1920-1930

Ladies, 1920 – 1924

Silhouette Elongated, shapeless, lower waistline, shorter skirt.

Bodice Unfitted tube to low waist, over unboned corset.

Neckline Various V-shapes, boat-shaped, low round.

Sleeves Kimono, raglan, dolman, long inset gathered into cuffs

Skirt Ankle-, mid-calf-, and below knee-length; straight, flared

Fabric Silk and wool jersey, crepe-de-chine, silk georgette

Trimmings Fur, embroidered ribbon, beaded and sequined embroidery.

Color Bright, emerald green, acid yellow, royal blue, purple or pale and natural

Accessories Large hats with drooping brims, brimless cloches, short gloves, small bags with chain handles, lightweight shoes.

The Edwardian Silhouette

The undergarments were intricately created to provide women with a standardized figure that was considered fashionable.

• The S-Shaped corset provided women with the desired look of a large breast and a 16” waist.

• An Edwardian woman’s undergarments consisted of a corset, corset cover, camisole, a pair of drawers, cotton petticoats, and flannel petticoats.

Fashion in the 1920’s

Factors that lead to the reforms of fashion in the 1920’s

• World War I

• Newfound buying power in the Roaring Twenties

• Feminine Liberation Movement and the 19th amendment

• Prohibition

• Advancements in the textile and garment industries

• Ready-to-wear fashion

• Fashion Magazines

World War I• During the War, women entered

the workforce to fill jobs left open by soldiers. After the war women continued to work outside of the home.

• Women’s fashion altered to suit the workforce, constrictive undergarments such as whalebone corsets were abandoned to allow for an ease of movement

• Also with the lack of men due to the war and its aftermath, women began wearing more alluring clothing to attract a husband.

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WW-I & FASHION

• World War I had an impact on the styles of the war time period when military influences were evident in the cut and colors of both men’s and women’s clothing.

• World War I had an impact also on styles after the war. Garments such as trench coats, sweaters, and jackets that were part of military clothing issued were carried over into civilian use after the war to become permanent items of dress.

Newfound buying power in the Roaring Twenties

• The Economic prosperity of the Roaring Twenties allowed more women access to luxurious clothing.

• More woman began buying their clothing as opposed to making them themselves.

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Prohibition• Due to Prohibition,

drinking took place in the home and women became included in drinking.

• Women soon began drinking in public at Speakeasies.

• This new social freedom was matched in fashion with new styles that were more scandalous, revealing, and freeing.

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Advancements in the textile and garment industries

• With the Garment Industry becoming increasingly Industrialized, rapidly evolving women’s styles were more available to those of lower economic standing, the new luxurious styles were available to the middle class, as opposed to just the economic elite.

• New fiber atificial silk was developed which was later improved in the quality named Rayon(marketed by E.I.DU pont de nemours company

• whitcomb l.judson invented zipper in 1891 he called it first as clasp locker

• In 1920 B.F goodrich used the term zipper as he used it in his boots ,calling it zipper boots

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Ready-to-wear fashion• Because clothing was now

easily manufactured, stores began selling clothing, carrying outfits in a variety of sizes to fit almost any customer.

• Because Women were more frequently buying their clothing as opposed to making it(no tailoring), the style was dictated by fashion magazines. Stated following fashion trends.

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BETWEEN THE WARS• The period of great change & reformation, often Considered to be ‘the Golden

Age’ of French fashion.• Carriage were replaced by cars.• Princes & princesses lost their crowns.• Haute couture found new clients in the ranks of film actresses, American

heiresses, & the wives & daughters of wealthy industrialists.• THE GREAT DEPRESSION

– 1929-Stock Market crashed.• Women’s fashion moved away from the brash, daring style of the twenties

towards a more romantic, feminine silhouette.• SOME INFLUENCES ON FASHION• The Movies

– In 1903 Ist feature film released, “The Great Train robbery”.– By 1920s Silent Films had become a part of everyday life.– Film stars became fashion-setters.– In 1927 sound comes to Motion- Pictures in “The Jazz Singer”.

• Sports• The Automobile.

• After the great depression the Federal Government wanted jump start the economy.

