection, 1916, pencil, ink, and watercolor sketch for presentation purposes, stamped “Boué Sœurs Ltd., 9, Rue de la Paix, Paris.” 36 2.4 Mannequin wearing the “Manette” model, winter 1919. 38 2.5 Witold Gordon, Boué Sœurs advertisement, Newport Casino program, 1917. 39 3.1 “Carresaute,” Lucile evening dress. Blue silk chiffon, lace, and metallic embroidery, London, 1905. 48 3.2 Woman’s evening dress of shot silk, with gold embroidered net and passementerie, by Lucile Ltd, Paris, France, 1918 54 3.3 Page from Lucile sample album book of fashion designs of women’s clothes, Great Britain, 1905. 54 4.1 Thomas Theodor Heine, caricature, “Die enttäuschte Pariserin” (The disappointed Parisian), Simplicissimus , 1916. 60 4.2 Annie Offterdinger, Modebild II (Two dancing women), 1916. Lithograph published in Zeit-Echo: Kriegstagebuch der Künstler , 1916. 63 5.1 Elvira De Baets sent photographs of herself in fashionable outfits to her fiancé, kept prisoner in Soltau, Germany, winter 1914. 75 5.2 Norine Deschryver and Paul-Gustave Van Hecke in their workshop, c . 1919. 76 5.3 The Belgian fashion magazine Modes Élégantes , October 1, 1915. 79 5.4 René Magritte, poster design for Norine, 1926. 81 6.1 Quelques fantasies typiques de la mode d’hiver 1913 (Some trimmings typical of winter 1913 fashions), 1914. 98 6.2 Leonetto Cappiello, “Pupazzi var Cappiello,” Fantasio, 1918. 101 Illustrations x xi Illustrations 7.1 Henri Bacher, 22 Novembre 1918: L’Entrée glorieuse des troupes Françaises à Strasbourg , 1919. 109 7.2 Hansi, Pages d’Album , c . 1915. 114 7.3 Leven and Lemonier, Alsace interprété par Mme Réjane, 1916. 116 8.1 Propaganda photo for Amies de la dentelle , c . 1915. Postcard. 127 8.2 War Lace depicting the rooster, symbol of France. Volant in Malines lace. 128 8.3 War Lace depicting allies’ banners. Needle-lace fan sheet. Dated and signed, 1915, Fernand Khnopff. 128 8.4 Paul Mussche, Comité de la dentelle, 1915, pl. 2. Catalogue of lace pieces offered for sale. 129 9.1 Fashion illustration. Gracieuse , no. 7: 16/5 (1916). 139 9.2 Fashion illustration. Gracieuse , no. 8: 16/3 (1915). 140 9.3 Knitting for soldiers. Gracieuse , no. 19: 13 (1914). 142 9.4 Knitting for soldiers. Gracieuse , no. 20: 9 (1917). 143 10.1 Lyon, Boisson & Fesquet, Sample of Taffetas rayé , 1915. 156 10.2 Lyon, Boisson & Fesquet, Sample of Poult de soie rayé , 1914. 157 10.3 Lyon (?), Fragment of ribbon, Gros de Tour broché, 1914. 159 11.1 Photographic portrait of member of Britain’s Women’s Land Army, postcard, 1917–19. 168 11.2 Satirical postcard, 1917–19. 171 11.3 Photographic postcard. A group of dairy workers (they wear white overalls). 176 11.4 Studio portrait of a uniformed member of Britain’s Women’s Land Army, 1917–19. Orphan photograph. 177 12.1 Women replacing male café waiters, 1914–18. 186 12.2 War- themed calendar, 1st year, August 1914–July 1915. 187 12.3 “La Françoise,” trademark, May 16, 1916. 190 12.4 Drawing by Jean Villemot, “Les Usines de guerre.” 192 13.1 The mix of uniforms of this military class at the Avord training airfield reflects the variety of arms that contributed flyers to the nascent French Air Force. 199 13.2 Pilot Adolphe Pégoud (1889–1915) sports a mix of clothing, combining leather pants with a leather coat over his military tunic in 1914, at the start of hostilities. 201 13.3 A postcard showing a typical reconnaissance crew wearing a combination of leather pants and fur coats or goat skins, c . 1915. 202 13.4 By the end of the war, two air force uniforms existed, one light blue, worn by French top ace René Fonck at the victory parade on July 14, 1919, and the other dark blue (almost black). 204 14.1 “Le Marchand d’habits militaires” (The military clothing merchant), 1914. 210 14.2 “Le tricot du combattant” (The soldier’s knit), 1914. 214 xii Illustrations 14.3 Clothing distribution on the Front on the initiative of La Revue hebdomadaire 215 14.4 The charity “Les Vêtements pour les combattants” (Clothing for soldiers). 216 14.5 Local leaders in European secondhand clothing. A common representation prewar, it disappeared with the involvement of Senegalese skirmishers. 221 15.1 Cover illustration, “A n ők kedvence” (The ladies’ sweetheart), artist: Dezső Bé r. 233 15.2 Advertisement for Dr. Jutassy’s cosmetic brand, Színházi Élet 235 15.3 At the Budapest horse races, 1917. 240 16.1 Pamphlet cover, Hermann Muthesius, Die Zukunft der deutschen Form (The Future of German Form). 247 16.2 Book cover, Hermann Muthesius, Der Deutsche nach dem Kriege (The German after the War). 248 16.3 Book cover, Norbert Stern, Die Weltpolitik der Weltmode (Global Politics of Global Fashion). 249 18.1 Cover of Le Flambeau ’s first issue, May 29, 1915. 273 18.2 Louise Faure-Favier’s first fashion column, Le Flambeau , May 29, 1915. 