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| Although America did not enter the war effort officially until 1917, the impact of World War I had a paralyzing effect on fashion, and was responsible for the demise of the corset. American women entered the workforce in great numbers, providing critical labor in munitions factories and other jobs previously performed by men. Women were also recruited into the war effort to satisfy the demand for nurses, ambulance drivers and other necessary services. In the face of war, fashion became trivial and the corset was deemed an impractical and awkward device that no longer seemed appropriate. In fact, to aid the war effort at home, women were discouraged from purchasing corsets made with steel. The collected effect of the corset boycott saved 28,000 tons of steel in 1917, enough for two battleships!
World War I had an emancipating affect on women. They were freed from the bondage of corsets and since many chose employment, were freed from domestic bondage as well. With these new freedoms came an even greater one. The growing women's suffrage movement achieved a great victory in 1920 when congress passed the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote.
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| Wide-wale cotton corduroy, silk grosgrain, Bakelite and mother-of-pearl buttons. c. 1918. Museum of the Rockies Collection.
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L: Low corset. Cotton damask, elastic. c. 1915. Courtesy of the Montana Historical Society.
C: Bust Bodice. Cotton, metal or featherbone stays, hook and eye. c. 1913. Courtesy of the Virginia City Collection of the Montana Heritage Commission.
R: College Girl Corset. Cotton damask, featherbone stays, metal busk, elastic. c. 1915. Courtesy of the Virginia City Collection of the Montana Heritage Commission.
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