Gibson Girls on the Loose

by Anonymous, First published for the March/April 2004 issue of Finery

Will you be a graceful Edwardian lady in a lavishly trimmed white gown or a sporty Gibson Girl in a trim shirtwaist and tailored skirt at our garden party on April 25th?  Edwardian dress gives you many choices and styles to choose from.

In the summer of 1899, fashion magazines were filled with gowns of organdy. dimity. muslin and semi-transparent materials.

But khaki was also a favorite new material. It was popular when made into a long, gored skirt with inset box pleats. Paired with a simple. tailored blouse, this was an ideal outfit for badminton and croquet.

We often associate white with Edwardian dress, but color was equally worn. Shirtwaists in spring and summer were made in pale green, light blue, and grey.

Big, elaborate hats were common in the era, but the classic Gibson Girl scoffed at such old-fashioned ways. She was a modern woman and proudly displayed her thick, glorious hair.

If you have shoulder-length or longer hair. you can wear that Edwardian upswept style. The In Timely Fashion website at http://www.intimelyfashion.com/category/articles/hairstyles/  has detailed instructions for a historically accurate Gibson-Girl style.

A quickie version is to back-comb your hair at the roots for fullness, then pull your hair up in a high ponytail. Secure an elastic around the tail an inch or two above your head. Then smush the tail back to your head, and twirl it into a bun. Secure with hair pins.

With a sweeping skirt, a pale blouse, and a little hairstyle practice, you’ll look quite like the modern girl Charles Dana Gibson drew.