Fashion and architecture

in the Edwardian era

The start of the Edwardian period

Began when Edward VII
became king on the death of
Queen Victoria in 1901. This
period was relatively short
compared to the long reign
of Victoria but the
Edwardian style is generally
recognized to have lasted
until 1920 (10 years after
Edward VII's death).
Although the Edwardian period
was much shorter than the
Victorian period, the
housing boom at that time
meant that the architecture
of that time heavily
dominates our present
suburbs.
King Edward the VI

Architecture
Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King
Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he
reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is
generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to
1914.
Edwardian architecture is generally less ornate than high
or late Victorian architecture, apart from a subset used
for major buildings known as
Edwardian Baroque architect

Characteristics
Colour: lighter colours were used; the use of gas and later
electric lights caused designers to be less concerned about
the need to disguise soot buildup on walls compared to
Victorian era architecture.
Patterns: "Decorative patterns were less complex; both
wallpaper and curtain designs were more plain."
Clutter: "There was less clutter than in the Victorian era .
Ornaments were perhaps grouped rather than
everywhere."

Masonic Temple, Aberdeen,

Scotland built in 1910.

Antrim House is a historic

building of Edwardian
architecture in Wellington,
New Zealand.

Edwardian Baroque Architecture

The term Edwardian Baroque refers to the Neo-Baroque

architectural style of many public buildings built in the British Empire
during the Edwardian era (19011910).
The characteristic features of the Edwardian Baroque style were
drawn from two main sources: the architecture of France in the 18th
century and that of Sir Christopher Wren in England in the 17th.
Some of the architecture that borrowed more heavily from the
English Baroque architects was known by the term Wrenaissance.
Sir Edwin Lutyens was a leading exponent, designing many
commercial buildings in what he termed 'the Grand Style' in the later
1910s and 20s. This period of British architectural history is
considered a particularly retrospective one, since it is contemporary
with Art Nouveau.

The War Office in

Whitehall,
London (built
1906

Port of Liverpool Building

(built 1907).

Typical details of Edwardian Baroque architecture include

extensive rustication, usually heavier at ground level, often
running into and exaggerating the voissours of arched openings
(derived from French models); domed corner rooftop pavilions
and a central taller tower-like element creating a lively rooftop
silhouette; revived Italian Baroque elements such as exaggerated
keystones, segmental arched pediments, columns with engaged
blocks, attached block-like rustication to window surrounds;
colonnades of (sometimes paired) columns in the Ionic order and
domed towers modelled closely on Wren's for the
Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Some Edwardian Baroque
buildings include details from other sources, such as the
Dutch gables of Norman Shaw's Piccadilly Hotel in London.

Royal Naval College in

Greenwich.

The Painted
Hall of Royal
Naval College

FASHION
The French called the era from 1895 to
1914 La Belle poque. It was an epoch of
beautiful clothes and the peak of luxury
living for a select few - the very rich and
the very privileged through birth.

The Edwardian Silhouette

1900-1907
The fashionable hour glass
silhouette belonged to the mature
woman of ample curves and full
bosom. The S-bend health corset
described fully in the section on
Edwardian Corsetry set the line
for fashion conscious women until
1905. The corset was too tightly
laced at the waist and so forced
the hips back and the drooping
monobosom was thrust forward in
a pouter pigeon effect creating an
S shape.

If you were wealthy like an

Edwardian society hostess,
cascades of lace and ultra feminine
clothes were available as labour
was plentiful and sweated.
During this time it was still usual to
make dresses in two pieces. The
bodice was heavily boned and was
almost like a mini corset itself worn
over the S-bend corset.
A top bodice was usually mounted
onto a lightly boned under bodice
lining which fastened up with hooks
and eyes very snugly. It acted as a
stay garment giving extra stability,
contour and directional shape
beneath the delicate top fabric.
By 1905 press fasteners were
used in Britain to hold the bodice or
blouse to a skirt, but America had
dress fasteners as early as 1901.

Bodice pouched Edwardian day

dresses