Fashion Forward or Fashion Flops? Part 4 of 4.

1. Newspaper editor and temperance advocate Amelia Bloom helped start a wave of more practical, less constricting clothing in the 1850's. Her temperance newspaper, "The Lily", became the place where she and writer and activist Elizabeth Smith Miller promoted the "Bloomer Suit." Consisting of trousers under a knee-length skirt with a vest, the Bloomer Suit caught on with temperance activists and other like-minded women, causing a major sensation. Bloomer Suits, also known as the "Bloomer Costume" or "Reform Costume," became a symbol of women's rights and the fight for greater freedom and comfort in clothing. The women who wore them referred to their clothes as the "Reform Costume" or the "American Dress," not "Bloomers," which was considered to be a derogatory term. Women who wore these suits were frequently harassed, as the outfit was deemed scandalous. Many in the press and society lamented that the Bloomer Suit robbed a woman of her mystery by revealing too much. It was eventually ridiculed back into the closet, but not before making a mark on fashion. Do you think that this outfit is "revealing" in any way?

2. Popularized by Marie Antoinette, the muslin dress was sheer and quite risqué. It embodied a new age at French court where women showed off more skin - but it was dangerous to wear in the dead of winter, since the thin fabric offered little insulation. Rumor had it that some women even wet down the dress with perfumes or water to show off their figure, further exposing themselves to the elements. Some historians believe the muslin dress lead to the 1803 influenza outbreak in Paris. Many women died of the so-called "muslin disease." However, there is no substantiated evidence of women actually wetting down their dresses. It's more likely "muslin disease" was just the product of women going out on a cold wintery day with plunging necklines and semi sheer fabric to remain de rigueur. Have you ever owned any clothing made from muslin?

3. The bliaut or bliaud is an overgarment that was worn by both sexes from the eleventh to the thirteenth century in Western Europe. Featuring voluminous skirts and horizontal puckering or pleating across a snugly fitted under bust abdomen. The sleeves are the most immediately notable difference when comparing the bliaut to other female outer clothing of the Middle Ages. They fit closely from the shoulder to approximately the elbow, and then widen from the elbow to drape to floor- or nearly floor-length, which most likely hindered movement. The bliaut or bliaud is a word from the Old French with Germanic origins, and is the root word of the modern "blouse." Most bliauts were made of wool, but silk was also a favorite fabric. The garment's exact origin isn't known, but historians think the bliaut made its way to Europe during the Crusades. In this image of "The Devil in Laced Gown", from the Winchester Psalter, redrawn by Strutt, gives a hint about how the Church viewed this tight and revealing fashion. It was common to tie the pendant sleeve in a knot as is visible in this image, to keep the long sleeves from dragging on the floor. Do you think that these would be dangerous to wear while cooking?

4. Invented in the 19th Century, the detachable collar meant men didn't have to change their shirt every day. It was also starched to a stiffness that proved lethal. They were called 'Father killer', or 'Vatermörder' in German. They could cut off the blood supply to the carotid artery. Edwardian men would wear them as a fashion accessory – they'd go to their gentleman's club, have a few glasses of port and nod off in a winged armchair, with their heads tilted forward. They actually suffocated! One 1888 obituary in The New York Times was headlined 'Choked by his collar': a man called John Cruetzi had been found dead in a park, and "the Coroner thought the man had been drinking, seated himself on a bench, and fell asleep. His head drooped over on his chest and then his stiff collar stopped the windpipe and checked the flow of blood through the already contracted veins, causing the death to ensue from asphyxia and apoplexy." Do you feel that saving time and effort on laundering your shirt is worth risking your life over?