by Caroline Ashleigh
In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked upon as "something shocking, but heaven knows, anything goes." --Cole Porter, 1934
The study of the Art Deco influence in fashion would not be complete without mention of the dramatic transformation in the perception and evolution in fashion that took place in the first decades of the twentieth century.
These changes reflect the profound artistic, cultural, societal and economic currents of the time. 
Starting with the 1920s, change was as rapid as the ascending hemlines. The lower leg was exposed for the first time, creating the possibility that the knee might be seen when moving or sitting. Of course, this length permitted and even enhanced the dances of the era, especially the Charleston and the tango.
Shorter skirts were the domain of male delight, but they were also the manifestation of women's newly found vigor and influence in society.
The ever- increasing enthusiasm for sports and motoring generated more casual and liberating fashions. Hair was cropped and a few women began to wear trousers, popularized by Coco Chanel.
Boyishness was preferred, giving rise to a cult of eternal youth reflected in the lithe, adolescent figure and a sporting style of dress.
As the hemline ascended, the waistline descended. Emphasis shifted from breasts and hips to the limbs.
In the 1920s, legs became the erotic signal, and shapeless, tubular shifts displayed to advantage long, slim arms and legs. The modern, practical woman by day was transformed into the bewitching seductress by night, wearing sequins, beads, fur, pearls, gold and silver lame.
To accessorize the occasion, costume jewelry was an indispensable fashion element made popular by Art Deco designers such as Coco Chanel.
By mid-century, it was produced in an explosion of shapes and colors, unafraid of being recognized as costume jewelry. Small, tight hats popularized by the cloche emphasized the small head and waistless, tubular dress.
As a reaction to its angularity and masculinity, the athletic boyishness of the '20s made way for the soft feminity of the '30s.
Fashion of the '30s accented movement and fluidity and the natural contours of the body. The waist was raised and the hemline lowered, the silhouette elongated.
Freedom from corsetry in the 1930s brought about the stylish eroticism and racy intimacy that bared backs, exposing the nape of the neck and the spine to the waist.
This not only encouraged the looks directed at women, but also the movie stars of Hollywood, such as Hepburn,
Bacall, Colbert, Dietrich and Davis, for whom the low back dress became their signature of glamorous allure. Fashion could no longer be denied dominance in movies, magazines and, later, television.
Just as the Italian futurists and artists of the Bauhaus in the early part of this century designed clothes that reflected their artworks, so too did the geometric vocabulary of Art Deco and Cubism and the paintings of Picasso, Braque and Mondrian serve as inspiration to designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli who came to the forefront of fashion as the Art Deco style began to wane.
Art and fashion have always shared an intertwining history and complex visual language, although fashion's influence transcends the white cube of the art gallery or museum space.
The language of fashion, whether in the gallery or on the street, offers telling insights into who we were at the beginning of this century, how it has influenced us at the end of this century, and how will affect us in the one to come.
