The first comprehensive study of womens dress reform
During the latter half of the nineteenth and the first decade of the twentieth centuries, books, periodicals, and newspapers were rich in discussions related to womens roles, health, beauty, and dress. Many believed that restrictive and unwieldy womens fashions compromised health, distorted womens true physical beauty, and curtailed the potential role of women in society. Reforming Womens Fashion, 18501920 focuses on the efforts toward reforming womens dress that took place in Europe and America during this period and the types of garments adopted by women to overcome the challenges posed by fashionable dress.
