Fashion In The 1920's

Before the 1920’s, women’s attire was considered fairly modern. Women would have worn clothing with more of a silhouette than clothing that was loose and flowy. The length of their dresses never revealed more of their leg than just their ankle. Women received bad reputations when showing their knees or even their calfs. Women in the 1920’s also had a different ideal figure than most women do today. The body types women wanted to achieve also transformed into a more feminine look. This look consisted of low bust lines, higher hems lines, and showing off more curves than ever before. These women became unapologetically fearless.

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)

Throughout the 1920s through the 1950s Women’s clothing in America was affected by World War II, which lead to the exploration of different styles, the encounter of new trends and the exchange of ideas and new styles.

If you take a look at modern fashion, you’ll be able to see hints of the 1920s. This is because many fashion designers and celebrities base there looks off of the 20s. “Many statement necklaces popular today are based on the bold styles worn by Coco Chanel.” (O'Donnell). Coco Chanel was a very popular French fashion designer in the 1920s that is still very well known to this day. Chanel, as well as other designers from the 20s, created fresh and unique looks that stuck through generations. What you wore in the 20s began to reflect who you are and your personality. In fact, what you wore in the 20s determined your social class and how people viewed you. If you look at today's fashion, everyone has their

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.

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

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

Audrey Hepburn shows many examples of how elegance looked with long slim dress, gloves, and an occasional diamond hair clip in the upper class that was a great way to dress at a fancy party, or gathering. Men did not have much of a trend change but switched over to rebellion and became a “greaser” also known as the well known bad boy but influenced society to under look teenagers. Sweaters and khakis were very popular which was the normal, and trendy style for men. Elegance is something that men have always have, but it was altered in the 50’s, suits changed different colors and normal black, went to brown, yellow, blue, and all different colors. This was the decade when fashion changed the colors, length, and symbol of clothes which shaped fashion into what it is

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.

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

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

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).

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.

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.