Rational Dress Movement

Fashions have changed over the years, but simple comfort has changed the most. These were the fashions on sale in July 1915 at the C W Klemm Department Store. These were dresses made from voiles and lawn, in stripes or various patterns for just 98 cents. Dresses of white or colored organdy, lawn, batiste, tissue and pure linen were on sale for $4.95. These loose fitting dresses were a result of the dress reform movement in the late Victorian period. It was sometimes call the Rational Dress Movement and called for women's clothing to work better with the human body and not attempt to distort the human body with corsets. Voluminous skirts made it difficult to move quickly and long skirts trailed the dirt, picking up germs and necessitating frequent laundering of clothing. In the shorter length dresses women could take part in sport and move more freely. No corsets were worn under this clothing, maximizing comfort for the modern woman.