Off the Rack

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century, Berlin fashion opened up to the middle-classes under the impetus of serial production and department stores. This article examines the link between this social change, the production of ready-made clothes in standardized sizes (Konfektion), mass distribution and the presentation of women's bodies by mannequins. To do so, this article examines the evolution of the fashion press from the point of view of its accessibility and the aesthetics of its illustrations, as well as the ways in which new fashions are presented in the clothing industry and in retailing. It thus appears that the economic actors of Berlin fashion in the 1900s participated in forging an aesthetic that accentuates the female body.

Keywords

• Fashion
• Wilhelmine Germany
• Ready-made clothing
• Models
• Department stores