The Garments of a Woman’s Day

Tragedy in the Garment Industry: Fire in 1911 New York City

On Saturday, March 25, 1911, 500 male and female employees of different ages busily worked in the Triangle Waist Factory rooms on the 8th to 10th floors of the Asch building in Manhattan. Most of the garment workers at the factory were Jewish and Italian female immigrants who spent long, ten to twelve hour days sewing shirtwaists, or delicate white blouses that were popular in the early twentieth century. These garment workers faced exploitation and poor working conditions that mobilized New York City’s labor unions and amplified the tragedy that is known as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

Travel back in time to New York City in 1911 with this travelogue video shot by the Swedish company Svenska Biografteatern.

Challenge: Can you spot women in New York City wearing white shirtwaists? (Hint: 2:55).

At 4:40 p.m., just before closing time on March 25, a fire broke out in a scrap bin on the 8th floor of the factory. Panic erupted as garment workers tried to flee. Within 25 minutes, 146 people died, most of them young women. Factory conditions were poor; the fire escapes collapsed in the rush to flee the burning building. Factory managers had locked the 9th-floor doors, a common sweatshop practice to limit theft and much-needed breaks. The 146 young Italian and Jewish women either died from smoke inhalation, or they jumped from the 9th floor to their deaths rather than being burned alive, a horrific tragedy witnessed by people on the Manhattan streets below. You can view details about the young women who died here.

Purpose: Understanding Women’s History Through Clothing

This online exhibition, drawn from the Fashion Archives & Museum of Shippensburg University collection, is a visual representation of the clothes that a female garment worker wore throughout her day in 1911. The young women who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire were diverse in age and background, but the clothing these young women slept in, worked in, and lived in tied them together. An understanding of garment workers’ daily lives through clothing brings us closer to visualizing their lives beyond the tragic moments they are most often remembered for.

Sleepwear: Women’s Pajamas in 1911

Before sleeping at night, working-class women changed into nightgowns. These nightgowns were often white cotton or silk with delicate details, such as the pink ribbons, lace, and embroidered “MD” on this nightgown worn by Edith Potts Meredith Hershey (S2011-15-028, donated by Morefield). Women wore stockings and slippers for extra warmth, such as these hand-crocheted slippers made of bright pink wool. The brand name “Korkers” appears on the soles (S2013-28-001, donated by Potts). In chilly March, working-class women layered on blankets and slept beside their siblings, roommates, or partners for warmth.

The Morning Undergarment Routine: So Many Layers!

On the morning of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the young women prepared for another day’s work. In 1911, a woman wore several different layers of undergarments beneath her outerwear.

Layer 1: The first undergarment layer, worn beneath a corset, consisted of a white cotton chemise and drawers; the chemise and drawers could be connected into one piece, called a combination garment, which resembled a contemporary romper (S2017-07-003, donated by Schewe). Unlike mainstream contemporary women’s underwear, the drawers or combination garment had an open crotch so that a woman could easily use the bathroom.

Layer 2: Women then put on stockings for their second undergarment layer. Stockings reached above the knees and were attached to corset suspenders or held in place by garters. Stockings were usually made of a plain black cotton or wool for working-class women, but they could be made of silk, such as these for dancing or weddings (S2013-22-037, donated by Woods). These garters, adorned with ribbons and rosettes, kept stockings from slipping down the legs (Courtesy of Drs. Bohleke).

Layer 3: A woman’s third undergarment layer was her corset. This was worn over the chemise/drawers or combination garment. Working-class women in 1911 wore front-fastening corsets with centered busks that they could adjust themselves by pulling long lacing cords that tightened the laces at the back of the corset. The corset had two pairs of suspenders with metal clasps that attached to the stockings. A fancy long-line corset, such as this one worn by Louise Chapman Cleveland Beakes at her wedding (June 1911) (S2012-02-001, donated by Cowles), was made of silk. This fancy corset laces at the front, with suspenders hanging down over the top and the sides of the thighs. Metal suspender clasps sometimes tore stocking material, so some women preferred to hold their stockings up with ribbons or garters instead.