• It was all about motivating the customer to buy. This is where the concept of redesign or reworking the product for styling came to the forefront. Major considerations for this concept were, pure aesthetics and market oriented consideration.

• So we had streamlined forms everywhere. New materials also made it possible like plywood, plastics and sheet metal.

• ‘The ideal water droplet form minimized wind resistance’. Spurred research in aerodynamics for planes and cars.

• With the onset of WWII and post war transitions a wave of consumption fueled consumer demand for new and better models. The concept of planned obselescence was built into American consumer goods

DESIGN FOR MASS CONSUMPTION

THE NEW CENTURY

• After World War-I the social climate in Europe & United States changed.

• Resulted in a revolution in mores & values, especially among the young.

• Women of 1920s freed herself from all the restraints of the past.

• Ban of alcoholic beverages -1920.• speakeasy- clandestine drinking club.• Transition into nightclub-1933.

Wartime austerity lead to restrictions on the number of new clothes that people bought and the amount of fabric that clothing manufacturers could use.

Women working on war service adopted trousers as a practical necessity. The nylon stocking was introduced in the US in 1940, to huge success, but later withdrawn as all supplies were needed for military uses such as parachutes.

Costume from 1920-30• Undergarments came in like brasiers which was

flatten & later towards the end of the decade uplift the bosom in order to provide the current fashionable shape.

• Drawers & knickers became panties in 1920,these were short buttoned or elastized at the waist line

• A combination of camisole & panties was called as cami-knickers, step-ins or teddies

• A straight cut chemise or petticoat was renamed the slip.

Costume from 1920-30• A figure with a flat bosom and narrow hips was the ideal. • At the beginning of the period, skirts were long and

reached almost to the ankle, tending downward in 1922-23, but gradually moving upward in 1924 and after.

• By 1925 they were about eight inches from the floor, by 1926-27, 14 to 16 inches and some even as short as 18 inches from the ground.

• Once the skirts reached this elevation, they remained relatively stable in 1928-29, then began to lengthen again (1983-1984).

• The first move toward longer lengths was observable in a tendency to cut skirt hems unevenly with panels, flares, scalloped, or pointed segments of the skirt

Costume from 1920-30• For daytime one-piece styles predominated• Some coat dresses had crossover, right to left,

closings. • Necklines usually ended at the base of the throat

or lower, with round. V – shaped, cowl styles. Round, high and V-necklines often were finished with collars or bias ruffles.

• Many dresses were sleeveless. Skirts were more complex in cut than bodices, often utilizing bias cutting to produce interesting effects. Skirts had pleats and gathers ,godet insets, and panelled effects that achieved handkerchief skirt styles

• Tailored suits had matching jackets and skirts, with jackets ending at the hip or below.

• The Chanel suit, a cardigan-style jacket and skirt made from wool jersey was very popular

• suits were belted, the belt was placed well below normal waist placement

Wool jersey suit from 1929 by channel

Evening dresses• Evening dresses grew shorter as

daytime dresses grew shorter. Generally sleeveless, with deep V- or U- shaped necklines

• In 1919 Jeanne Lanvin introduced a bouffant skirt, reminiscent of the crinoline period. An evening dress of this type with a dropped waistline and full skirt was a popular alternative to the tubular silhouette. It was called the robe de style .

Evening dress• Beading was a popular means of ornamenting

evening dresses and sometimes covered the entire dress.

• Evening dress of 1931 designed by madeleine vionnet & showing bias cut features that she favored.Dress is described as having fine embroideries in beads, tiny spangles jewels studs of metal thread on chiffon.

• Fashionable fabrics included chiffon, soft satins and velvets (and for the robe de style garments, silk taffeta).

• Geometric Art Deco designs were frequently used as fabric patterns

Outdoor Garments• The most characteristic coats closed over the

left hip, often with one large decorative button or several small ones. Some coats, known as clutch coats, had to be held close as they had no fastening.

• Young women (and young men) wore raccoon coats for motoring or to football games.

• Fur and fur-trimmed capes and wraps were popular among the more well-to-do. Sweaters, long belted low, were popular as sportswear.

• Night clothing consisted of either nightgowns or pajamas, both of which had long, straight lines.

