ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the maternity fashion of the first decade of the 1900s, including the first ready-made maternity clothing and how it was marketed. Also discussed are the clothing terms for items useful for maternity wear and variations on the Gibson Girl aesthetic. Modifications to fashionable clothing for pregnancy use during the era include a unique system of laced-up negative darts on shirt linings and multiple drawstring casings on skirts, with extra fabric to accommodate the belly being placed above the waist rather than at the hemline. Health beliefs about maternity clothing are also discussed, as well as what was deemed to be socially appropriate.
