Cyclical Fashion Movement: Women's Day Dresses: 1860-1980

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate cyclical fashion movement via women's day dresses from 1860 to 1980. A sample of 489 illustrations of garments was drawn from periodicals based upon a set of explicit criteria. The instrument utilized was designed to pinpoint long term changes in fashion cycles. Data were analyzed using cross-tabulations, time series analysis, and Spearman's rank order correlation. Results from cross-tabulation indicated that there were substantial cyclical changes in skirt length, waist emphasis, and silhouette of women's day dresses for the selected time period. This was further supported by the time series and correlation analyses. The data suggest a series of regularly recurring cyclical changes in women's day dresses. It was concluded that if such cycles continue in a similar pattern, then some degree of predictability for future cycles may be present.