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The new tubular line, despite its apparent simplicity,
was a particularly restricting form of dress (ironic in view of the fact
that the struggle for female emancipation had reached one of its most
active stages). The long, slim skirt was cut straight to the ankle with
scarcely a flare or vent, making it impossible to take more than the
shortest of steps when walking; it was aptly called the 'hobble' skirt and
reached its extreme form in 1911-1912. |
| At the same
time the severity of its line began to be blurred as over-tunics were added and
bodices lengthened into jackets; this multiplicity of lengths seemed to be
suggesting alternative levels for the hemline and from 1913 the skirt appeared
all set to shorten. |
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| By the time war broke out in 1914 this idea had crystallized
and by 1915 the skirt was several inches above the ankle, widening at the hem to
ensure complete freedom of movement. The short skirt was not a creation of the
War although the exigencies of war-time no doubt hurried this fashion forward
since a more practical form of dress was desirable for women. |
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In 1915 and 1916 women's fashions made what might be described as a detour
from the line so clearly set by 1910. The pillar-like silhouette was abandoned
for a more traditionally feminine, even romantic, shape with a wide, bell-shaped
skirt which was often flounced.
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| A possible explanation is that this softer, less
angular effect was more pleasing to the men returning from the Front who looked
for solace while on leave. Towards the end of the War the cylindrical, broad-waisted
line was re-adopted and the shorter hemline was retained. |
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