Gibson Girl: the Aesthetic

 


THE GIBSON GIRL

An aesthetic sprung out of satire,
the Gibson Girl, was the aesthetic mood of the era: a stereotype of the archly brooding  hyper-feminine ideal of the turn of the century. Of course as a stereotype there naturally comes a problematic side of having one specific ideal that can isolate many, but today I want to share a few of the pictures that to me have the full Gibson girl vibe. 


In this picture, you can see the full, rounded droopy hair, emphasising the rounded softness that makes you think feminine... and the roses and lacey frills also emphasise that vibe. 



Here, although wearing a darker less feminine colour, the waist is instead strongly emphasised by an unusual s-bend stance of the actress for the photo and the hair is full and soft.

Talking about hair, the feminine softness of the look lasted in fashion for more than 15 years, going from the front curls of the 1890s to the soft face-framing faux bob droop of the 1910s.










The soft roundness merely changing position on the head until the sleeker bobs of the 20s slowly took over.

I find the softly feminine looks of the late Victorian and Edwardian something I personally enjoy, as it is something I find aesthetically pleasing and almost motherly in the 1910s especially.

What are some of your favourite historical aesthetics and why?
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