Layer 4: The fourth undergarment layer was a white cotton corset cover, which women put on over their corsets to hide any bumpy details (S1989-16-012, Donated by E. Kartlick). A corset cover’s purpose resembled the contemporary cami top that covers bra outlines. The purple ribbon threaded through the neckline is a 2020 replacement of an older pink ribbon.

Layer 5: A woman’s fifth and final undergarment layer was the petticoat, which was either a petticoat skirt or a full-length slip petticoat such as this one, worn by Edith Hershey, which is white batiste fabric with delicate details like mother-of-pearl buttons, blue ribbons, and a deep-ruffle hem (S2013-16-006, donated by Rogge).

A Day of Work: Not Your Regular 9-5

In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, which was located in Greenwich Village in New York City, employed dozens of young women. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory produced shirtwaists, which we now call women’s blouses.

Employees at the factory worked ten hours a day, six days a week, with an hour break for lunch. Workers did not receive an hourly wage and were instead paid by the piece. Since more pieces finished meant more money, speed mattered. Most women were paid about $6/week for their work.

Pauline Newman, a Lithuanian immigrant, recalled her time working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and what her wages were like in an interview:

“But you see hours didn’t change. The hours remained, no matter how much you got. The operators, their average wage, as I recall – because two of my sisters worked there – they averaged around six, seven dollars a week. If you were very fast – because they worked piece work – if you were very fast and nothing happened to your machine, no breakage or anything, you could make around ten dollars a week. But most of them, as I remember – and I do remember them very well – they averaged about seven dollars a week. Now the collars are the skilled men in the trade. Twelve dollars was the maximum.”

Even for a day of work in a factory, style mattered. Two outfits were popular among working class young women: a blouse and skirt combination, or a dress.

Women chose to wear a blouse and a skirt with a coordinating jacket (S1984-51-022b, donated by Johnston). It was not uncommon to see high, fitted collars on blouses as well (S2010-01-098, donated by B. Glover). Blouses like the one shown below were worn tucked into the skirt.

Some women opted for a dress rather than a blouse and skirt combination. This dress was called a “tub frock” because it was able to be washed. The fading on this particular dress was caused by frequent and harsh laundering (S1981-30-010, donated by Barron).

Whether a woman wore a skirt or a dress, pointed-toe boots with a two-inch heel were the shoe of choice, even for a long day of work (S1991-45-747, donated by D. Darnell). Accessories like wide-brimmed hats finished off any look. The top of this hat has scrollwork patterns done in a gold cord to add visual interest (S1984-14-002, donated by Haller).

Activity: Think you have what it takes to budget like a woman in 1911? Take a look at the cost of living in 1911, and see if you can afford your favorite outfits: Cost of Living and Fashion of Working Women in the 1910s Questions & Activities

An Evening To Remember

When the garment workers left the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory for the evening, their day was not over just yet. Like the average working woman of today, a working class lady wanted to unwind from a long, hard day at work. Women during this time needed an outlet that allowed them to socialize with others, both men and women. These working women visited social clubs, Coney Island, cheap theaters, amusement parks, excursion boats, picnic grounds, and dance halls to have an enjoyable evening out. Out of all of these activities, the dance halls were quite popular for these young women.

Going out for a night of dancing was an important social event for working class women. Many of these women were immigrants or children of immigrants. Their families were interested in marrying them off to men from a similar ethnic background. However, dance halls were places that did not adhere to ethnic enclaves like that of many neighborhoods in New York City. The women who attended dance halls were often under twenty years of age, with some as young as thirteen. Most of the male dance partners were normally slightly older than the ladies.

