By 1910, the ‘S’ curve gave way to the narrow sheath dress with a higher, empire-style waistline. A more free-form silhouette came into fashion and the ideal body consisted of slender hips and a more girlish lower body. The ideal female figure at this time featured a small waist, modest skirt, and larger chest that was sometimes called a “pigeon breast.”

The 1910s opened with a softer silhouette than the decade before, which was dominated by the “S-shape.” While the contorted shape created by straight-fronted corsets had softened into a more natural silhouette, the style in the early years of the decade still had an emphasis on the bust that echoed styles of the previous decade.

The narrow shape and decorative edging down the front elongates and slims the body, representing the desirable fashionable silhouette of the period.

The S-bend shape popular in the early part of the decade gradually straightened out into a more natural shape. Waists were higher and the tubular silhouette that would become popular in the next two decades began to emerge.

During the war years of 1914–18 a minority of women were in uniform, but far more worked in factories, in offices, as postal carriers, and in other jobs previously performed by men. They sometimes wore trousers. Shorter skirts also appeared by 1915, which showed even more of the ankle than Poiret’s slit skirts of 1912. Wartime styles emphasized practicality and freedom of movement over earlier decorative fashions.

A few years later, couturier Paul Poiret declared the death of the corset with a new columnar silhouette that was equal parts Orientalism and early nineteenth-century Empire line revival. Under the sway of Poiret’s adaptation of orientalist fashion, which included engulfing, coatlike tops and dolman sleeves, the silhouette could almost appear to be an inverted triangle, particularly after his introduction of the hobble skirt in 1911, which limited the movement of the legs at the ankles. This columnar, high‑waisted look elongated the figure and deemphasized the natural waist, representing a slimmer, more tubular ideal than the exaggerated Edwardian shape.

The 1910s marked a departure from the voluptuous Gibson girl archetype of the previous decade. The new body ideal was notably petite, with sloping shoulders, small breasts, curved waistlines, smooth hips, and a relatively large head, resulting in a doll-like appearance.

In the early years of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft than in the 1900s. ... Early in the period, waistlines were high (just below the bust), echoing the Empire style (or Directoire) of the early 19th century.

Starting in 1913, the ultra-fashionable 1913 figure was very much a carry-on of the extremely slim-hipped 1910 look. ... By mid 1914, corset advertisements were showing a pronouncedly more “natural” silhouette. ... By 1916 the ‘ideal’ body shape reached the closest to a full hourglass that it would in the 1910s.

From 1912 to 1914 suits were feminine with an emphasis on the slim figure; however, in the second half of the decade, the silhouette became wider and deemphasized the waist. By 1918 skirts had narrowed once again, hemlines fell to below the calf, and the overall silhouette became more cylindrical, with a looser fit. The shift from an emphasis on a slim figure to wider, more practical shapes reflects changes influenced by World War I.

The Victorian ideal for women was a small waist and large bust, whereas in the 1910s the ideal female figure had a long, slim silhouette with a high waist and a small bust. Corsets still shaped the body, but the emphasis shifted toward a straight, elongated line rather than a tightly cinched waist.

The fashion silhouette softened significantly during the decade, with less emphasis on the S-shape that corsets created and more focus on a fluid, more flowing look. As women’s roles and responsibilities changed during the war, fashion responded with more practical designs that allowed for greater movement and comfort. Skirts rose and became narrower, and garments overall shifted toward simplicity compared to the heavily structured styles of the previous era.

The 1910s women’s fashion featured a straight silhouette with a natural waist that replaced the restrictive bustles and corsets of the prior decade. A straight, natural figure (the waist was loosened, a straight line was adopted) and the frills and flounces of the previous decade were gone. World War I disrupted trends as practical styles emerged. The boldest fashion transition in the 1910s was the subtle shift from curvaceous, hour-glass forms to a straight, shapeless silhouette.

Rigid corsets were initially essential, but by 1911 the ‘S’ shape was abating, replaced by an Empire line, a seam under the bust bringing a more natural but still corseted silhouette. Worn by working class women as well as those more well off, a blouse and skirt defines this decade for practicality and simplicity of line. Between 1914 to 1918 it was war that created a way forward from previous trends. When she was volunteering or working in factories, women wore loose waisted uniforms; having to do the job of a man competently, she couldn’t do that in clothes made to look pretty, luxurious or decorative.

Poiret’s introduction of the first “corset-free” gown in 1907 encouraged a more natural shape and embraced the new ideal: a lithe, elongated, high-waisted, full-bosomed figure. The artificially exaggerated Edwardian silhouette was giving way to a slimmer, tubular shape that followed the natural contours of the body, taking emphasis off the waist and minimizing the hips and thighs. This new silhouette, developing through the 1910s, was seen as more natural and modern than the earlier S-bend shape.

World War I led to more practical garments. The changes in clothing styles during World War I were dictated more by necessity than by fashion. As more and more women were forced to work, they demanded clothing that fit best to their new activities, which derive from blouses and custom suits. In 1915, the Bon Ton Gazette showcased skirts above the ankle; these were called the "war crinoline" by the fashion press, which promoted the style as "patriotic" and "practical".

