CHANGING SHAPE OF THE IDEAL BODY
5
The Gibson Girl was curvy; however, this silhouette was not achieved nat-
urally. Corsets were a staple in a proper woman’s wardrobe, and the swan-
bill corset helped women achieve the Gibson Girl look: heavily cinched
at the waist resulting in the hourglass shape of much fuller bust and hips.
Women were so taken by this look that some were willing to do whatever
it took to achieve it. Anna Held, a showgirl of the time, desired the Gibson
Girl silhouette so much that she had a rib surgically removed to achieve
an 18-inch waist. By 1910, Gibson’s depictions of the ideal woman gave
way to Fisher Girls, Christy Girls, and Brinkley Girls, each named after
their artist-creators.
Fisher Girls were portrayed as more child-like than the Gibson Girl.
The Fisher Girls appeared to be younger and more playful and naive rather
than worldly. Both the Fisher illustrations and the Christy Girls images
depicted girls who were engaged in physical activity and thus had a
more athletic appearance. The Brinkley Girl, named after Nell Brinkley,
the only women artist in this context, was commissioned by publishing
mogul William Randolph Hearst to produce images of women not based
on whom one might see on a day-to-day basis, but a romanticized version
of women. Despite this request, Brinkley’s girl reflected what the suffrag-
ists were fighting for: independence and freedom. Brinkley Girls were not
constrained by corsets or swim caps, and like the Fisher and Christy Girls,
they, too, were depicted engaged in some activity rather than simply strik-
ing a pose.
Women’s fashion changed to reflect the changes in women’s lives.
Women desired to do away with the constraints of corseted waists and
long, heavy dresses so that they could be more comfortable and wear cloth-
ing that was more practical. The introduction of the shirtwaist to women’s
fashion was one such indicator as was the shortening of women’s skirts so
that they could move comfortably or ride a bicycle safely. The end of this
time period was marked by World War I—the Great War as it was known
then. The thousands of men fighting overseas meant that an equal number
of jobs were now vacant. Women quickly filled those positions, not just to
be sure the work was done, but because they needed an income since their
husbands, fathers, and brothers were no longer at home earning a wage.
Females: 1920s
The Flapper was the iconic image of the 1920s, and one of the events
that helped define this era was the ratification of the 19th Amendment in
1920: women’s right to vote. During the same year, Congress created the
Women’s Bureau in the Department of Labor in an effort to protect women
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