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In the 1910s, Paris was the fashion capital of the West. Ready-to-wear garments imitated Parisian styles. Paul Poiret, a French designer, was one of the most influential designers in the world. Poiret is, in large part, responsible for making corsets go out of style. However, his intention was not to give women total freedom. His restricting hobble skirts replaced confining corsets. Both garments restricted women's movement. Poiret's designs demonstrate the popularity of Oriental styles. Orientalism heavily influenced him. The West interpreted Japanese styles, like Kimonos, as exotic and modern. Kimono dresses were popular as ready-to-wear garments because they easily fit many bodies.
Rabinovitch-Fox, Einav. “[Re]Fashioning the New Woman: Women’s Dress, the Oriental Style, and the Construction of American Feminist Imagery in the 1910s.” Journal of Women’s History, vol. 27, no. 2, 2015, pp. 14–36. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2015.0024.
