FASHION

THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS
1920s – 1940s

CTF End Term Assignment

Presentation by: Sanjana Srinivas BD/22/N4003

INTRODUCTION
The 1920s represented an era of change and growth. The decade was one of
learning and exploration. America had become a world power and was no
longer considered just another former British colony. American culture, such as
books, movies, and Broadway theater, was now being exported to the rest of
the world. The 1920s began with the last American troops returning from
Europe after World War I. They were coming back to their families, friends, and
jobs. Most of the soldiers had never been far from home before the war, and
their experiences had changed their perspective of life around them. After
seeing Europe, they wanted some of the finer things in life for themselves and
their families.
This time in history is often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, in North
America, the Golden Age in Europe and Crazy Years in France.
The Roaring Twenties brought about several novel and highly visible social
and cultural trends. These trends, made possible by sustained economic
prosperity, were most visible in major cities like New York, Chicago, Paris,
Berlin and London. "Normalcy" returned to politics in the wake of hyper-
emotional patriotism during World War I, jazz blossomed, and Art Deco peaked.
FASHION IN THE
1920s - 1930s
At the start of the 1920s, the world was still recovering from the
First World War, which had ended in November 1918, just before
the dawn of the decade. The conflict had a significant effect on
culture, society, and fashion. The struggle had ended just over a
year before the new decade began, had an essential and
permanent effect on society, culture, and fashion. The Fashion
trends of women were truly reflecting the newly found liberation of
women. Indispensable to these new styles was a sense of
minimalism that had not previously been seen in women’s fashion.
During wartime, people took on a more modest lifestyle. Women
wore less jewelry and the extravagant clothing of the Edwardian
era faded away.
Simplicity was the driving trend of women’s fashion of the 1920s
with the development of convenient and modern styles that
rejected formality and multiple layers in favor of comfort and a
more natural effect. The tubular look of La Garçonne fashion
dominated much of the decade and was typified by the flapper
dress which had dropped waistlines, raised hemlines, and was
made from economical fabrics. Coco Chanel was a prominent
designer at the time and helped to popularize the style.
Fashion in the 1920s was all about the whole look and there were trends in how
the body itself was fashioned. The simple lines and androgynous shapes of
fashion looked best on bodies free from curves. The 1920s saw a shift towards
a more androgynous, boyish silhouette. Women began to reject the hourglass
figure in favor of a straight, almost tubular shape. This was achieved by
flattening the bust and de-emphasizing curves.
The sporting look also helped facilitate a mode for suntanned skin. Many
women cut their hair into a bob, a popular hairstyle that emerged early in the
decade. Hairstyles kept getting shorter first with the shingle and then with the
Eton crop, but like hemlines, as the decade drew to a close, women were
starting to grow their hair longer again. The cloche hat became an extremely
popular accessory that looked best with these short hairstyles.

The simple lines of women’s fashion during this period had the use of ties, high-
waisted trousers, hats, and tailored dresses that resembled suits. Mixed in were
feminine attributes and accessories, such as a long string of pearls and a deep
red pout colored on the lips.
Though La Garçonne was one of the more popular styles of the decade, it was
not the only one. Designer Jeanne Lanvin popularized a look that was the
opposite of the androgynous look, with feminine and romantic dresses made of
long, full skirts.

