With the start of a new year, I thought it might be fun to do something a little different and take myself (and possibly you) on a fun history lesson. Instead of looking at what the most popular fashions, music, and fashion were from 2015 or predicted for 2016, why not look at what was popular a hundred years ago? So here’s a fun little list of the most popular fashions, foods, and music “pins” from 1916.
So what was life like in 1916? To start, the United States had just entered World War I, unlike anything the world had ever experienced before. Patriotism in the U.S. was at an all-time high and citizens were encouraged to help with the war effort by enlisting, planting gardens to help with the diminishing food supplies, purchasing war bonds, and much more. Women and African Americans were encouraged for the first time in our nation’s history to work the types of jobs that had typically only been offered to White men.
1916 President
Woodrow Wilson
1916 U.S. Population
101,961,000
1916 Music
The biggest hit of 1916 was M-O-T-H-E-R (A Word That Means the World to Me) by Henry Burr. The song was on the U.S. Billboard’s coveted #1 slot for 11 weeks!
1916 Fashion
With women entering the workforce, uniforms became quite the novelty and even little girls would sew uniforms for their dolls. The U.S. saw women’s hemlines shorten to allow for more movement when working and helping support the war effort and hairstyles also started to shorten. Despite the war, women’s fashion grew while becoming more practical. Even though corsets were still worm by most women clothes became less fitted.
1916 Hollywood
The most popular movie of the year was D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance” which cost $385,907 to make, considered one of the most expensive movies at its time.
Charlie Chaplin was the most popular actor, followed closely by Mary Pickford.
1916 Cars
The Ford Model T Touring Car was #1 in America.
1916 Baby Names
The top five girl names were Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret, and Ruth. The top five boy names were John, William, James, Robert, and Joseph.
1916 Recipes
And last, but not least, here’s a fun digital copy of one of the more popular cookbooks of the time, Good Housekeeping Woman’s Home Cookbook with such American favorites as Cottage Pudding, Sweetbread Salad, and An Inexpensive Cake.
Amazing how much has changed in 100 years and yet a lot is very much the same–we still come together as a nation during war and still love to cook delicious recipes for our families, wear the latest fashions, watch movies (now talkies in color!) and listen to music. Here’s to another 100 years!