NELLY DON’S 1916 PINK GINGHAM APRON FROCK: AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE’S SHIFTING ROLE FROM PRODUCER TO CONSUMER by MIKYOUNG WHANG M.A., California State University, Los Angeles, 1997 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design College of Human Ecology KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2011 Abstract Nell Donnelly created a stylish, practical, affordable pink gingham apron frock in 1916, selling out her first order of 216 dresses the first morning at $1 apiece at Peck’s Dry Goods Company in Kansas City. This study investigates the forces behind the success of her dress, and finds that during the early 20th century, woman’s role became modernized, shifting from that of producer to consumer, and that clothing—in particular, the housedress—was a visible reflection of this shift. Specific attributes contributed to the success of the apron frock in design and social perspective. First, her housedress incorporated current design elements including kimono sleeves, empire waistline, waist yoke, asymmetrical front closure, and ruffle trimmings sensibly. Socially, mass advertising and mass media articles promoted fashion consciousness in women to look as pretty as those in the ad or article. As a result, integrating trendy design elements into an affordable housedress along with the growing demand for a stylish, yet practical housedress guaranteed the success of Nelly Don’s pink gingham apron frock. As such, the availability and value of the apron frock provide a vivid illustration of woman’s shifting role: its popularity as an alternative to old-fashioned Mother Hubbard housedresses demonstrates both women’s new consumer awareness as well as their growing involvement in the public sphere. NELLY DON’S 1916 PINK GINGHAM APRON FROCK: AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE’S SHIFTING ROLE FROM PRODUCER TO CONSUMER by MIKYOUNG WHANG M.A., California State University, Los Angeles, 1997 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design College of Human Ecology KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2011 Approved by: Major Professor Sherry Haar, Ph.D. Abstract Nell Donnelly created a stylish, practical, affordable pink gingham apron frock in 1916, selling out her first order of 216 dresses the first morning at $1 apiece at Peck’s Dry Goods Company in Kansas City. This study investigates the forces behind the success of her dress, and finds that during the early 20th century, woman’s role became modernized, shifting from that of producer to consumer, and that clothing—in particular, the housedress—was a visible reflection of this shift. Specific attributes contributed to the success of the apron frock in design and social perspective. First, her housedress incorporated current design elements including kimono sleeves, empire waistline, waist yoke, asymmetrical front closure, and ruffle trimmings sensibly. Socially, mass advertising and mass media articles promoted fashion consciousness in women to look as pretty as those in the ad or article. As a result, integrating trendy design elements into an affordable housedress along with the growing demand for a stylish, yet practical housedress guaranteed the success of Nelly Don’s pink gingham apron frock. As such, the availability and value of the apron frock provide a vivid illustration of woman’s shifting role: its popularity as an alternative to old-fashioned Mother Hubbard housedresses demonstrates both women’s new consumer awareness as well as their growing involvement in the public sphere. Table of Contents List of Figures..............................................................................................................................viii Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Research Questions and Thesis...................................................................................................6 Justification................................................................................................................................. 8 Methodology............................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2 - 1916 Pink Gingham Apron Frock and Housedress.............................................. 13 Nelly Don and her Pink Gingham Apron Frock....................................................................... 13 Nelly Don.............................................................................................................................. 13 Pink Gingham Apron Frock.................................................................................................. 22 House Dress .............................................................................................................................. 29 Definition and Role of House Dress ..................................................................................... 29 Housedress Options .............................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 3 - Women’s Lives and Fashion Shaped by the Cultural, Social, and Political Environment of the Early 20th Century................................................................................. 53 Women’s Lives and Values ...................................................................................................... 53 The New Woman .................................................................................................................. 55 Change of Women's Lifestyle and Roles.............................................................................. 58 Women’s Fashion ..................................................................................................................... 60 Fashion Influenced by Life Style Change............................................................................. 61 Fashion Influenced by Far-Eastern Cultures......................................................................... 67 Fashion Influenced by War................................................................................................... 73 CHAPTER 4 - Modernization of the Household and Society in the Early 20th Century ............ 79 Emergence of an Industrial Society.......................................................................................... 80 Domestic Science...................................................................................................................... 83 Women’s Role Change from Producer to Consumer ............................................................... 88 Home Dressmaking............................................................................................................... 90 Purchasing Agent .................................................................................................................. 93 v CHAPTER 5 - Consumption Culture ........................................................................................... 95 The Birth of Consumption Culture ........................................................................................... 95 Outlets for Mass-Produced Goods............................................................................................ 98 Mail-Order Catalogs and Department Stores........................................................................ 98 Mail-Order Catalogs ......................................................................................................... 98 Department Stores........................................................................................................... 105 Mass Culture........................................................................................................................... 120 Mass Media: Ladies’ Magazines and Advertising in Ladies’ Magazines .......................... 120 Mass Media: Ladies’ Magazines .................................................................................... 120 Advertising in Ladies’ Magazines .................................................................................. 124 CHAPTER 6 - Reasons behind the Success of the Pink Gingham Apron Frock ....................... 133 Design Appeal: Incorporation of Popular Design Elements into the Pink Gingham Apron Frock ....................................................................................................................................... 134 Kimono Sleeves, Empire Waistline, and Waist Yoke ........................................................ 135 Skirt Width and Length in 1916.......................................................................................... 151 Ruffle Trimmings................................................................................................................ 155 Asymmetrical Front Closure............................................................................................... 168 Social Appeal: Influence of Consumption Culture on the Middle-class Housewife’s Fashion Sensibility ..............................................................................................................................