274 18.3 Camille Duguet’s fashion column, Le Flambeau , August 28, 1915. 278 18.4 Camille Duguet’s fashion column, Le Flambeau , October 9, 1915. 279 18.5 Jeanne Tournier’s first fashion column, Le Flambeau , November 13, 1915. 281 19.1 Arthur Wallis Mills, “More people we should like to see interned,” Punch , March 24, 1915. 293 19.2 Lewis Baumer, “Well, Madam, we sell a good many of both . . .,” Punch , August 18, 1915. 297 19.3 Lewis Baumer, “How Sir Benjamin Goldmore and his junior clerk . . .,” Punch , April 28, 1915. 301 The process of gathering the papers and editing this volume has taken five years. We are immensely grateful to all those who supported us throughout this process, and particularly to our authors, whose patience with us has been tremendous. We received grants from the Mission du centenaire de la Première Guerre mondiale for the publication of this book. At the Mission du centenaire, we would like to thank Joseph Zimet, Quentin Tissot, and Richard Holding for their generosity and continued support of our work. Funds from Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (BOF) at Ghent University have also helped cover related publication costs. Procuring the image rights has been a labor of love by our authors. We thank them, as well as Jack Glover Gun at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) for assisting us with rights for the photos from that collection. The sharp eyes and precise corrections of Joannes van den Maagdenberg and Mathis Vanhee were of indispensable help in the formatting of all the notes and references. We are indebted to Frances Arnold, our editorial director, for providing unwavering support throughout this process. We would particularly like to thank her, as well as Yvonne Thouroude and Rebecca Hamilton, editorial assistants at Bloomsbury. Amy de la Haye has provided unfailing support throughout this project. She very generously took the time to help us select, edit, and revise a first round of papers. In a gesture of professional graciousness, she bowed out from being named as co-editor in order to allow us, three young scholars, to come forward under our own names. She effectively sent the elevator back down, as the saying goes, and for this we are grateful. These papers were originally presented at a conference organized by Maude Bass-Krueger and Sophie Kurkdjian as part of the seminar, “Histoire et Mode” at the Institut d’histoire du temps présent (IHTP-CNRS). At the time, the seminar was run by Sophie Kurkdjian and Thierry Maillet, who had taken over from its formidable founder, Dominique Veillon, assisted by Eléonore Testa. The IHTP has been a strong support for the seminar and its conferences since its foundation in 2001. We would like to thank Christian Delage, Christian Ingrao, and Henry Rousso at the IHTP. The conference, “Fashion, Dress, and Society in Europe during World War I,” was held in Paris on December 12–13, 2014. It was co-hosted by Dominique Veillon, Lou Taylor, and Adhelheid Rasche. Acknowledgments xiii xiv Acknowledgments We would like to thank them for their mentorship and their encouragement. The careers of young fashion scholars stand on their shoulders. We are grateful for their friendship throughout the years. The conference received financial support from L’Oréal Recherche et Innovation, thanks to Isabelle Walter. We thank the Institut français de la mode, particularly Dominique Jacomet, David Zajtmann, and Lucas Delattre, for graciously lending us their space to organize our conference. Alexane Querrec was the graphic designer of the conference program. Above all, we would like to thank everyone who spoke at the 2014 Paris conference. The two-day conference was enriching in more ways than one: not only did we hear about fascinating new research, but we also made friends and colleagues, whose continued presence in our lives has widened our networks and strengthened our own work. We would like to thank: Nuria Aragonès, Ana Balda, Beatrice Behlen, Ulrika Berglund, Nele Bernheim, Muriel Berthou Crestey, Cally Blackman, Emily Brayshaw, Maria Carlgren, Laura Casal-Valls, Manuel Charpy, Katy Conover, Marguerite Coppens, Ilaria Coser, Jennifer Daley, Gillian Davies, Burcu Dogramaci, Lourdes Font, Holly Grout, Didier Grumbach, Birgit Haase, Barton C. Hacker, Sara Hume, Stéphane Jacques-Addade, Catherine Join- Dieterle, Marta Kargól, Andrea Kollnitz, Regina Lee Blaszczyk, Nigel Lezama, Thierry Maillet, Chryssa Mantaka, Marie Mcloughlin, Zsolt Mészáros, Alisa Miller, Enrica Morini, Anna Novikov, Lewis Orchard, Alexandra Palmer, Victoria Pass, Emmanuelle Polle, Alan Price, Adelheid Rasche, Georgina Ripley, Jennifer Roberts, Margherita Rosina, Victoria Rovine, June