Style of Artists' Costumes in the German Theater Scenes after World War II

Artists' clothing is not just a cover for the artist's profession, but clothing for their personality. Artists choose this dress to introduce themselves to the target community. This was also the case with German artists, especially after World War II. This means that they have always chosen special covers to present and appear to the people. However, historical data show that, especially after the end of World War II, the coverage of theater artists in Germany changed dramatically. This issue has been investigated, studied and analyzed in various ways, both in Germany and in other countries. However, by studying these works, we have found that based on pre-existing theories, the reason or factors influencing this phenomenon, namely the change in the style or manner of dress of German theater artists, can’t be exactly what they are. Therefore, in the present study, other factors in this field have identified and we have tried to show the impact of these factors to the audience more objectively. Theorists believe that coverage is not unaffected by social phenomena; that is, social phenomena such as war, revolution, conflict, or convergence can affect the phenomenon of cover, while almost all previous research has ignored the role of these factors on cover in Germany. Therefore, the question of the present study is what is the effect of social events (from the perspective of sociologists), especially World War II, on changes in the costume style of theater artists in Germany?
The data of this research have been collected using documentary-library method and analytical-historical method. The findings show that after World War II, there was a gradual change in the clothing style of German artists, which we believe that it could probably be due to some social events. Durkheim, Bourdieu, and Giddens, as social theorists, believe that changes in society can also affect clothing style. According to Durkheim and Bourdieu, people do not choose clothes freely and individually, but make limited choices in choosing clothes within a predetermined framework. Thus, from the point of view of these two social theorists, society or its developments influence the individual's choice in the field of clothing (and in fact in all fields). Although Giddens attaches more importance to individual freedom, he believes that social events are not ineffective in human activities. He believes that explaining the impact of social developments on a phenomenon is not as simple as some theorists have suggested, but in any case, it is obvious that social phenomena affect events and people. Although similar views held among domestic theorists, almost all of them point to the same point that Durkheim emphasizes. Thus, using the views of these theorists, it can be said that the events after the war caused the artists of the theater house in Germany to choose costumes in the field of acting that would bring the most attraction and joy to the audience. This choice often operated through color, design, fashion, etc., and prepared intentionally or sometimes unknowingly to improve the mental state of the citizens of German society. In fact, based on historical data on the one hand and sociological theories on the other, it can be claimed that the conditions of World War II were such that it largely eliminated happiness from the people, and this issue is well represented and recognized in the images left by some artists from this period. For this reason, after the end of World War II, German artists, consciously or even unknowingly, gradually turned to clothes that would remove the discomfort from the people and create joy and desire among them. This shows that people are not as free in choosing their clothes or clothing as they or others think, but they make choices within a range determined by social factors, and only in the realm of action. The findings show that the changes that have taken place in the style of costumes worn by German theater artists are not limited to one feature, but many features such as color, material, style, etc. have changed in them, and it is interesting that all this changes have taken place in the direction of improving people's morale. Our findings in this study could lead the actors in the field of art (in all aspects) to think that they pay more attention to social factors, identify their impact on cultural phenomena, and according to that they take steps to improve the cultural and artistic status of their community. Finally, the findings of the present study show that paying attention to the impact of social phenomena on clothing in the present study is somewhat innovative because it is a pioneer of other researches in this field.