Scandalous fashion: How Oscar Wilde helped women put on their pants

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the 1880s, Oscar Wilde was already known as a talented writer and poet. But in London high society, he was better known as an esthete and fashionista who helped women get rid of corsets and put on pants.

In 1884, British playwright Oscar Wilde announced his engagement to Constance Lloyd. He met her in Ireland, where he was from. It was an event for the high society of London, as Wilde had already become a socialite, to whom he listened. But the writer constantly got into stories that aroused admiration and ridicule.

In addition to social life and creativity, Wilde managed to become famous for his notes in newspapers on the topic of fashion. He wrote about how women should dress.

At that time, ladies usually wore a long dress made of dense heavy fabric, underwear restricting movement, bulky skirts with a crinoline or bustle. Corsets did lead to curvature of the body and compression of internal organs.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of 19th century women's clothing, European ladies ignored the warnings of doctors and were in no hurry to change their wardrobe. They did their best to preserve their figure and posture, and any changes were considered shocking and controversial from the point of view of public morality.

In his essays, Wilde describes simple, comfortable outfits for women, with minimal "fringes, ruffles and folds." Also, the writer speaks very positively about the split skirt. It is a controversial piece of clothing that is essentially a very loose pair of trousers "disguised" under a skirt.

Their appearance caused some concern in the British press, as it was believed that women's pants were something immoral.

In an open letter to Constance, the poet's wife described them as an attempt to "look like it was an ordinary skirt, because of the intolerance of the British public." Those who wore them praised the "delightful feeling of freedom as a result of getting rid of petticoats."

After the wedding, Konstanz Wilde could go on the stage or become a reporter. But instead, the poet's wife began to "fight" with public opinion for the right of women to loose clothing.

She joined the Rational Dress Society, an organization that promised to "encourage the adoption, according to individual taste and convenience, of dressing styles based on health, comfort and beauty." When the women of the Society began to wear harem pants, they were harassed by the press.

Oscar Wilde openly supported his wife in the press. He was unambiguous about the split skirt, pointing out that one should not be “ashamed of separation,” that “principle is good,” and that it is a “step towards … perfection” in women's clothing. “For a split skirt to have any positive value, it is worth abandoning the idea that it is outwardly identical to a regular skirt," Wilde wrote. “It is necessary to reduce the width of the legs and sacrifice silly excesses and shuttlecocks; when she imitates a dress, her meaning is lost; but let it clearly become what it really is. " Obviously, Oscar Wilde said he would like to see women in trousers.

Wilde even became the editor and then the publisher of the magazine about life, culture and fashion "Women's World". The writer stated: "No one appreciates more fully than I value a dress in its relation to good taste and good health."

Konstanz wrote a couple of articles on children's clothing in which she spoke out in favor of a split skirt for children: "A rational dress should be accepted by all mothers who want their girls to grow up healthy and happy."

Not much time has passed, and "Women's World", like the reforms of women's clothing, for Oscar Wilde faded into the background. The 1890s became a period of creative flourishing for the poet and writer, which was replaced by a loud scandal. It was hard to expect anything else from the dandy who always went beyond what was allowed