Rowe, Suzanne Rowland,Änne Söll, Mary Lynn Stewart, Guillaume de Syon, Lou Taylor, Patricia Tilburg, Elena Trencheva, Dominique Veillon, Margaret Vining, Eva Maria Zangl, Johanna Zanon, and Steven Zdatny. Maude Bass-Krueger, Hayley Edwards-Dujardin, and Sophie Kurkdjian The texts of Jérémie Brucker, Manuel Charpy, Marguerite Coppens, Marta Kargól, Zsolt Mészáros, and Enrica Morini were translated from French by Tristan Bass-Krueger. Burcu Dogramaci’s text was translated from German by Hayley B. Haupt. All citations and quotes within articles and footnotes are translated from their original language by the author, unless otherwise specified. The translation of names of associations, syndicates, unions, and magazines were done by the editors. A Note on Translations xv Timeline of social and political history Timeline of fashion and women’s history 1914 JUNE 28: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Austria suspects Serbia is responsible. JULY 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, beginning the First World War. JULY 31: Full mobilization is announced in Austria- Hungary. JULY: Suffragette demonstration in Paris, with 6,000 women led by Caroline Rémy de Guebhard, best known under the pen name Séverine. AUGUST 1: General mobilization order in France and Germany. AUGUST 3: Germany declares war on France. Italy, part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria- Hungary, remains neutral. AUGUST 4: The German army Marches on neutral Belgium. AUGUST 10: Austria-Hungary invades Russia. END OF AUGUST: Beginning of the exodus of Belgians to France, England, and the Netherlands (which remains neutral during the war). AUGUST: Publication of the last issue of La Gazette du Bon Ton , edited by Lucien Vogel. AUGUST: Decree closing entertainment establishments such as theaters and cinemas in Paris. AUGUST 123: Presentation of new Parisian couture collections with the “crinoline” silhouette. AUGUST 2: Mobilization of fashion designer Jean Patou to the rank of captain, on a temporary basis, of the 269th infantry regiment. AUGUST 4: Mobilization of the couturier Paul Poiret, assigned to the 119th infantry regiment as a tailor. AUGUST 7: René Viviani’s “Call to Women,” an appeal to peasant women to contribute to the war effort in France. SEPTEMBER 2: The French government settles in Bordeaux. SEPTEMBER 512: Beginning of the First Battle of the Marne. Allied forces halt German advance into France. SEPTEMBER 20: German troops bombard Reims. SEPTEMBER: Creation of the privately-run relief organization Comité national de secours et d’alimentation (National Committee for Food and Relief) in Brussels. Timeline xvi xvii Timeline Timeline of social and political history Timeline of fashion and women’s history OCTOBER 31: First Battle of Ypres. German and Allied troops are unable to win a decisive victory. OCTOBER 14: Successful presentation of Boué Sœurs collections in New York. NOVEMBER 5: Britain and France declare war on the Ottoman Empire. DECEMBER 2: End of maneuver warfare and beginning of trench warfare. DECEMBER 8: French government returns to Paris. DECEMBER 15: Launch of the great Champagne offensive. DECEMBER 21: The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne is dissolved so as to expel foreign couture houses. DECEMBER: The Poiret greatcoat is issued to replace the 1877 coats worn by soldiers. DECEMBER: Some theaters resume activity. 1915 JANUARY: German zeppelin raids on Great Britain begin, bringing the war home to British civilians. JANUARY: French women begin to take up jobs previously reserved for men (public transportation, postal delivery, etc.). FEBRUARY 16: Champagne offensive. FEBRUARY 18: Germany begins naval blockade of Great Britain. FEBRUARY: The Germans try to start their own fashion industry. MARCH 7: Beginning of the controversy about the French fashion designer Christoph Drecoll’s nationality. APRIL 22: First successful use of toxic gas by the Germans. By the end of the war, both Allied and Central Powers will have used chemical weapons. APRIL 24: Beginning of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Turks. APRIL 25: Allied forces land on the Gallipoli Peninsula in the Ottoman Empire. APRIL 7: The French couturiers Boué Sœurs open an American branch of their couture house in New York. MAY 3: Italy withdraws from the Triple Alliance. MAY 7: German submarine sinks the British passenger liner Lusitania during crossing from New York to Liverpool, England, killing 128 Americans. MAY 23: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, entering the First World War on the side of the Allies. MAY 5: The Chambre syndicale de la Couture Parisienne is re-established without foreign couturiers or funding. MAY: Paul-Gustave