1920s' Fashion

In all interpretations of the word, the 1920s was the decade in which the world of fashion entered an era that can be safely called modern. There was a certain sense of liberation in the clothes that men and women wore. From shorter skirts and trousers for women to less formal clothes for men, there was a definite change in how fashion and clothing in general was perceived. In this article, we take a look at the major fashion trends of the decade.

Women's Fashion in 1920s

After the First World War, fashion for women as it was known, underwent a complete transformation reflecting the change in society where the role of women was concerned. While woman of the older generation continued to wear, what could be called, dresses that tilted towards the conservative, women who prided themselves on being modern switched over to completely new silhouettes. Sportswear became admissible fashion clothing and dresses began to reflect designs that shared similarities with teen clothing like tubular dresses and short skirts with pleats and slits. One of the biggest changes was the change in the length of the clothes that women started wearing. Hemlines rose to reach the knee and the dresses became much more body hugging.

There was also a wave of wearing clothes that were more masculine and androgynous in nature. This latter style became so popular the women chose to wear lingerie that would flatter their breasts and hips, and also opted for shorter haircuts. The boyish figure was in vogue and women discarded the idea of wearing undergarments like the constricting corset, preferring chemises, camisoles, and bloomers. Somewhere towards the mid-nineties, the idea and design of all in one lingerie became very popular. You cannot talk about the 1920s without mentioning the most influential designer of all time, Coco Chanel who was also one of the first women to wear trousers, defying tradition in the way.

Of course, you cannot end a discussion on the 1920s' fashion for women without talking about flapper dresses which became synonymous with the style of the era. These dresses with their straight silhouettes, extended waistlines, and shortened hemlines, changed the look of evening and day wear for women as was identified till then. These 1920s' flapper dresses were often sleeveless, had fringes to enhance the illusion of movement and were worn with cloche hats, which were close fitting, that became almost a uniform for women.

Men's Fashion in 1920s

When you study 1920s' fashion for men, you will see a clear demarcation of periods. In the early half of the decade, it was fashionable for men to wear high-waisted jackets with belts. Suit jackets had very narrow lapels and they were more often than not buttoned high up. There was also the tendency to wear short jackets more commonly and to wear longer jackets only for extremely formal occasions. Trousers worn by men were more often narrow and straight but not tapered. They were also quite short with cuffed bottoms often showing the socks worn underneath.

In the latter half of the decade the style of trousers changed slightly with wider trousers becoming the fashion statement to make. These trousers known as Oxford Bags were teamed with suit jackets with a normal waist and wide lapels. With time, the width of the lapels became wider and were worn peaked up. Also double breasted vests became all the fashion as did single breasted jackets. The tail coat was exiled for the more stylish tuxedo, and morning clothes became more popular for day wear. Hats that men wore often depended on which strata of society they belonged to, with men from upper classes opting for top hats, and those from the working class often opting for the newsboy cap. Men from the middle class wore the fedora or the trilby hat.

The fashion of the twenties was a reflection of the change in society more than being a image of the aesthetic sensibilities of people. In many ways, it was an attempt to break free from the shackles that had bound people till then, and this was especially true for women's fashion.