HAIR AND HEADDRESS

• women cut their hair short, with bangs at the front and the hair turned under at the ends on the sides and in the back. Eton crop a style in which hair was exceptionally closely cropped and dressed like that of the men

• Some women wore their bobbed hair straight, others with a marcel wave, a style made up of a series of deep waves all over the head.

Footwear• Short skirts caused women to focus greater

attention on hosiery. Dark stocking or white continued in use, but as skirts grew shorter, tan – or flesh-colored stocking replaced them.

• Heels of shoes were two to two and a half inches in height, toes pointed or rounded.

• Oxfords were worn, especially for sports. • Dressy evening slippers were made of fabric or

gold or sliver leather. Women wore Russian-style wide –topped boots.

• A woman of the 'Roaring Twenties' is actually to be the image of a flapper.

• A young woman, especially one in the 1920s who showed disregard for conservative dress and behavior

• Flapper fashion embraced all things and styles modern. • A fashionable flapper had short sleek hair, a shorter than

average shapeless shift dress, a chest as flat as a board, wore make up and applied it in public, smoked with a long cigarette holder, exposed her limbs and epitomised the spirit of a reckless rebel who danced the nights away in the Jazz Age.

• The French called the flapper fashion style the 'garconne'. 

Flapper vs. Thinking Woman• The Flapper

wore a headband around her forehead, usually with a feather in front.

• Her face was powdered, her skirt was the shortest in history, and her knees were rouged.

• Silk stockings were the rage; they were rolled down just above the knee.

The “Thinking Woman” was college educated and considered herself to be the opposite of the flapper. Her dress was emancipated but not extreme.

Influence of England• The Prince was

the ultimate trend setter of the 1920’s

• He often wore Oxford bags, extremely wide trousers, often reaching 25 inches at the knee and cuffed at the bottom.

Edward 8th Prince of Wales the major social mediator of fashion. Shown here in a suit and overcoat, ascot at the neck.

Cardigan sweater, plus-fours/oxford bags, argyle socks, wingtip shoes, club stripe tie.

Characteristics of 1920’s Fashion

• Loose-fitting clothing• Dropped, loose waistlines• Shorter hems on some

styles of dresses• Loose fitting pants for

women• A long, lean, flat-chested

silhouette• An overall androgynous

appearance

Hairstyles

Short BOBS became extremely popular

Weddings

•Brides wore long, double-layered veils under their crown-trim caps

•Elaborate headpieces became very popular

Flapper Fashion

• The Symbol of the Roaring Twenties, the Flapper, emerged in 1926 and embodied the decades modern fashion elements such as short sleek hair, a short shapeless dress, and a flat chest, and exposed limbs. (new breed" of young women)

• Flappers had a reputation that added to their style as well.

• Flappers smoked from long cigarette holders, applied makeup in public, and danced to jazz with reckless abandonment of propriety.

Flappers89

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Men’s Fashion

Suits•Inspired by Jazz!

•Long jackets and tight waists are seen for a time in the 20s

•“Sacque” suits from the mid-1800s come back to style

•Top hats!

Shoes• Pointed toe shoes and t-straps were

all the rage!

• Two-toned shoes made popular by Chanel.

Shoes

Formal patent leather

Casual two-toned

The Progression of Style through the Decade

• As the decade proceeded, fashion continued to rapidly change.

• Hemlines rose from an inch below the knee to knee-length

• Waistlines dropped to the hips and then disappeared altogether creating a shift dress

• The most characteristic fashion trend from the 1930s to the end of World War II is attention at the shoulder, with butterfly sleeves and banjo sleeves, and exaggerated shoulder pads for both men and women by the 1940s

• White dinner jackets for men and beach pajamas, halter tops, and bare midriffs for women

• Fashion trendsetters in the period included the Prince of Wales and his companion Wallis Simpson (and such Hollywood movie stars as Fred Astaire, Carole Lombard and Joan Crawford.

•Through the mid-1930s, the natural waistline was often accompanied by emphasis on an empire line.

•Skirts remained at mid-calf length for day, but the end of the 1930s Paris designers were showing fuller skirts reaching just below the knee; this practical length (without the wasteful fullness) would remain in style for day dresses through the war years.

