The decade of 1920s was driven by cultural changes as the world was recovering from the after effects of the First World War. The hemlines rose and became more feminine as women had the right to self expression. It was the start of the jazz age where people seemed carefree, youthful and free. A new women’s wardrobe developed which sported the tubular “la garçonne” ensemble also called as the flapper style, with a dropped waist and shorter hemlines. This way of dressing of the 1920s showed a stark contrast to the layers and formal attires which were predominantly seen during the first world war.
Cultural & Social Influences on Fashion
1920s earmarked the beginning of the Jazz Era from the city of New Orleans. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were popular musicians in the US, where alcohol was prohibited throughout the decade and the term the ‘Roaring Twenties’ was applied to the period. There was a lot of dancing and singing going on to celebrate the end of the war and so the dresses were adorned with tassels and embellishments which moved to the music as the wearer did. The color palette was dominated by metallic shades of silver, gold, bronze and blacks, browns etc.
Art Deco was a popular art and architectural style of the century which had an undeniable influence on fashion in terms of the structured lines, squares and pyramid shapes.
There was a rise in consumerism as the aftereffects of the war rendered the class system powerless. Different classes and races mingled together to bask in the newfound freedom as well as the influence of the flourishing industry of Hollywood, successfully placed the fashion industry under the limelight.
Political Influence
Women before 1920s did not possess the right to vote, they were just reduced to the roles of caretakers of the households and children. Their opinions were unheard and did not possess the right to make decisions for themselves. In the early 1920s, the women began abandoning their traditional roles and started carrying on protests in favor of getting a bill passed to enable women to vote. They were bolder, active, outspoken, educated, sporty and worked in offices. They broke free from the cains of restrictive clothing and sought out comfortable silhouettes and bold make up. Finally, Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.
The Flapper Style
The iconic flapper style caught the wind in mid 1920s with its androgynous look which was contrasting to the feminine demure of the previous decade. It was essentially a short, waist less and formless shift dress which gave no emphasis to the waist or hips. These dresses were easy to make at home by anyone with economically priced fabrics so the middle class women took advantage of this to blend in with the upper class. Not everyone was a flapper girl, the ones who were, were infamous for their rebellious, loud, carefree nature. They smoked in public places and wore their hems as high as a mini dress, over the top makeup, rode automobiles.
The Chemise Dress
The chemise dress was worn as day and evening wear from the beginning of 1916. It was a loose shift dress which hung from the shoulders and the hems reached below the knees. Waistlines dropped to the hips. Loose belts were often worn on top. The modern drop waisted dresses are inspired by this style. At that time, it was popularized by designers such as Coco Chanel, Callot Seours, Jeanne Lanvin.
Fashion Designers
Coco Chanel was a prominent designer during the period. By launching her little black dress which is so popular even to this date in 1926, Coco Chanel endorsed the validity of black as a fashionable color and soon the LBD in the shift silhouette became a must have in every girl’s wardrobe. She demonstrated a simple homespun wisdom in recognizing the colors capacity to flatter any figure.. She guided women recognize flattering colors such as black, navy, cream and white. She had a major influence on the silhouettes of 1920s. Chanel’s designs were the epitome of elegance and sophistication.
Jeanne Lanvin was popularly known during the decade for selling soft pastel mother-daughter outfits. Her outfits carried embellishments, embroideries and elegant trims. Jeanne peaked by eventually starting a men’s wear line in 1926 and was known as a couturier to dress the whole family. She popularized the chemise look although the inventor of the dropped waistline is debatable as some say it is Chanel and some claim dropped waists were seen in Lanvin’s designs as far back as 1914.
Elsa Schiaparelli’s sense of style also shaped the aesthetics of the mid 1920 and 30s. She worked as a freelance designer and flourished soon after acquiring a declining fashion brand with a friend. She was the mastermind behind a hand-knit pullover with black and white trompe-l’œil motifs which were soon declared as an ingenious masterpiece by Vogue as it became a staple throughout the US. She is also known for her surrealistic designs.
Illustrators were hired by magazines to capture the essence of the dress via drawing as photographers were not readily available to capture the models wearing the outfits so instead fashion plates which were grids of illustrated version of the garments were publish for the general public’s awareness.
Egyptian Influence
During this era, the mummy of King Tut was discovered and the world was bewitched with Egyptian Culture. Artists, architects, and designers looked to Egyptian ornamentation and motifs—scarabs, lotus flowers, snakes, and falcons, among many others—to enhance and inspire their creations. The stylized, geometric nature of these motifs dovetailed nicely with other aspects of what would come to define the Art Deco aesthetic or zeitgeist.
Makeup & Hair
As there was a consumeristic boom in the roaring 1920s. Cosmetics were sold in stores and pharmacies. Big names in the industry which are still functional today kickstarted their business during this time; Max Factor, Maybelline, Elizabeth Arden, Tangee etc.
Girls were seen smoking and they wore the go to evening make up look Red Cupid Bow lips, pink rouged cheeks, kohl lined and shadowed eyes, droopy, tired looking eyebrows along with flapper dresses and chemises.
Women chopped their hair into a short bob with waves to resemble the masculine look.
Men’s Wear
Men’s wear during the 1920s comprised of suiting and the war put an end to the predeceasing decade’s three piece suiting. The conservative suit was popular during the beginning which has a tight and narrow shouldered jacket, high-waisted pants that created a thin silhouette. Men started wearing knickboxers and soon switched to wide legged trousers called as oxford bags to hide the boxers underneath.
Shorter suit jackets were considered as everydaywear and longer tailed coats were saved for formal events. Fedora Hats were popular amongst women but eventually was picked up by a few gangsters and was worn by everyone after a while. Footwear comprised of formal dress shoes which were patent leather brogues. As it was the age of Jazz, the colors of the suits became lighter and more colorful when worn in the evening.
1920s Inspired Fashion Collections
References-
-mens-fashion.lovetoknow.com, Men’s Fashion in the 1920s
-glamourdaze.com, History of Women’s 1920s Fashion
Fleur De Lis 