Van Hecke and Honorine Deschryver open their couture house “Couture Norine” in Brussels, Belgium. JUNE: Parisian fashion designers exhibit their models at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. xviii Timeline Timeline of social and political history Timeline of fashion and women’s history JULY 1: Decision to grant leave of ten days to all French combatants. JULY: Launch of Le Style Parisien by publisher Lucien Vogel. JULY 15: Gabrielle Chanel opens a couture boutique in Biarritz (after opening a hat shop in Paris in 1910 and another in Deauville in 1913). AUGUST: Double French-English issue of the La Gazette du Bon Ton published by Lucien Vogel and Condé Nast on the occasion of the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. OCTOBER 6: A combined force of Austro-Hungarians and Germans (and later Bulgarians) invade Serbia. OCTOBER: The London couturière Lady Duff Gordon opens a branch of her couture house Lucile Ltd in Chicago. DECEMBER 20: Beginning of the evacuation of Allied troops in the Dardanelles. NOVEMBER: Organisation of the “Fête Parisienne” in New York, a charity event and play by Bernard Boutet de Monvel to support the French couture industry. NOVEMBER: The metallurgical industry begins to recruit women ( munitionnettes ) in France. 1916 FEBRUARY 21–DECEMBER 15: Germany begins the attack on Verdun, leading to the Battle of Verdun. The Battle ends with 550,000 French and 450,000 German casualties. FEBRUARY: Foire de Lyon (Lyon Fair). APRIL: Launch of the newspaper Les Élégances parisiennes under the direction of Lucien Vogel at the Hachette Publishing House. MAY 16: Sykes-Picot Agreement, a secret treaty between the UK and France to divide spheres of influence in the Ottoman Empire. MAY 31: Naval Battle of Jutland takes place between British and German fleets. Both sides declare victory over the largest naval battle of the war. MAY and JULY: Les Élégances parisiennes presents the first jersey suits by “Gabrielle Channel” ( sic ). JUNE 5: Arab nationalists revolt against Ottoman rule. JULY 1–NOVEMBER 18: Beginning of the Battle of the Somme, an Allied offensive. JULY 18: In France, the Committee for Female Labor asks the Minister of Armaments to ensure that industries provide workers appropriate work wear. OCTOBER 1: English Vogue publishes “Channel” models ( sic ). NOVEMBER 7: Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States. NOVEMBER: In Amsterdam, large demonstrations of women demand the right to vote. xix Timeline Timeline of social and political history Timeline of fashion and women’s history 1917 JANUARY: Intense cold and worsening food and coal shortages in France. In Great Britain, creation of the Women’s Land Army (WLA) to support British farming and agriculture. Women, known as Land Girls, replace male farmers who had gone to war. JANUARY: Launch of the barrel silhouette in Les Élégances parisiennes . Ban on evening dresses with low-cut necklines at the Opera and in Parisian theaters. FEBRUARY: Establishment of the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC) in Great Britain allowing British women to join the British Army. FEBRUARY: US severs diplomatic relations with Germany after Germany resumes its campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare. FEBRUARY: Paul Poiret opens a “Poiret Incorporated” branch in New York with the goal of selling ready-to- wear clothing. FEBRUARY: Callots Sœurs, Chéruit, Edouard, Lanvin, Paquin, Poiret, Rodier, and Worth register their models with the French Labour Court to counter eventual counterfeiting. MARCH 1: British intelligence intercept the Zimmermann Telegram, a secret communication from Germany proposing an alliance with Mexico should the United States enter the First World War. MARCH 5: Creation of the Imperial War Museum in London. MARCH 8: Beginning of the February revolution in Russia. MARCH 15: Abdication of Nicolas II of Russia. APRIL 6: The United States declares war on Germany. APRIL 16: Offensive of the Chemin des Dames (The Second Battle of the Aisne). MAY 4: Mutinies begin in the French army. MAY: French fashion exhibition organized in Madrid by the Syndicat de Défense de la Grande couture française (included Beer, Doeuillet, Jenny, Lanvin, Worth). MAY 11: Seamstress’ strike in Paris initiated by the workers of the Jenny couture house. JUNE: American combat forces arrive in France. JUNE 7: Parisian seamstresses’ demands are met and they receive the “English Week” and a cost-of-living allowance. AUGUST: US regulations impose textile length restrictions beyond 4.5 meters per dress. AUGUST: Jeanne Paquin is elected new director of the Chambre Syndicale, taking over the position of Jean Aine-Montaillé. She remains in the position for three years.