Ragtime

Ladies' Evening Dress for the Ragtime Era. 1910-1920

"Fashionable gown styles varied from year to year during the 1910's. At the beginning of the decade styles were rather columnar, with long skirts that fell quite straight. By 1913-14 the skirts are elaborately draped and quite fanciful. In the middle of the decade, during 1915-16, the skirts developed an A line silhouette. By the end of the decade the skirt silhouette was once again fairly straight."

Ladies' and Gentlmen's Evening Dress for the Ragtime Era: 1910-1920

"Evening Gowns of the 1910's

Ladies' evening dress of this era often consist of a high-waisted gown (though the waist placement varys somewhat from high to natural to low waisted styles throughout the decade), usually in soft fabric such as chiffon or lightweight satin, often ornamented with elaborate lace, silk brocades or beadwork and draped asymmetrically. The long skirt should have enough fullness for dancing.

Skirts often would be made in many layers with elaborately draped overskirts in lightweight materials in various types of silk or lace. Skirts are usually draped in such a way that the rather full skirt falls in a fairly narrow silhouette but because of the nature of the draping great freedom of movement is possible. Colors can be pastels or jewel tones, with contrasting, striking color combinations as well as subtle tone on tone combinations."

The Tides of Change: Twenty Years of Fashion, 1900-1920: McCall's Magazine: November 1912

Attire for Ragtime Events

"Fashions of this period were strongly influenced by the exotic colors and fabrics of the Orient."

Orientalism in Dress: Edwardian Fashion/Titanic Era 4: 1910s Fashion History

Titanic & 'Teens

Timeline of Costume History: 20th Century Western Costume: 1910-1920
Books on 20th Century Costume