Color in Fashion: Germany


Figure 1.-- Here is what looks like a snapshot of a German family outside their home. It looks to have been taken about 1920. Colorized images are one source of information on color, but the depictions are of questionable accuracy.

One interesting question is the use of color in clothing. We are begiining to address this question, but it is a question HBC cannot easily answer because we rely so heavily on photography. And until the 1970s, color photography was very limited. There are some useful sources of information. There are a few color photographs. Another highly reliable source of information is vintage clothing. There are colorized photographs, although they are ot as reliable as actual color photographs. Catalog provide some useful information. Drawings, paintings, and magazine illustrations also provide some color informations. Postcard were very popular in the early-20th century and mahy were colored, but they are not reliable sources of color information. Each of these sources of information provide useful information, but readers need to be aware of the limitations and reliability of each. We do not at this time know much about the use of color in German children's clothing. Our information at this times comes largely from colorized photographs. We have found some colorized photigraphs which provide some information. We are unsure as to the accuracy of the color depictions. Some of the best examples we have noted of early tinted photographs are German..

Sources

One interesting question is the use of color in clothing. We are begiining to address this question, but it is a question HBC cannot easily answer because we rely so heavily on photography. And until the 1970s, color photography was very limited. There are some useful sources of information. There are a few color photographs. Another highly reliable source of information is vintage clothing. There are colorized photographs, although they are ot as reliable as actual color photographs. Catalog provide some useful information. Drawings, paintings, and magazine illustrations also provide some color informations. Postcard were very popular in the early-20th century and mahy were colored, but they are not reliable sources of color information. Each of these sources of information provide useful information, but readers need to be aware of the limitations and reliability of each.

Garments

We do not at this time know much about the use of color in German children's clothing. Our information at this times comes largely from colorized photographs. We have found some colorized photographs which provide some information. We are unsure as to the accuracy of the color depictions. One would think that paretas would want some reationship between the colors of the children'soutfits and the colors depicted in the colorized portraits. And we nte some portraits with clor instructions. Some of the best examples we have noted of early tinted photographs are German. We note German costumes, presumably children in a family. Of course the widest use of color in fashion can be used for costumes. One of the most popular German style for children were sailor outfits. Of course blue and white were the most popular ailor suit colors. An example is a German brother and sister (about 1885). There were of course other colors.

Chronology

We do not yet have a large enough inventory of German color images to build a color chronology. We have however begun to build an inventory of colored images that will allow us to build a chronolgy. This will help us better see the use of color in Germnan fashion over time. Information on the use of color was not well reflected in the photographic record. Color photography only became common in the 1970s. Thus a range of information sources have to be used.

Gender

Generally speaking, girls and women have used a wider range of the color spectrum, at least in modern times. We note a German mother and daughter. The colorized imafe shows the girl wearing a light-blue dress. There are concerbns abiut tge reliability of colorized photographs, but this one seems plausible.

Age

Age was a factor in colorchoice. Bright colors werepopular for younger children. Here another factor was that boys in the 19th century wore cdresses and other skirted garments. And as we have dicussed, girls for thrir dresses included in their wardrobes bright colors that were not commonly worn by boys. And we see a beautifully done portrait of a German family (1890s).

Specific Colors









HBC







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main country color page]
[Return to the Main German page]
[Return to the Main color page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Art] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Country] [Photography]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 10:52 PM 9/7/2008
Last updated: 10:52 PM 9/7/2008