Slip into these chic fashions from the past - and their connections to Richmond history
Fashion and history
Founded in 1894, The Woman's Club has a long history of encouraging women’s contributions to the Richmond community. At its historic headquarters in the Bolling Haxall House on East Franklin Street downtown, TWC kicked off its 125th anniversary year on April 29 with a program that highlighted fashion and history through the decades. TWC member and Librarian of Virginia Sandra Treadway provided historical context during the event. What follows is excerpted fashion commentary by TWC member Marcia Collier, with images by Melissa Brugh Photography.
1890s
1890s
In the era: Richmond builds Gothic-style City Hall; tobacco magnate Lewis Ginter opens Jefferson Hotel and envisions Ginter Park; Valentine Museum is chartered
Styles of the mid-1890s were characterized by the classic hourglass shape – defined by the puffed, oversized sleeves as well as the corseted waist and the gown’s wide hem. This gave ladies a flattering figure, making the whalebone or reinforced steel-banded corset an essential part of a lady’s wardrobe. Nancy Lowden of Maymont wears a reproduction peach spring afternoon walking suit from the Maymont collection. Only a hint of the earlier bustle remained on skirts in the 1890s, which were gathered at the back waist to fall to an elegant train. Hair was kept long and worn swept up, in what became known as the "Gibson girl" style. Feathered hats were placed squarely on the top of the head and held in place with long decorative hatpins.
1910s
1910s
In the era: Manchester is annexed into the city; Hippodrome Theater opens in Jackson Ward; Broad Street Station opens (now Science Museum of Virginia)
The Gilded Age, with its fancy dresses and overly decorated hats, was fading away. The fashionable silhouette became more lithe, fluid and softer, and by 1915, fashionable skirt lengths had risen above the ankle. The first real fashion shows were organized during this time period in Paris by Jeanne Paquin, one of the first female couturiers. TWC member Catherine Whitham wears a pale cream linen afternoon dress that is astonishingly simplistic in style. It is radically chic and spare, and gone are the structured bodice and high collar. The hat is simple and unburdened by veils, plumes and other accessories. (This ensemble, made in the Philippines, belongs to TWC member Ann Belk – whose grandmother wore this when she lived in the Philippines in the early 1900s.)
1920s
1920s
In the era: Boulevard Bridge opens; WRVA radio begins broadcasting; Church Hill Tunnel collapses; Byrd Field is dedicated (now Richmond International Airport)
After the suffrage movement, women’s fashions took a drastic turn – as shown by TWC members Beth Thornton (in feathers) and Dee Hyers (with hat). When F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Bernice bobbed her hair, the world shook. Young girls’ flaunting of convention was a youthquake that had enormous social significance. Bouffant coiffures gave way to short bobs. Dresses with long trains gave way to above-the-knee straight-cut dresses. The flapper wore frocks that lay flat over the body – the antithesis of the Victorian hourglass. The flapper style, known to the French as the ”garçonne” look, was all about comfort and the ease to move freely during the Jazz Age. The richness of these spare lines was achieved by ostrich plumes, beading and delicate fabrics. Coco Chanel was the great couturiere who liberated women from their corsets, bobbed their hair and introduced them to the cloche hat, the black dress and ropes of pearls (costume or real).
1930s
1930s
In the era: Richmond National Battlefield Park is established; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts opens; Parker Field is built; Ukrop family opens its first grocery store
As the public began to feel the effects of the Great Depression, the flapper look became passé. Fashion moved away from that brash, daring style toward a more romantic feminine silhouette, as modeled by TWC member Patti Ryan. With the growing vogue of slinky silks, the look was highly influenced by stars of the silver screen. As with the new direction of interior design, the Art Deco style proved to be indisputably successful in fashion. Key accessories of the decade were large sparkly rings and fur flings thrown over the shoulders. While ever-popular hats remained close to the head, turbans and head scarves were also very much in vogue.
1940s
1940s
In the era: Belgian Friendship Building is donated to Virginia Union University; WTVR television goes on air; Virginia acquires what is now Pocahontas State Park from U.S.
Despite the hardship of World War II, the 1940s still proved to be a milestone decade for style, including the debut of the two-piece bikini. The everyday shape for clothing, from suits to dresses, was about creating an hourglass silhouette with masculine details: padded shoulders nipped in high waist tops and A-line skirts that came down to the knee. During the war years, formal evening dresses were abandoned due to strict austerity measures, but by the late 1940s, the new look for evening dress returned to feminine opulence, as TWC member Nita Enoch shows. Beaded embellishments, pops of color and major cocktail jewels were highlights of the era. (Another style from the 1940s: a long version of the box coat, which came down below the knee.)
