Does This Look A Little Short? A Look at Bodice Length Between German and American Bodices

 

German fashion from WWII is where a lot of my focus rests and today I want to zero in on an observation that has really taken my interest as of late. Bodice length. Bodice length? Yes. What is bodice length you ask and why is it important?? Well, bodice length is the length of how long the top of a dress is from neckline to the waist line. The top of a dress is often called a bodice for those who are not sewing or garment savvy. So now you know what a bodice is, why is it important? 

It is important because I have noticed a trend between American sewing patterns and 40s garments and German sewing patterns and garments. The difference is that German bodices are shorter than their American counterparts. When I first noticed this I thought it was a fluke until I saw it again and again and again. What I thought was a one off event turned into a trend. So how much shorter are German bodices? I noticed German bodices, looking at where the waist line sits, sit above the natural waist a good 2, sometimes 3 inches (the natural waist is just above the belly button by the way). In comparison, American bodices sit either at the natural waist or maybe 1 inch higher. American bodices are longer and sit a little bit lower than German bodices. I know that this may seem like a really insignificant detail but it can be one that makes or breaks a really good German civilian outfit. So, this all means that when you are working with German dress patterns and the bodice looks short, it is short so don't worry too much. 

Not only is it in sewing patterns but I have in my collection a dirndl now and a few original German dresses, when compared to my American pieces, the bodice length is really distinct. It threw me off the first time I noticed it and I thought it was a one- time fluke . . .Then it kept showing up and that's when I noticed it was a trend. 

So why is this like this?? I am thinking the reason why German bodices are shorter and sit higher is because of traditional German dresses which sit higher . It may be possible that this element was transferred to modern attire to make the  modern attire more traditional. Another reason could have been to save on fabric, made the body appear more round and feminine (and older fashion trend that originated from the mid 19th century), or anything. The most important thing is that it is a trend that shows up. 

To show you this, I am using the above photo graph.   If you look at the girls on the ends, the skirt waist lines sit rather high and there is not much space between the waistlines and their bust lines. If I had to guess, these skirt waistlines are sitting somewhere on their ribcages. The girl in the middle is wearing a princess seamed dress it appears and a princess seam dress does not have a waistline seam. 

Below is a better example with the dress to the left. Where the point on the bodice ends, that is her waistline. The space between her waistline and bustline is shorter. Interesting detail isn't it? It really is distinct in sewing patterns but I thought showing you in photos would be more inclusive since not everyone here can sew.