The 1920's was a time of great economic growth and prosperity in the United States. Things were changing rapidly in this new America, one of the most notable was fashion. Fashion amongst women drastically changed during the roaring 20s. The style adjusted to women who were going out more, the style fit a younger lifestyle than it had in previous years. Style quickly shifted to a more "boyish" look for women, as waist lines got lower and the dresses got shorter. From around the years 1926 to 1928, the hem lines of dresses were the shortest (about knee-length) and this is what most people remember when they talk about the flapper dresses.
Flapper dresses are straight, loose, and frayed. It has a waistline at the hips and a hem anywhere from the calf to the knee, the dress defines the era of growth and prosperity in the United States and a new image for women, it deemphasized the female form. While the distinct look itself has never made a come back, aspects of it can still be felt in current trends. Flapper dresses were worn all year round. The dress would be paired with cardigans or jackets when it was chilly out. The style would be to smoke or to have bobbed hair, this gave flappers a more manly look and they adopted to it. The look was simple but it meant more than just fashion, it gave flappers something of an equal playing field with men. Women in American history has never worn short clothing like flapper dresses. No one had seen so much skin, but with the bare arms and legs, it made them feel liberated. Stockings, which had always been black, were beige in the 1920s, giving the effect of nudity. Dresses were influenced by designer Coco Chanel, she was interested in neutral colors such as navy, beige, black, white, and cream. She devised the Little Black Dress for cocktail parties. This was not only a time women adopted to a different sense of style, men did too. Men began to wear cuffed trousers and flannels (which became increasingly popular). So did tan, white, and black shoes for casual wear. The shoes were made of patent leather and were designed for formal wear, but that did not stop men from wearing it casually. Additionally, both men and boys often wore short knee pants (knickers) along with sweaters and cardigans with a casual shirt inside. The shoes boys wore were made out of canvas, which is a strong, coarse unbleached cloth made from hemp, flax, cotton, or a similar yarn, used to make items such as sails, tents, and as a surface for oil painting. The prices for these clothing ranged from boys sweaters from $0.95 to men's post war suit at $50. The 1920s fashion was the decade in which women started to abandon the more restricting fashions of previous years and begin to wear more comfortable clothing like short dresses. Men throughout the decade dressed formally for casual wear. They wore suit jackets, high-waisted jackets, and belts. Fashion was redefined during this time and people still cherish the style from this era by dressing as Flappers or men like Leonardo DiCaprio from Great Gatsby for Halloween. The 1920s fashion had impacted women positively, giving them a chance to express themselves unlike previous years. This article was interesting because it not only described the attire worn in the 1920s but the meaning of it. I found it interesting how women decided that they would start dressing how they like instead of how men like it. The fashion in the 20s was risqué, it worked well with the type of cultural boom going on in that time. The jazz music, the parties, etc., it all blended in well. Menswear was very attractive to me. The classy casual look suits men well giving them a formal look. The dress of the 1920s is a defining and integral part of the decade and people's concept of it, similar to how we look at the 1950s and 1960s as poodle skirts and leather jackets, the 1970s as bell-bottom jeans and tie-dye, the 1980s as big hair, shoulder pads, and neon, and the 1990s as grunge and plaid. The way people dressed in the decades reflected how American culture was changing and evolving. Citation: The People History -- Steve Pearson. Fashion Clothing and Accessories From The 1920s with Prices and Examples. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
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