Fashion In The 1920's

The 1920’s fashion was a period of liberation, change, and even more importantly a movement towards the modern era. Fashion in the 1920’s varied throughout the decade but one could see the noticeable change from the previous fashion statements and eras. At the start of the decade, women began emancipating themselves from the constricting fashions by wearing more comfortable apparel. As women gained more rights and World War I forced them to become more independent, flappers came to be, mass-produced garments became available, and artistic movements increased in popularity, one can see how the fashions from the roaring twenties characterized the time and redefined womanhood. (1920s clothing 1)

There are just a few rules one must follow to achieve a respectable level of stylish sophistication. In many ways, the 1950s took a big step back, especially for women. During World War II while the men were away, women began to gain an independence that was rare before the war. They left their homes to work in offices and factories, earning and managing their own money. Clothing was heavily restricted throughout and just after the war.

In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s dress among women was far more formal and conservative. They wore tulip bell shirts and dresses that came at least to the ankle if not past. Women were always wearing a corset whether it was a part of their blouse or simply placed under their top. A corset was meant to suck in their stomach and give the illusion of a more slim waist.

Before the 1950’s many teenagers would wear the same exact clothes as their parents did, in the 50’s we start to see fashion including teenagers as their own fashion. Teenage girls would wear more colors, and tighter dresses to get a finer look. We also see that the teenagers start to go farther into the accessories by wearing pearls, necklaces and waves many high class wives would too. Many of the guy teenagers would wear sweaters or leather man jackets and the “rebel high schoolers” would wear the black leather jacket. The 1950s, we see many new

Families no longer had the money to fund frivolous things like fashion, instead they were working simply to provide food for their families. Women started caring less about their appearance, they wore less makeup, their ,”Bobs” grew into ,” Lobs” and their hemlines fell once again. There were no flappers the only glamorous people could be found on the set of

The author of Fashion of the Decade states, “Women’s 1960s fashion was extreme style and attitude from the start of the decade to the end”(Yvonne Connikie). The 60s audacious, funky patterns and colors as bright as a new penny were a new style influenced by modern day teenagers and pop culture. For example, The History of Popular Culture book states, “It was the whole idea of a return to youth that drove most of the fashion in the 1960s”(Michael Bergan). During the 60’s half of the population in the United States was under 25, making the modern day fashion whimsical, and full of bright colors. At the beginning of the valiant decade, the pencil dress dominated and could be found at any boutique and shop in its various different colors and patterns and for the guys, the classic old suit with a tie was an everyday necessity. However, as the decade progressed the outfits became more casual, and typically guys would wear penny loafer shoes with a tailored sports jacket and a long overcoat. In addition, woman progressed into more casual clothes as well. They would wear shift dresses, that were wide, open, and were shorter than the typical dresses in the fifties. The text states, “there is no such thing as too short”(Sheila Hardy). As the decade furthered the dresses and skirts became shorter by the minute. The jumper dresses and mini skirts were sold shorter than they ever had been before. However, it wasn't as easy as

While the 1950s stressed conformity, the 1960s gave full vent to those impulses. The 1960s was a period of transformational change, when long-held values and social norms broke down and were replaced with idealism and rebellion. It is also described as ‘’a breakthrough, a fleeting moment of glory, a time when a significant chunk of humanity realised its moral potential and flirted with its neurological destiny’’ . The young people did not want to reform the society, they did however want to overhaul it, remake it and if needed, destroy it . The sweeping social changes and prevailing attitudes of the decade were epitomised through the rejection of conventions and traditions associated with many aspects of life, including fashion. As Coco Chanel stated, ‘’fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening’’ . Many of these changes were prompted by the feminist movement, the space race and the Vietnam War. Evidently, new fashion trends emerged which reflected these new ideals. Some of the most prevalent trends included revealing clothing, space age designs and alternative hippie clothing.

Woman in particular began to abandon the more restricting clothing and started to dress in more comfortable clothing. Iconic fashion staples for the 1920’s would be the Cloche hat and the Flapper dress.

What allowed fashion to change so much in the 20s was the easier it became to view and purchase clothes. Fashion magazines such as Vogue, The Queen, and Harper’s Bazaar, allowed women to see what was popular and order straight from there. Women began to look towards other women for inspiration; Joan

In the 1920s, fashion trends were the shorter low-waisted dresses and revealing styles worn by flappers. With their short-bobbed hairstyles and cloche hats, down to scarves and stocking with bold. The 1920s fashion strikes the design era for fashion by having change in the women’s fashion. The fashion changed and characterized the women in the 1920s, as they called it the roaring twenties the women started gaining their free rights and independence. Fashion for women had a positive impact in the 1920s and on the world today throughout the advancement in women’s rights.

Leather jackets were the key to knowing who was tough and often would show who was the greasers and the ones that were not. There were women, who changed fashion, and it was in a way that became trendy such as jean shorts, and pants that were considered scandalous to some, but most felt beautiful. Stripes and polka-dots, were highly in fashion, making clothes enjoyable to wear. Though there were many new things being brought in, there were still old fashion from the previous decade, with some poodle skirts. Tight waisted dresses, with an apron skirt was a great way of saying “I am classy” and creating the new trend for young women.

Women had to perform a variety of trades that normally only men could do. Over the course of 20 years, clothing styles changed immensely because of the closing gap between men and women. The differing gender equality in the 1900s and the 1920s shows how fashion was influenced throughout these time periods. Fashion in the 1900s was focused

The change and a break from the past, needed by women who were living in the 1920s after World War I, was reflected in the many changes in women’s fashion and the fashion industry in the United States and Paris. Fashion took drastic changes in many ways during the 1920s. Many of these changes were seen as rebellious compared to the old, much stricter styles of the past. There are many factors that contributed to the drastic change in women’s fashion and the fashion industry in the United States and Paris during the 1920s. The status of women in the United States was changing and the women of the time were headed towards more freedom (Haq).

The 1920’s, also called the roaring 20’s, was a time of change. During this time period the fashion for both men and women was changing immensely. The aftermath of WWI caused America to enter a vigorous era. As a result of the role of women during the war, many customs and morals were changing. The Stock Market started booming, many new dances and music came about, and women got the right to vote and enter the workforce. There was an uprise in almost every activity, and fashion was definitely one (Tirocchi, Anna and Laura). Although fashion varied throughout the decade, one could notice a drastic change from the prior fashion.

The 1960s were a time of big change across the United States of America. Fashion was one of the most memorable (parts) of the 60s. The 1950s sound was still popular and the waist-tight skirts and clean, sharp look was still worn by many. The style of fashion was new and unfamiliar to the people who grew up in the 1940s and 50s. One of the most surprising trends was the box dresses that women wore. They were very short and showed much more skin than the parents of the teenagers in that era, would have liked. They were used to much more conservative types of clothing. Fashion evolved, along with the new generation who inspired that fashion. Hairstyles and clothing changed, due to a new era of icons and state of minds.