Shirtwaists

Shirtwaists were a staple in women’s fashion during the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Their style was viewed as a feminine take on men’s shirts often having buttoned openings, cuffed sleeves, and collars. They were taped at the waist where a dress would be worn. Although similar in overall patterns and structure, nuanced details such as silhouette, proportions, and decorations would change year after year. One year large, billowing sleeves would be in style then slimmer, fitted sleeves were popular the following year.  

These garments are often associated with the tragic 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which is commonly described as the worst industrial disaster in United States history. Claiming the lives of 146 employees and injuring 18 others, the fire was a day of reckoning for American sweatshops with poor working conditions, leading to increased labor unions and advocacy for improved working conditions. 

-Alexander Coberly