Belle époque edwardian fashion history

By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com

Costume history, Fashion history and lifestyle of the Edwardians all detailed fully on the page headings below.

Edwardian women and 'The Season'. Pictures of Edwardian Hair and Hats.  Edwardian Seamstresses. Poiret and Orientalism in costume history.  Shopping in the past.

La Belle Époque 1890-1914 Fashion

Defining La Belle Époque and the main silhouettes 1890-1913. The influence of the Marlborough Set on Edwardian fashion.

Tailor mades, Gibson girls, S-bends, Paletots, Casaques, Mantelets, motoring outfits, hats and accessories

The Mood of Edwardian High Society

The fashion history and mood of the lost golden age as set by Edward VII. Unmarried girls 'coming out' into high society in the London summer season.  Court presentation.

Entertaining the king and society menus. Edwardian shooting parties.

The Edwardian Hostess's Rôle

The London Summer Season and the Edwardian hostess's rôle at a country house weekend party season and the clothes for it that have coloured Edwardian fashion history.

Royal influences on dress, manners and upper class lifestyle.

The Society Hostess's Wardrobe

The Edwardian fashion for S-bend corseted figure. Skirt styles, underwear, lingerie, sexual titillation, tea gowns. Influence of actresses and mannequins.

A description of a lady dressing for a society dinner and the value of a lady's maid to a Society Hostess in the Edwardian era.

The Seamstresses of 1900 London

This is a study of the life, diet, wages and working conditions of seamstresses in the Edwardian era.

A look at the fashion history of embellished Edwardian blouses seamstresses toiled over.

Orientalism in Dress

Early C20th art meets fashion.

The influence of Paul Poiret, Leon Bakst, Raoul Dufy, Erté and Fortuny on orientalism in dress.

What's in a Name?

Famous names in fashion history such as Charles Macintosh, Thomas Burberry, Aquascutum, Barbour, Lord Raglan and Earl Spencer. They all give their names to fashion garments or styles.

Learn more about these fashion history terms.

The Song of the Sewing Machine

C1890 - 1918 Photographs

Real life everyday pictures of ordinary people in Britain including some family groups with children and a large wedding group.

Original pictures of fancy embellished bodice, blouse and collar decoration taken from The Lady's Realm of 1907.

There is also a clear picture of Edwardian blouses, some golfing photographs of men and women and a picture of some Red Cross workers.

Shopping in the Past

A look at fashion shopping in Victorian and Edwardian times for rich and poor. An insight into the development of department stores and second hand clothing markets.

Today's mass produced clothes with Internet shopping.

Hair and Hat Sketches 1900-15

Simple sketches of hats and hairstyles of the era.

Fashion history of Cloaks, Mantelets, Pelisses, Redingotes, Paletots etc.