1950s-01
1950s
In the era: Virginia War Memorial is installed; Willow Lawn shopping center opens; Richmond Symphony is established; Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike opens
In 1954-55, Coco Chanel staged a postwar comeback with a collection that would be adopted and copied all over the world – her famous little braided suit is still in fashion today. After interning with Chanel, designer Adolfo later created “Chanel-inspired” ready-to-wear for the classic American woman. While jewelry generally consisted of pearls and more pearls, there were beads, stones and Bakelite that were moderately priced options and a great way to add color. Femininity, luxury fabrics, color and full skirts were a big part of the decade's looks – as were polka dots. They even made their way into evening wear, as shown by TWC member Susan Boisseau. The fuller skirt required at least one but more likely several layers of petticoats to be worn underneath. ...
1950s-02
1950s (continued)
... Recognized as an innovator of cut and construction, designer Pauline Trigère (winner of three Coty Awards that spotlighted American fashion) reached the height of her popularity in the 1950s, and her loyal clients included Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor. She reinvented ready-to-wear, matching form to function with bold prints and architectural silhouettes, and this vintage Trigère modeled by TWC member Frazier Armstrong is a perfect example of her exquisite craftsmanship.
1960s
1960s
In the era: Azalea Mall and St. Mary's Hospital open; Virginia Commonwealth University (through MCV-RPI merger) and John Tyler Community College are established
Jackie Kennedy was a fashion icon who inspired millions with her chic wardrobe and effortless style. While she did wear fashions designed by famous French couturiers, she mostly wore Oleg Cassini’s American-made couture, which shaped the minimal and ladylike “Jackie look” that women emulated – from flats to gloves to, of course, the pillbox hat. But by the mid-1960s, the Pop Art movement was in full swing. The Beatles were topping the charts, and a new fashion mode was about to cause chaos: Innovative, creative, bold and brash, "mod" fashion started on the streets of London instead of in the couture houses of Paris. As modeled by TWC member Ann Belk, the shorter-length shift dresses, graphic prints and colorful, flashy accessories challenged the fashion world to move in a new direction. The British set the tone, and the fashion revolution was youth-oriented.
1970s
1970s
In the era: Richmond Coliseum opens; James River Park System is formed; Kings Dominion theme park and Regency Square mall open; Brandermill is developed
Thanks to a penchant for creativity and expression, the 1970s saw the birth of many trends that influence fashion today. In 1968, Oscar de la Renta designed a cotton maxi dress that became fashion history, with Yves Saint Laurent and Dior then turning the maxi look into a trend. As modeled by TWC member Marcia Thalhimer, it is as prevalent in fashion today as it was in the '70s. Certainly one of the decade's coveted accessories was the Bermuda bag (this one designed and produced by TWC member Dee Hyers). Many women have fond memories of this bag and remember changing the covers to match whatever they were wearing. It was still considered the No. 1 accessory in the 1980s "Preppy Handbook," and it remains a classic that you can find updated for 2019.
Future
FUTURE
Virginia Commonwealth University is known for its fashion design program, and several student designs were modeled at the show by fellow VCU students:
From pair at far left: From designer Taylor Virgil, a charcoal gray gown of ruched matte jersey with hand-dyed leather harness detail (modeled by Kennedy Williams)
Next pair: From designer Amanda Villafana, a dress of pink silk faille with laser-cut yellow leather flowers connected with metal rings (modeled by Laminut Kanu)
Next pair: From designer Cheyenne Williams, a white gown of hand-pleated and smocked silk taffeta with seed beads and hand-dyed leather belt (modeled by Hannah Duff)
Last pair: From designer Monica Hurley, a dress of laser-cut wood stitched onto silk organza charmeuse (modeled by Mahogany Eaton)
At far right: At lectern is TWC member Marcia Collier.
Icon-Still
ICON - STILL
Never one to be safe or minimalist, Richmond fashion icon and TWC member Pam Reynolds displays her marvelously creative flair for fashion with what she wears every day. (Who can forget Pam’s stunning gown made of silk scarves with Faberge egg motifs that she wore to the 1996 VMFA Fabergé Ball – a creation so unique and important that it is now part of The Valentine’s permanent collection.) Here, she wears the fabulous ensemble created in 2017 for her appearance at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts gala opening of the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition, “The Perfection of Style.” Saint Laurent himself surely would have heartily approved.
Bolling Haxall House
Membership in The Woman's Club has grown from about 200 in 1900 (when noted activist Mary Munford was president) to almost 1,500 today. Through its educational programs, its impressive list of speakers has ranged from Amelia Earhart to U.S. presidents. Its college scholarship fund for young women has supported more than 500 students – and as part of TWC's 125th anniversary celebration in 2019, it boosted its scholarship commitment to $100,000.
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