When and how thin became in

A fashion catalogue from 1911 (wikipedia)

So when did it become young and thin in fashion? The story begins with the previous century as far as western fashion goes.

The fashionable silhouette in the early 1900s was that of a mature woman, with full low bust and curvy hips. During the early years of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft. In the aftermath of World War I, America entered a prosperous era and, as a result of her role in the war, came out onto the world stage.

Social customs and morals were relaxed in the giddy optimism brought on by the end of the war and the booming of the Stock Market. New music and new dances came on the scene. Women got the vote in 1920 and were entering the workforce in record numbers. In the 1930s and 40s American Cinema began influencing fashion trends...as we all know the camera adds ten pounds. So actors became conscious of how they appeared on screen.

TheHungarian-American star Ilona Massey

More people began going to beaches and beachwear design started focusing on the ideal human figure: young, slim, but still curvy. But the greatest impact on fashion trends came from design houses and designers——for displaying their clothing these people used simple hangers, which were invented round about that same time, and later on mannequins.

An early mannequin from FreeNYC

Like hangers the mannequins were simple, thin, figures on whom it was easy to drape the designer clothing. For displaying clothing to wealthy socialites the designers chose young models, to create the impression of youth and beauty for the buyer. Now more often than not, such young models were naturally slim. And also it was found that slim models displayed all kinds of clothes with ease. So thin gradually became in for fashion.


Thin mannequins and thin models found another boost from the design artists who created the sketches for the clothes. Even here the artists just found it simpler to sketch around a thinner frame, while in the creative process of thinking up their designs, rather than worry about sizes. And a slim frame of reference allowed them to find the balance in their creations.

A design sketch

So it is a combination of these factors: changes in fashion, more freedom for women, the need for displaying clothes on young women, the mannequins and design sketches, that have created the trend for thin becoming in. And despite inspiring stories like that of Crystal Renn it doesn't look like this trend will change when even fashion stores insist on a certain body image for their employees!