The Roaring Twenties brought many fads and fashion rages. During the
1920's, Americans were given the honor of being called the "best-
dressed". Several things contributed to this honor: Affordable
pricing, mass production clothing, the birth of the "flapper girl",
and rise of fashionable movie stars that Americans wanted to
imitate.
The style and cut of women's clothing during the 1920's changed
drastically. Waistlines dropped dramatically while hemlines rose
scandalously. Turned-down hose were no longer black, but beige.
Rouged knees, bobbed hair, and figureless figures characterized the
"radical flappers". These women violated many of the rules dictating
appropriate clothing and behavior for women. The flappers took their
look one step further by hiding their foreheads with a ribbon or
bulky hat. Large foxfurs, dangling earrings and concealed eyebrows
were part of the fad so many "moral" Americans looked down upon.
A cloche was a popular style hat. It was worn over a bobbed
haircut and pulled down over the forehead.
The "flapper girl" trend peaked in 1926, leaving materials such as
silk, chiffons, georgettes, crepes, and voiles in high demand. Beads,
sequins, and feathers also adorned the fashionable dresses. Coco
Chanel, a role model for the flapper, provided many styles, including
the popular single strand of pearls. Corsets were no longer popular,
but instead the "sexless" figure was favored. Scarfs were often
draped over the shoulders if one could not afford a dead fox neck
piece. However, the one thing that distinguished the flapper from
anyone else was the bobbed haircut. Although, efforts were made to
revive long hair, the bob remained stylish.
A U.S. History Student poses as a flapper.
The fashionable flapper remained throughout the 20s, until the
craze faded away with the oncoming 30s. The fads and rages of the
flappers left an impression on Americans for years to come. These
radical women, who were considered immoral and distasteful, remain
symbolic of the famous Roaring 20s.
The flapper fashion was borrowed by many of the women who lived in
the 1920's. But as it is with every fashion craze, there are many
different examples. The pictures that follow show some of the other
clothing items that were characteristic of the 1920's.
This beautiful velvet dress and jacket would have been
worn for an evening on the town, as would this satin hat. The purple
velvet dress below also is representative of the period. These photos
are courtesy of the museum archives at Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale.
This last photograph is from a family photo album. It
shows a group of ladies in what would by typical clothing during the
1920's Note the hats, short hair, shorter hemlines, and fur
trimmed jacket.
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Works Cited:
Anderson and Madge Garland. A History of Fashion. New York:
William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975
Ewing, Elizabeth. History of 20th Century Fashion. Great Britain:
Berne Convention, 1974.
Severn, William. The Long and Short of It. New York: David McKay
COmpany, Inc., 1971.
Fashion in the 1920's