Full breasts, narrow waist, wide hips: a classic hourglass figure. This is a voluptuous, grown woman in the prime of life. The 1910 beauty ideal is a mature woman, not a teen-aged girl. …The silhouette that the corset makers and manufacturers are working on for 1914, and which is the basis for all the present styles, is the straight figure, with small hips, large waist, and no bust. The corset of to-day makes her look like a very young girl. Skirts began to rise during World War I, but the wide hips and thick waists of the pre-war era continued into 1920.

The effect of war on fashion styles was that military braiding, belts with buckles and shorter skirts were seen everywhere. Fashion history shows that clothes got shorter during the First World War out of practical necessity. In 1915 the hemline rose dramatically to mid-calf, a height never before reached, illustrating the wartime shift toward more practical, less encumbering clothing.

By the 20th century, there was a distinct shift towards a younger, more athletic, and slender body type, McClendon noted. As women gained more independence, including the right to vote, fashion reflected these changes with looser silhouettes and fewer corsets, moving away from heavily structured, impractical garments. The emerging ideal emphasized a slimmer, more mobile figure compatible with modern life and work.

1910s fashion was characterized by a transition from the elaborate styles of the Edwardian era to more practical and simpler designs. This period saw the introduction of looser silhouettes, shorter skirts, and a shift towards more functional clothing, influenced by the social changes and the onset of World War I. Women's fashion included high collars, long skirts, and intricate detailing such as lace and embroidery, but garments became more streamlined as utility gained importance.

Skirts became narrower. Skirts were raised a notch higher, and it became easier to walk. Corsets relaxed and shifted to working at the natural waist. The silhouette of straight column became popular and a new standard. Coats and jackets were brought to a simpler level; many women wore uniforms. The war and social change pushed clothing toward comfort and practicality, and fashion became streamlined.

1910s: The Era of the Gibson Girl. This look, inspired by illustrator Charles Gibson and partly rooted in Victorian styles, featured pronounced curves with corseted waists and sloping backs. It certainly appears uncomfortable—painfully so—reflecting the continued use of restrictive corsetry to achieve the ideal hourglass silhouette.

The fabric of 1910s fashion was intricately woven with influences from world events, notably World War I. As society pivoted towards practicality and simplicity in wartime clothing, the resulting designs featured innovative silhouettes and materials born from necessity. This period saw a shift from elaborate, tightly structured fashions to simpler, more functional shapes.

1910s: The Gibson Girl. The hourglass figure, celebrated for its curvy yet slender form, emerged in the 1910s and was known as the 'Gibson Girl.' This look featured a tiny waist, often achieved through tight corseting, with pronounced bust and hips creating a tall, elegant silhouette. Prominent model Camille Clifford exemplified this style with her elegant gowns accentuating her eighteen‑inch waist.

THIS ERA WAS KNOWN FOR THE IDEAL REPRESENTING THE NATURAL BEAUTY, ECHOING FREEDOM AND CELEBRATION OF EXPRESSION. CURVACEOUS, TALL FEMALES WITH SOFT LINES, CONTOURS AND VOLUPTUOUS BREASTS WERE SEEN AS THE IDEAL BEAUTY OF THE TIME. IN THE 1910S THE CORSETRY TREND WHICH WAS PROMINENT THROUGH EDWARDIAN AND VICTORIAN TIMES CAME BACK INTO FASHION ALLOWING FEMALES TO TAKE ON AN HOURGLASS FIGURE.

Because of World War I more and more women went to work and wanted more freedom for their clothes. The beauty ideal changes: the perfect woman should now be small with sloping shoulders, small breasts, a curvish waistline and smooth hips, almost like a doll. Women don’t really need corsets anymore to achieve this silhouette; corsets remained an essential item in underwear but changed shape, becoming longer to smooth the hips. There is a shift to a silhouette design with fewer curved lines, and dresses are loose, sometimes with short sleeves; skirts become shorter with a narrow ankle-length hemline, which is much more practical.

During the early 1900s, women wore S‑bend corsets to emphasize their figures. The aim was to show off one's curves by pushing the hips back and the chest up. In the 1910s, frilly shirts were still in fashion, as was a higher waistline; skirts, however, became tighter. The hourglass shape and curvaceous figures were sought after, as was perfect skin, indicating that a pronounced yet controlled curvy silhouette remained the ideal.

During the Great War clothes became simpler in style. Many housemaids changed careers to do war work, leaving wealthier women to dress themselves, in many cases, for the very first time. Towards the end of the decade a barrel shape had emerged, as shown in this coat and dress ensemble, indicating a move toward a more cylindrical, practical silhouette rather than the earlier highly structured forms.

In 8 years there is an enormous shift in beauty and societal standards. While the outward silhouette of fashion changes a great deal in this period, body ideals, and the undergarments that supported them, underwent a more subtle change. Corsetry and foundation garments were adjusted to create first a more natural, curving hourglass and then a straighter, streamlined figure by the end of World War I, reducing extremes while still controlling the body shape.

This episode of The Ultimate Fashion History discusses the 1910s, the ideal body and beauty and hair ideals of the 1910s, the key designers, the overarching fashion idea (as well as fads like The Hobble Skirt) and how fashion moves towards a more liberated silhouette. Women’s hats become smaller, freedom from the corset, high waistline but lower than before, loose skirts with gathered folds and generally narrow ankle‑length hemlines—a much more practical silhouette, especially as World War I progressed.