1920s Fashion Essay

The 1920s opened with an explosion of color, wailing sounds, fast rhythms of jazz and energetic dancing. It was the perfect escape of the youthful reactions against the dark and serious times of World War I. Fashion is shaped by the influences by society and events of the era,

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening (Coco Chanel).

The movement in fashion was led by groups of young women called flappers. The changing of women’s clothes reflected the idea of freedom for women. Fashion designers created a new style of dresses with fabric colors, textures and patterns. The famous fashion designer, Coco Chanel introduced the idea

Dresses were colorful plaids, checks, stripes, or solid colors with pretty embroidery. Housedresses often had white collars. The housedresses and aprons were basic yet durable enough for the 1920s household chores. For the very poor, a cotton housedress was the only outfit for the day,

Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity. (Coco Chanel).

Flappers wore short dresses with a straight loose silhouette. By 1927, the seams had risen below the knee, which can be seen when dancing the Charleston. Thus, the Roaring Twenties evolved womanhood. It became more acceptable to smoke and drink in public, closer body contact in dancing, shorter hair, make-up, different styles of dress, and greater participation in the workforce.

Women’s underwear changed; corsets became smaller and more flexible, and the modern style bras were being introduced. The new bras provided shape and support whereas the older style tended to flatten breasts. The hairstyles of Hollywood stars were copied by women all over the world. Hairstyles were shorter than the previous decade. The “Boyish” Look, created by Coco Chanel, was a major change for women. It was a reinvention of being sexy in the 1920s. However, women still carried their femininity with style and grace but with a little