The emancipation of the "New Woman"
The emancipation of the "New Woman"
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Autonomy was a radical goal for women to aspire to in the end of XIX century. Through the history, women were always legally and economically dependent, either on their husband, male relatives or on social and charitable institutions, but with the emergence of education and career opportunities for women, as well as with new legal rights for property, they stepped into a new position of freedom and choice when it came to marital and sexual partners.
The "New Woman" placed great importance on her sexual autonomy, although this was difficult to put into practice as society still voiced loud disapproval of any sign of female licentiousness. Some admirers of the "New Woman" trend found freedom to engage in lesbian relationships through their networking in women's groups. Some considered it to be a way to escape male domination in heterosexual relationships, while others saw it as an expression of women’s gained freedom.
At this time women’s lingerie started to become smaller, less bulky and restrictive: the corsets were replaced by the brassiere (first patented by Mary Phelps Jacob) and slinky slips. Designers began to use various fabrics and laces which signified the arousal of new fashion field – lingerie design.
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