Dance halls were not only places where ladies could socialize; they were also places to experience dance culture. Dance culture of the 1910s involved understanding the newest dance steps, ballroom etiquette, drinking customs, and clothing style. Looking at the clothing style, in particular, reveals an important part of the women’s evening. Clothing for the young, working-class women in 1911 was a way to show off their notions of respectability, allure, independence, and status. However, the average working-class woman was not attending these dance halls dressed to the nines as many might think. These ladies wore their best dresses that they owned. Many saved up to buy imitation clothing, shoes, and accessories to help them feel as though they were a part of the upper-class. Many of these ladies wore dresses such as the one shown below (S1982-64-072, Donated by William Penn Memorial Museum), along with boots similar to the ones in the previous section. These ladies did not always have the option to color coordinate their shoes with their clothing and would wear the best of what they owned.

Once the ladies were ready for their night out on the town, they headed to a local dance hall for an evening to remember. And remember they did! One of the items that young women received at the dance halls were evening dance cards. Dancers used these cards to know what the dances of the evening would be. Dancers also used these cards to keep track of who their dance partners were for the evening. A young woman recorded the names of who her current and successive partners would be. Here are some dance cards from the 1910s (Courtesy of Dr. B. & Dr. K. Bohleke).

During the 1910s, the foxtrot and the waltz were some of the most popular dances at dance halls. Other popular dances were often prohibited. Those that were prohibited were the tango, viewed as a very intimate dance, and animal dances. An example of an animal dance, the “Grizzly Bear,” is shown in the video below. Animal dances allowed for ladies and gentlemen to get up-close and personal with one another in a social setting.

End of the Day, Not the End of the Story

The 146 young women who died on March 25 in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire lived busy, hard-working lives in the clothes they wore. This representation of their clothing provides a look into intimate moments of their day, from tightening their own corsets to lacing their sturdy boots before walking to work. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire shocked and horrified residents in New York City and across the United States. The fire highlighted the importance of fire safety; if the factory would have had proper fire escapes and exits, more lives could have been saved. Following the tragedy, garment workers like Clara Lemlich and labor union leaders like Rose Schneiderman continued organizing to advocate for women’s rights and workers’ rights. By looking at the clothing of regular women in 1911, who might have one day become Clara Lemlich and Rose Schneiderman, we can visualize them in their daily lives as they dressed, worked, and played.

Meet Two Female Activists of the 1910s

Clara Lemlich: A Jewish, Ukrainian-born immigrant to the United States, Lemlich was a garment worker who led the New York Shirtwaist Strike of 1909. This strike, also called the “Uprising of the 20,000”, was a strike for garment workers’ rights led by mostly Jewish women two years before the fire. Check out her shirtwaist!

Rose Schneiderman: A Polish-born American citizen, Schneiderman was a member of the New York Women’s Trade Union League and a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union. She advocated for women’s and workers’ rights following the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, and she addressed a mixed-class audience at the Metropolitan Opera House following the event. You can read her moving speech here.

Discussion Questions & Activities

How do the undergarments of a 1911 working class woman compare with women’s undergarments today? What do these differences or similarities suggest about women’s lifestyles?
If you have a part-time or full-time job, what kind of bills do you have to pay? Do these differ from what women in 1911 had to pay for?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire caused New Yorkers – and people in the United States at large – to think about fire safety. Can you think of any events during your lifetime that had a profound effect on society, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire?
Research the working conditions of the employees at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory; these employees spent long days making shirtwaists with minimal workers’ rights. Do you know who makes the clothing you wear and what conditions they work in? What does this suggest about today’s garment and fashion industries compared with those in 1911?
After learning that many of these women were from different backgrounds, what are your thoughts on the dance halls where they would socialize with others? Do you think that each group stayed in their own enclave or tried to reach out and mingle with other groups of people? Research different immigrant groups and their interactions in NYC at this time.
If you lived during this time, which social activity would you be drawn to, other than dancing all night at the dance halls? Research the social activity you are most interested in to learn more about it.

The Garments of a Woman's Day