Pussy Bows, Power Suits, and an Awesome Short History of the Blouse

  

The Secretary Blouse. 
The Bow Collar Blouse, Ascot Blouse, Pussy Bow Blouse, Pussycat Bow Blouse, Bow-tie Blouse. 
Whatever you want to call it, dates as far back as the 1800s, and it's got a radically empowered history. 

(The above photos are items listed in my Etsy shop.)

The women's blouse (or shirtwaist as it was called in the 19th century), began becoming fashionable in European style in the 1850s. In the 1860s, the Garibaldi shirt, or the redshirt, was all the rage. Named after the European military hero who fought for Italian unification in the 1840s, Giuseppe Garibaldi,  the red wool shirt with fitted sleeves became a hit with the women of the time. It was a revolutionary symbol of freedom (Garibaldi's guerrilla army donned the red uniform) worn by women and frequently by children as well. 

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1888)

Garibaldi Shirt

Vogue Magazine fashion plate, November, 1900

The trends in blouse collars evolved throughout the 20th century. Inspired by sailor shirts, the middy blouse was popular in the 1910s. It's a loose fitting, straight cut shirt that fell below the waist (as opposed to the higher waist shirts of the previous decades), making way for the loose cuts of flapper fashions of the 1920s. 

middy blouse circa 1910s

The iconic Coco Chanel was rocking it long before she released her rebellious clothing lines inspired by menswear. Her androgynous looks were a much needed explanation of what women did while wearing clothes, and by that I mean, actually moving around, not sitting still as objects of decoration and desire. 

Coco Chanel 1913

Chanel Blouse - 1935-37

Chanel Ensemble 1964

As the countercultural movements of the 1960s began to calm, the United States saw a generation of young people entering the corporate workforce without having had much pop culture fashion advice during the previous decade. A slew of books and essays were published in the 1970s attempting to teach young men and women how to “dress for success”. The 1977 Women’s Dress for Success, by John T. Malloy, was a notable influence. In it, Malloy explains to women that they need an authoritative appearance in order to compete with men for the same jobs, but cautiously warns to strike a balance between masculinity and femininity. For example, a skirt suit is ideal but “removing the jacket will make you look like a secretary.” It was also around this time that clothing companies like Liz Claiborne and Brooks Brothers emerged, specializing specifically in women’s office attire.

Among other social and political movements, the Women’s Liberation Movement was especially influential in shaping a new “I don’t give a shit” attitude towards women's fashion choices. Despite the acclaim and popularity of Malloy’s guide to successful business fashion, it was more common for women to develop styles outside of pop-culture guides and unspoken laws still lingering from their parents’ etiquette manuals. 

By 1978, women made up almost half of the workforce (around 41%), unfortunately, the pay wasn’t (still isn’t) equal to male their counterparts, but nonetheless women were wearing clothes that supposedly exuded corporate power. Giant department stores were dedicating entire sections, even floors, to “career women” in the 70s, which actually set up what is currently still the norm.

And thus, the floppy bow, a symbol of career passion in its time, made way for high collars, even bigger bows, hulking shoulder pads, and power suits of the 1980s.

In 2000, the pussycat bow blouses (I'm still a little fuzzy on the origin of this nickname) made a huge comeback thanks to Miuccia Prada, followed by Luis Vuitton, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Lauren, and so on.

*On a side note, Miuccia Prada is a badass for many other reasons.

There is a FANTASTIC documentary called Makers: Women Who Make America, available for free streaming online through PBS that I highly recommend.

The above information makes me think that everytime I wear a blouse like this I’m thanking the radical, troublemaking, brave, and influential feminist women that worked hard to make the world around them better.

Works Cited:

Lucy, Ryder R. "Fashion: STATE OF LUXE Stuffy? Nonsense - Classic Labels such as Louis Vuitton and Hermes are Back on Luxurious Form. Lucy Ryder Richardson on Why Everyone Wants a Taste of the High Life." The Guardian: 56. Feb 05 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 May 2013 .

"Descriptions of Fashions." Vogue Nov 15 1900: C2, vii, xi, xii, xiv, C3. ProQuest. Web. 7 May 2013 .

Cunningham, Patricia A, "Dressing for Success: The Re-Suiting of Corporate America in the 1970s." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 7 May. 2013.

Haugland, H.. "Blouse." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, 2005. Web. 7 May. 2013.

"Blouse." The Berg Fashion Library. The Berg Fashion Library, n.d. Web. 7 May. 2013.