The walking suit represented a major step in the evolution of women’s wear during the late 19th and early 20 Centuries. Starting in the early 1890s, the walking suit was considered an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe and by the Teens, it occupied a prominent place in fashion. Style details, construction, and fabric varied depending on price point but the objective was always the same- a outfit that a woman could wear out in public that was practical yet stylish. In response to the growing popularity of walking suits, clothing manufacturers produced walking suits in a variety of fabrics, colors and styles. Walking suits became to widespread that even the major couturiers couldn’t ignore it.
Walking Suit, 1910
In response, couturiers began to offer an ever-expanding line of practical day wear of which the walking suit was a key element and each couturier put their own twist on the basic design as with this walking suit by Paquin:
Paquin, Walking Suit, 1912; National Gallery of Victoria (2015.670.a-b)[National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased with funds donated by Mrs Krystyna Campbell-Pretty in memory of Mr Harold Campbell-Pretty, 2015 © Paquin]
The above example illustrates one jacket style was designed to give the effect of a robe or kimono; naturally, this effect tended to work better with a lighter fabric such as a linen. Here’s another one from Maison Worth:
Worth, Walking Suit, c. 1913; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1980.16.3a, b)
Jackets also followed more conventional styles such as with this one:
Jeanne Paquin, Walking Suit, Spring/Summer 1910; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.474a–d)
The walking suit below from Redfern features a more tailored jacket (which would come as no surprise given Redfern’s background):
Redfern, Walking Suit, c. 1911; V&A Museum (T.28&A-1960)
Three-quarter rear profile.
And jackets could also have more of a greatcoat style:
Redfern, Walking Suit, c. 1910; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.107a, b)
And just to round things off, here are a few from unknown makers:
Walking Suit, c. 1912; McCord Museum (M976.35.2.1-2)
And here’s one from 1915:
Walking Suit, 1915; McCord Museum (M983.130.3.1-3)
And sometimes, it was hard to tell where “suit” left off and “dress” began…here’s an example from 1911:
Walking Suit, 1911; Metropolitan Museum of Art (1976.290.7a–c)
The above examples are only a small fraction of what was out there but it’s clear that the walking suit had arrived as a major wardrobe item. We hope that this will serve as a source of inspiration for those looking to recreate the day wear of the early Teens. And finally, just to tie this into something more contemporary, consider this:
Enjoy! 🙂