I have always loved the decades between 1920 and 1960...these four decades saw the best in many things, not least of all, fashion trends and how it related to, and changed, as the world fought through two wars, and the gender role of women in particular changed, due to the changes in the world around them. People say things were simpler then, but only on the surface; the two aforementioned wars alone brought much death and destruction; other things such as Prohibition and the Depression in the 1930's saw the birth of new kinds of crimes and violence not yet seen. Through it all, however, the idea of a gentler, simpler time can be attributed very much so to the fashion of the day; even gangsters and thugs dressed like gentlemen. The poorest housewife in the Midwest still managed to dress and carry herself like a lady when she stepped outside her door. Rules, manners, codes of conduct, and most of all...standards, still existed and were adhered to. There was a pride and dignity that has almost disappeared in today's world, it seems..."comfortable" became "casual," and "casual" lost its intended definition...today's "casual" has morphed into unkempt and sloppy...and people don't seem to care. And that's a tragedy. It's as if the human race is no longer evolving...it's "de-volving."
What Did Gents Wear?
The essential part of a 1920's man’s wardrobe was his suit. For day, evening, work, or parties, a man always wore a suit. The only exceptions were for blue-collar workers, sport players or young teen and college men who dressed more casually, but even they owned second-hand and often mismatched suits and wore them with pride.
Some Ivy League outfits embraced the traditional striped boating jacket made up in a college or gentlemen’s club colors. The rowing team started the look back in the 1860's but other team sports such as cricket and la cross wore them as well. Enthusiastic spectators also began wearing the blazers to sporting events. The vertical striped blazer may have been adopted by musicians and barbershop quartet singers but probably not. Again, it was one of those interpretations that put performers in more colorful costumes.
Unlike today’s two-piece suits, men’s 1920's fashion required a three-piece suit with a matching vest. The poor and lower classes could not always afford a matching vest so they would wear whatever they could find in a similar shade of color or simply go without. A matching jacket and vest could be mismatched with trousers as well. Every man dressed as well as he could afford shopping at second-hand stores, mail order catalogs, or rummaging church donation bins. Cuffed hems on trousers became the standard, after the Prince of Wales began sporting 2” cuffed trouser hems.
Underneath suits was where the fun men’s 1920's fashion begins. 1920's men’s dress shirts were made of colorful vertical stripes in a mixture of colors– tan, green, blue, lilac, sage green, yellow, peach, pink and white. Solid colors in the same light shades were available in the late 1920's. Shirt collars were round (club collars or penny collars), pointed (2.5-3.5 long ,) spread (less common), or buttoned down. Most were soft attached collars, but many still came in detachable stiff white linen. Shirts with attached collars were either made with the same material or were white collared. The white shirt collar against the solid or striped shirt body is what makes early 1920's men’s dress shirts unique. The cuffs are the final unique dress shirt element. They were usually French, double fold or button cuffs sometimes worn with a pair of snazzy cuff links. Cuff links were plain gold circles monogrammed with the owner’s initials. Shirts were sold by neck size only, making the sleeves too long and the body extra wide on many men. Armbands also called sleeve garters made of webbing helped keep the sleeve cuffs from sliding down the hands.
The other fun bit of color in a 1920's men’s outfit was the neckwear. Men either wore a bow tie in wide stripes or polka dots, a striped or plaid necktie or a neck scarf tie. Bow ties were the self-tying variety and usually had a thick or puffy butterfly shape. Neckties had diagonal stripes, plaid, check, paisley or an Art Deco inspired pattern. Solid bright colors made of wool or silk were also common such as yellow, orange, red, or green. They were narrow and short (a few inches above the pants, which were already high up).
The 1920's look isn’t quite done. All men, all classes, wore hats…all… the…time. Hats made of felt were worn year-round but typically were replaced by straw hats in the spring and summer. The casual cap, an 8-panel floppy cap was worn by lower classes all day and by upper classes doing casual or sports activities. It was quite wide fitting with an attached brim. In the summer, these caps were made of a light colored linen or cotton poplin material and lined in silk for breath-ability. In cooler weather, the caps came in tweed, herringbone wool, and corduroy. Darker colors were worn in the winter– blues, greys, and browns– in solid, tweed, plaid and check patterns. Caps did not need to match or coordinate with an outfit. Wearing a cap could dress down a suit or dress up a casual outfit. Felt hats were worn all year in neutral colors: navy blue, grey, tan, brown, green and black. The round top black, brown or grey Derby hat (bowler) continued to be worn by British businessmen but was hardly seen in America. The stiff black, brown or grey homburg was the American choice for business dress. The brim was narrow with a curled edge and the crown had a deep center dent. The fedora hat is the most iconic hat of the decade. It was considered a stylish young man’s hat with a wide brim, tall crown, and center dent or pinch front. The brim was snapped down slightly in front and up in the back although the shape was entirely up to the wearer. Fedora hats and other felt hats hardly ever matched suit colors. A grey suit paired well with a blue hat. A brown suit looked good with a grey hat. A blue suit also looked dapper with a grey or light tan hat. Black hats paired well with every suit color except light summer suiting. Hat bands were usually a shade darker than the body with a wide flat bow on one side.