Evening dresses sometimes still nearly reached the ground, though many of the
popular styles followed the hemline trends of daywear. While simplicity in
construction was key to both daywear and eveningwear, the latter benefited
from ornate decoration: beadwork, sequins, and embroidery all helped create
the glamorous nighttime looks of the decade, like this yellow evening dress
made of silk and rhinestones
 Women refused to hide their bodies any longer under many layers of clothing
during the 1920s. Changes came quickly to women’s fashion, from chemise or
shift dress to the first black cocktail dress. While not initially embraced by
everyone, hemlines came up to reveal women’s knees.
Initially introduced as outerwear on Paris’ runways in 1916, women started
wearing chemise or shift dresses as their daily wardrobe and dropped wearing
them as outerwear. These dresses hung straight down from the shoulders. The
look was not flattering on everyone, so designers introduced empire waistlines
as hemlines rose.
By the mid-1920s, flapper dresses were normal wear for evenings out. The Art
Deco movement greatly influenced fashion design, with its emphasis on
geometric shapes, symmetry, and modernism. This influence was evident in
clothing, accessories, and even the design of fashion illustrations. Elaborate
beadwork inspired by Art Deco designs often covered the dresses, and some
designers incorporated exotic materials, such as ostrich feathers, into their
creations. These sleeveless dresses often had open backs, but they were still
knee length.

In 1926, the first black cocktail dress appeared on the pages of Vogue
magazine, where the editors dubbed it the Ford dress after the automobile that
was becoming extremely popular. Coco Chanel designed the black frock for
daytime wear, but Chanel soon designed numerous black evening dresses. The
designer described her first dress as a simple design of modest materials.
An important fashion accessory for women during the 1920s was the cloche
hat, and ladies wore them with almost every outfit. Manufacturers paid milliners
to create these bell-shaped hats from felt that precisely matched their ready-to-
wear clothing. Often, women attached specific-colored ribbons or ribbons with
designs on them to deliver messages to all who saw them.
Flappers are icons of the Roaring Twenties, a period of postwar social and
political turbulence and increased transatlantic cultural exchange, as well as of
the export of American jazz culture to Europe.

Flapper is usually a young woman known for wearing short dresses and
bobbed hair and for embracing freedom from traditional societal constraints.
Flappers are predominantly associated with the late 1910s and the ’20s in
the United States.

A typical flapper chose dresses that were of a straight style, sleeveless, and
often low-cut as well as short—about knee-length, which was rather scandalous
at the time. She wore stockings, often rolled to below the knee; had a bobbed,
or chin-length, hairstyle; and used cosmetics on her face in a bold manner. Her
typical choices of accessories included a headband, the close-fitting cloche hat,
bangle bracelets, and long strands of beads. Flappers did not adhere to the
traditional social constraints and instead pushed boundaries. They engaged in
activities deemed unladylike at the time, such as attending social events without
chaperones, smoking and drinking in public.

Flapper Style:
•The iconic flapper style emerged, representing a rebellion against the
traditional Victorian and Edwardian norms. Flappers were young, independent
women who embraced a more liberated lifestyle.
•Flapper dresses were characterized by their loose, knee-length silhouette,
dropped waists, and elaborate embellishments like fringe and beading. These
dresses allowed for greater freedom of movement, symbolizing the changing
role of women in society.
Of course, people often remember the 1920s for the flapper
dress. Instead of first applying to a dress, newscasters first used
to a group of women who fought hard for women’s
independence with many loving to party. Coco Chanel, Elsa
Schiaparelli, and Jean Patou popularized the dress loosely
based on a man’s work shirt. They did not use nearly as many
decorations as often pictured. More decorated flapper dresses
would not occur for a long time.

Everyday dress for most women was a casual cotton

housedress, sometimes homemade. Housedresses were
loose pullover styles in colorful gingham, plaid, vertical
stripes, or solids. The use of aprons and labor-saving
appliances at home—and the enlargement of women’s
life outside the home—meant that by the end of the
1920s, women were wearing more sophisticated day
dresses all day long.
Women donned fancier dresses for special occasions.
For warm-weather parties, ladies wore elegant afternoon
or tea dresses of sheer, layered fabrics in white or pastel
colors. The iconic flapper dress—sleeveless, knee-
length, and often beaded, embroidered, or sequined—
was a more flamboyant choice for a night on the town,
especially for those who lived the lifestyle of the Lost
Generation.
CLOCHE HATS
Many flappers showed off their short hair by wearing cloche hats. Cloche is the
French word for “bell.” These fitted hats were decorated with different kinds of
appliques, feathers, and brooches. Cloche hats are still made by many
designers and are a great winter accessory. They appear in a variety of fabrics
and have a variety of accents. There is something really feminine about them,
and they look great with a classic winter wool coat.

