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Triangle the Fire That Changed America

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The waist-and-skirt outfit was one of the biggest fashion sensations of the 1890's (Von Drehle 44), one that Blank and Harris capitalized on during their partnership; largely possible due to the advantages from high rise factories over tenement sweatshops and from the help of the very successful marketing scheme of the "Gibson Girl."
The Gibson Girl became the iconic symbol of women's progression in not only the fashion industry but the work place as well. Gibson Girl was a signature creation of popular magazine illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (Von Drehle 45) and his archetype of young womanhood's popularity quickly spread. Now Gibson did not only see the style as practical but one with potential to be sexy, which is why he graced the Gibson Girl with large eyes, full lips, a narrow waist and pert nose (Von Drehle 45). This created a sense of an ideal girl, which a study or social psychology would show is something that all girls strive to be, thus insurmountably increasing the popularity and success of the waist-and-skirt fashion phase.
Another large factor in the fashion sensation's success was the upgrade from tenement sweatshops to high-rise factories. These factories had countless upsides, from higher ceilings allowing companies to compact the workers areas even more while still meeting law requirements of air space per worker to allowing all processes of the operation to be under one roof reducing transportation and time costs, while holding only two visible setbacks. In addition, while it certainly was possible to run a blouse manufacturing company through tenement buildings (Von Drehle 46) the high-rise option was much more efficient.

Von Drehle, David. Triangle: The Fire that Changed America . New York: Gove Press, 2003. Print.

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