The Roaring Twenties - Fashion Style

Actress Alice Joyce wears a 1920s
beaded evening gown.
Image courtesy Library of Congress
Prints & Photographs Catalogue

The fashion of the 1920s celebrated youth and life. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a fantastic depiction of this lifestyle adopted by young men and women. Following the dark and emotionally heavy World War I period, many young men and women turned to a life of lively dance and Jazz music, alcohol and cigarettes and adopted a carefree philosophy that openly challenged conservative attitudes of the preceding period.

In the 1920s, flappers broke away from the Victorian image of womanhood and an androgynous "bachelor girl" shape emerged. Corsets were discarded and chests were wrapped to flatten the chest. Hair was cropped short into a bob, and often tucked under a "cloche hat". Layers of clothing were reduced, became lighter and more flexible and the waistline was lowered to allow ease of movement. Stockings became more sheer (as opposed to the predominant black wool stockings of the previous decade) and were often rolled down. Women began to wear make-up and even apply it in public, created the concept of dating, and took control over their sexual experiences.

Fringed flapper dresses,  long strand pearls and feathered bandeaux characterised 1920s fashion. Evening wear was predominantly made with silk, but velvets, chiffon and taffeta were also common. Embellished with elaborate beadwork, dresses were typically sleeveless and often had trailing sashes, trains or asymmetric hemlines. Fancy combs, scarves, feathers or a bandeaux were often worn in the hair.

Women found their lives changed in more than appearance, however. With women attaining the right to vote, society began to accept that women could be independent and make choices for themselves in education, jobs, marital status, and careers. This was definitely a turning point in history for women - They created what many consider the "new" or "modern" woman.