DECORATIVE HEADBANDS
When not wearing cloche hats, young women loved to wear all
kinds of beautiful headbands and other hair accessories to show off
their bobbed hair. These headbands were a beautiful way to
complement an elegant evening dress. Like cloche hats,
headbands came in a variety of designs. Because of the general
feeling of luxury of the era, these accessories had gold accents and
were covered in all sorts of gems and feathers.
 Menswear
As womenswear valued simplicity in the 1920s so, too, did menswear. Men
moved away from starched collars and formal three-piece suits during the day.
Instead, they adopted soft collars and one- or two-button suit jackets often worn
without a waistcoat as seen in the different styles shown on the fashion plate.
Pinstripes were popular, as were British wools and English tailoring. Popular
materials were tweeds and flannels, depending on the season. The most
significant development in men’s fashion occurred in two unique kinds of
trousers: the Oxford bags and the plus-fours. Oxford bags grew in popularity
around 1924-25 when undergraduates at Oxford adopted these wide-legged
trousers. The original style was about 22 inches wide at the bottom, several
inches wider than the average men’s trouser leg. Oxford undergraduates began
wearing these around the university and soon the style spread.

The trousers were made out of flannel and came in a variety of colors. They
were mostly worn by youths – perhaps the male counterparts of the flapper –
and became a favorite of young people. The other development in menswear in
the twenties was the plus-fours. Plus-fours developed out of ordinary knickers –
short-legged trousers that gather around the knee – and like Oxford bags were
a bit baggier version of their precursor. They had four extra inches of material
(hence the name) but instead of extending the trouser leg, they still fastened
around the knee and the extra material hung over the band, creating the baggy
look as seen at a racecourse in 1920. Often worn with a sweater, plus-fours
were popular golf attire, but much like how tennis-wear crept into casual
womenswear, this style was also popular daywear for men, as was tennis-wear
for men, too. You can see the casual way men dressed to play tennis, though
some still wore ties in 1920.
Fabrics The development of new fabrics and new means of fastening clothing affected
fashions of the 1920s. Natural fabrics such as cotton and wool were the
abundant fabrics of the decade. Silk was highly desired for its luxurious
qualities, but the limited supply made it expensive. In the late 19th century,
"artificial silk" was first made in France, from a solution of cellulose. After being
patented in the United States, the first American plant began production of this
new fabric, in 1910. This fiber became known as rayon. Rayon stockings
became popular in the decade as a substitute for silk stockings. Rayon was
also used in some undergarments. Many garments before the 1920s were
fastened with buttons and lacing. However, during this decade, the
development of metal hooks and eyes meant that there were easier means of
fastening clothing. Hooks and eyes, buttons, zippers, and snaps were all used
to fasten clothing.

