What is it about?
During the interwar period in Bucharest, the city was commonly referred to as "Little Paris", and its fashionable women occupied Western-friendly spaces, regularly indulging in Parisian fashion. Fashion advertisements were prevalent, despite the political and economic unrest gripping the country. The fashion industry in Bucharest created a market for luxury goods that demanded austerity, with Chanel No. 5 perfume serving as a prime example of this. However, the fashion-conscious citizens of Bucharest were divided between their home and public identities, leading to contradictions in their style choices. Despite these contradictions, the fashion and textile market in interwar Bucharest thrived, contributing to the city's prosperity.
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Why is it important?
This paper analyzes the impact of Western fashion on women's clothing in Bucharest during the interwar period. It explores how it was marketed and promoted, and how it influenced fashion trends in Romania. The research considers various factors such as social, cultural, political, and economic aspects, along with marketing strategies. Ethical and accuracy concerns related to marketing methods are also examined. The findings provide valuable insight into the interwar Bucharest fashion industry, making it useful for anyone interested in the history of fashion and its impact on society.
Perspectives
Through this type of research, I present the interwar Bucharester as able to exude glamour on a low budget, thanks to the prosperous fashion and textile market in Bucharest. Despite not being able to travel to Paris to acquire the latest models, the Bucharester was nonetheless as much a Parisienne as her counterparts from the French capital. Living her life wearing the latest Parisian models, she was able to balance her home and public identity, inspiring those around her to do the same. In this way I can know and understand my great-grandmother's generation, bringing their realities, hopes, troubles and dreams closer despite the great historical distance.
Dr. Sonia Doris Andras
Gheorghe Sincai Institute for Social Studies and the Humanities
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Selling Glamour: Marketing Western Women’s Fashion in Interwar Bucharest, Transylvanian Review, July 2023, Academia Romana Filiala Cluj,
DOI: 10.33993/tr.2023.1.07.
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