•Other notable fashion trends in this period include the introduction of the ensemble (matching dresses or skirts and coats) and the handkerchief skirt, which had many panels, insets, pleats or gathers.

•Full, gathered skirts, known as the dirndl skirt, became popular around 1945.

Men's neckties often had bold, geometric patterns as can be seen in this photograph taken in 1944

Golfing attire of 1930, worn by Babe Ruth and former New York governor Al Smith - State Archive of Florida.

Double-breasted suits have pocket flaps and functional buttonholes in both lapels. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1934.

Photo of Walt Disney shows the padded shoulder and widening lapels of 1938.

Photo of Charles Spurgeon Johnson wearing a wide-lapelled suit with a striped necktie, c. 1940.

Writer William Saroyan wears the wide, patterned necktie fashionable in 1940.

Overcoats of Wendell Willkie, Thorne and Cowles

Jazz bandleader Tiny Bradshaw wears a double-breasted suit with wide lapels and tapered trousers, accessorized with a large pocket square (handkerchief) and a patterned necktie, 1942

Designers

1920’s - Designers

• Paul Poiret vowed, “I will strive for omission, not addition.” This he did with dresses which hung from the shoulders to the wiast, with soft, silky, flowing, sheer fabrics.

• Coco Chanel made a hit in fashion using black and navy in simple frill-free designs. She said, “Each frill discarded makes one look younger.”

By the 1920s, her fashion house had expanded considerably, and her chemise set a fashion trend with its "little boy" look.

Her relaxed fashions, short skirts, and casual look was famous in that period.

Chanel herself dressed in mannish clothes, and adapted these more comfortable fashions which other women also found liberating.

Coco Chanel introduced her signature cardigan jacket in 1925 .

COCO CHANEL

The Lanvin style embraced the look of the time, with its skillful use of complex trimmings, dazzling embroideries, and beaded decorations in light, clear, floral colors that eventually became a Lanvin trademark.

By 1925 Lanvin produced many different products, including sportswear, furs, lingerie, men's fashion, and interior designs.

Jean Lanvin

Jean Patou invented the designer tie in the 1920s. He used women's dress material for his ties . He designed dresses for women.

Jean Patou

The name came from the 1925 “Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes”,held in Paris. This exhibition, attracted 16 million visitors. The style it launched—referred to at the time as "Moderne"—proved to be a design turning point throughout the Western world. It was popularly considered to be an elegant style of cool sophistication in architecture and applied arts which range from luxurious objects made from exotic material to mass produced, streamlined items available to a growing middle class.

Art deco…

Simple, Geometric and Abstract forms Stylized SleekIntense colors

Although Previous design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and ultra modern.

Art deco…an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century including

•Cubism•Russian Constructivism •Italian Futurism•Modernism •Bauhaus•Futurism•as well as contemporary events, notably the discovery in 1922 of the spectacular treasures of Tutankhamen..

End of World War I indicated the beginning of a number of anti-art movements, such as Dada and the work of Marcel Duchamp, and of Surrealism. Artist groups like de Stijl and Bauhaus developed new ideas about the interrelation of the arts, architecture, design and art education.

ART DECO

• In the late 1920s, a new streamlined design aesthetic dubbed Moderne, now known as Art Deco, combined cubism’s geometric base with supple embellishments. Once again, textile patterns & fashion design echoed the trend.

• Shiny fabrics only enhanced the connection with the “speed” of modern life & art.

Based on geometric form, evident of influences of cubism & futurism.

Madeleine Vionnet, 1925.

Yohji Yamamoto, 1991. This outfit resembles the costume designed by Pablo Picasso for the role of the

manager in ‘Parade’, a ballet performed by ballets Russes in 1917.

surrealism• It means beyond the real• Art movement began in 1920• Famous artist-spanish artist salvador dali,italian artist

giorgio de chirico,french artist rene magritte• Designer who fallowed surrealist movement in her cloths

was Elsa schiaparelli• She is the first one to use zipper in couture .she used them

on pockets • She used all the body parts like eye,mouths & hands in

gar,ments in unexpected places on garments or in prints.• Hat shaped like shoe• Suits had butterflies as buttons