The turn of the century had most men wearing lace-up dress boots but by the 1920's the preferred shoe was the oxford. 1920's oxford was a short lace up in black, dark brown, rust-brown or white with a cap toe. The wingtip toe was also found on a few fancy models of boots and oxfords. The two-tone “Art Deco” oxford in either brown and ivory leather or brown leather and white canvas was becoming trendy on the golf course and for leisurely days however it wouldn’t go mainstream until the 1930's. The shape of men’s shoes started off with a pointy almond toe that turned into the square toe style mimicking the change from slim suits to wide suits. Leather soles were the same color as the shoe body with the exception of sports shoes which may have had rubber crepe soles. In the later years’ alligator, snake and lizard skin was used to add texture to oxfords. Perforations, pinking, and broguing along with the toe caps also added interesting details. The most casual sports shoe was the canvas high top sneaker (Converse) or low top flats (Keds, Plimsoles) in all white or white with brown leather trim. Soles were rubber and flexible. Each sport had its own version of sports shoe to accommodate indoor and outdoor games.
What Did the Ladies Wear?
Prior to the 1960’s, both women and men often changed clothes more than once a day; more so for women. There was an outfit for every time of day, every type of outing, and every type of party. Add to that specific types of clothing for your age, class, and occupation, and you have one huge wardrobe! Each type of clothing in a 1920's closet had a certain set of guidelines as to when they were to be worn. One thing is certain; the short (above the knee), sequined and fringed dresses, feather boas, and heavy makeup is a myth; even “Flappers” didn’t dress this way in the 1920’s. That look, much like the “Gangster” look we picture in our heads, was perpetuated and fantasized by Hollywood. Women’s dress hems were always below the knee, and fancier or party garments were never as embellished and flashy as portrayed in films. The 1920’s were about simple lines, trim silhouettes, and understated adornment. Women in the 1920's, contrary to popular belief, did actually wear corsets. Not the same sorts of corsets their grandmothers and mothers wore, of course; they didn't have boning. But women's foundational undergarments have always been used to give the desired body shape. In the 1920's, curves and boobs were out.
While at home in the company of just family, clothing was at its most comfortable state. The housewife wore a simple cotton dress, thick black cotton stockings, and low heel Oxfords. Dresses were colorful plaids, checks, stripes, or solid colors with pretty embroidery and trim such as lace or rick rack. Housedresses often had white collars. A woman’s apron was usually handmade. The housedresses and aprons were basic yet durable enough for the rigors of 1920's household chores (vacuums, washers, and irons were just entering the marketplace).
When a woman was done with her housewife chores, it was time to run some errands while her husband went to work. Clothing was still simple but of a higher quality than cotton prints. A walking suit (skirt, blouse and sweater) paired with a sturdy pair of mid-heel Oxfords, Mary Jane, or T-Strap shoes is the most utilitarian of street dress. A tailored dress made of a silk blend crepe or wool was also appropriate. These dresses featured a natural waist sash in the early 1920's that gradually moved down into a drop waist with a thin belt. Dresses fit loose and usually slipped on overhead. A small collar or wide open flat collar with a bow tie at the neck was essential to the 1920's wardrobe. Details were added to the dress that elongated the body such as vertical pintucks, a row of buttons, and pleated skirts.
While dresses were the predominate clothing item for women, mixing and matching separates was growing in popularity. Pleated skirts paired with collared blouses and a light matching jacket for spring and summer. The early 1920's saw heavily embroidered sheer blouses with folk art designs. These were worn with long, straight skirts that touched at the ankles. The tunic top with thin belt tie was another common design as was the sporty sailor inspired Middy blouse. Collared and button-down shirt-blouses dominated the late 1920's. They were always worn hanging over the skirts, never tucked under.
Accessories with a suit or dress would match a woman’s outfit and be kept simple. No bold jewelry, embellished hats, or large purses are needed for running small errands. Even stockings should have backseams, matte and only semi-sheer at the most.
Evening events had women dressed in fine fabrics with or without sleeves and more dramatic decoration. The all fringe covered flapper dress didn’t exist although fringe was used as an accent on hemlines and evening shawls. Metal sequins were very expensive and used sparingly. Beading and embroidery with metallic thread were the preferred decorations on most women’s evening wear although it was quite normal to have none of it. Instead, formal dresses had architectural details in the form of Grecian inspired draping or fancy hemlines or were made of richer fabrics- silks and sheers in summer and velvet in winter. Lace made a brief revival in the mid 1920's but was usually considered to “old” for youth-driven fashion. Both long and short evening gowns graced the dance floor.
The hat is one accessory that women never left home without. There were hats for summer (woven straw, cotton) and winter (felt or hand sewn cloche hats). Hat trends included the tricorn, turban for fancy afternoons and evenings, the beret for the young lady, and a wide brim sun hat for garden parties. The most iconic hat was the cloche, meaning “bell” because it was shaped with a round crown and a small brim. Women often had to tilt their head back to see clearly while wearing a cloche. Hats had less decoration than they did in previous years but were still quite pretty with a bow, flower or Art Deco shape on one side.
Women’s shoes became more delicate and pretty over the past decades simply because they were more visible with short dresses. For daytime use, the low heel lace-up oxford shoe in brown, white or black was worn every day. For something a little nicer for going out or dressing up it was the classic Mary Jane heel with a single strap across the front. The T strap heel is the most famous evening shoe because it held onto the foot while dancing the Charleston. They often came in black and gold or silver hand painted designs to really stand out on the dance floor. There were slip on pumps inspired by colonial-era shoes and multi strap heels in the early 1920's.