Although simple lines and minimal adornment reigned on the runways, the
1920s were not free of luxury. Expensive fabrics, including silk, velvet,
and satin were favored by high-end designers, while department stores carried
less expensive variations on those designs made of newly available synthetic
fabrics. The use of mannequins became widespread during the 1920s and
served as a way to show shoppers how to combine and accessorize the new
fashions. The modern fashion cycle, established in the 1920s, still dominates
the industry today. Designers favored separates in new fabrics like jersey that
could be mixed and matched for work and modern, informal, un-chaperoned
social activities like attending films or the theater and car rides
 Famous Designers
1.Coco Chanel:
1.Madeleine Vionnet:
Coco Chanel is perhaps one of the most iconic and influential
Madeleine Vionnet was a French fashion designer who specialized in
designers of the 1920s. She revolutionized women's fashion by
bias-cut garments. Her innovative cutting techniques created garments
introducing comfortable, practical, and stylish clothing, including the
that draped gracefully on the body. Vionnet's designs were celebrated
famous Chanel suit. Chanel's designs embodied the spirit of the
for their simplicity and elegance.
flapper era and played a key role in defining the modern, liberated
2.Jeanne Lanvin:
woman.
Jeanne Lanvin was a French fashion designer who founded the Lanvin
2.Jean Patou:
fashion house. In the 1920s, Lanvin was known for her intricate
Jean Patou was a French fashion designer who gained prominence
embroidery, delicate fabrics, and feminine designs. The Lanvin brand
in the 1920s. He was known for his sporty and casual designs,
expanded beyond clothing to include accessories, perfume, and even
including the use of jersey fabric. Patou's creations reflected the
a children's line.
more active and dynamic lifestyles of the time.
3.Erte (Romain de Tirtoff):
3.Paul Poiret:
Erte was a Russian-born artist and designer who made a significant
Paul Poiret was a leading Parisian couturier who had a significant
impact on 1920s fashion and costume design. Known for his elaborate
impact on 1920s fashion. He was known for his innovative designs
and glamorous illustrations, Erte's work captured the opulence and
and the rejection of the corset, favoring a more relaxed and free-
extravagance of the era.
flowing silhouette. Poiret's contributions to the fashion world
extended beyond clothing, as he also designed accessories and While the designers mentioned above created and sold their styles, as did
fragrances. department stores and the like, the simplicity of the prevailing mode
4.Elsa Schiaparelli: throughout the twenties made it easy for women of all means to recreate
Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian fashion designer, rose to prominence in those styles at home. This, combined with inspiration taken from typical
the 1920s. She was known for her avant-garde and surrealistic working-class girls’ attire and the use of materials such as jersey and
designs, incorporating bold colors and unusual materials. artificial silk, led to what has been deemed a “democratization of fashion”
Schiaparelli's work was characterized by its artistic and whimsical in the 1920s. Anyone could achieve the fashionable look even if it meant
elements. the simple lines were created with a less expensive material and made at
home rather than in an atelier.
 About Coco Chanel
In 1926, Vogue published a drawing of a simple, calf-length black dress
fashioned from crêpe de Chine. It featured long narrow sleeves and a low waist,
and was adorned with a string of pearls. The magazine described it as
“Chanel’s Ford,” referring to the at-the-time wildly popular Model T. In other
words, it was a garment so simple it could be accessible to any shopper – “a
sort of uniform for all women of taste,” as the publication put it.
The ensemble was dubbed the “little black dress,” and the rest is history. During
the Great Depression, the LBD became the outfit of choice for an entire
generation of female consumers, and, in later decades, an essential part of
women’s wardrobes everywhere. Countless iterations and imitations have
followed, but the understated elegance of Chanel’s original number remains
unmatched.

Coco Chanel's Little Black Dress was a departure from

the elaborate and restrictive fashions of the time. Its
simplicity, elegance, and versatility made it a wardrobe
staple that could be easily accessorized for both
daytime and evening wear. Chanel's innovative design
had a lasting impact on fashion, and the Little Black
Dress remains a timeless and essential piece in many
women's wardrobes to this day.
 Sportswear had long been an acceptable form of casual wear for men, but in
the 1920s, it also became acceptable for women. The popularity of sports
Sportswear clothes in the 1920s is often attributed, like many of the most popular styles of
the twenties, to Coco Chanel, but designers such as Jane Regny and Jean
Patou also contributed to the sportswear trend. Patou’s yellow skirt and sweater
set show how much tennis clothes influenced design
Tennis was the most popular sport for women and thus the most popular
inspiration for fashion. Indeed, one of the most popular fashion stars of the
early twenties was tennis star Suzanne Lenglen whose short sleeved, pleated
tennis dress and bandeau were created for her by Patou

Women wore a variety of sportswear

in the 1920s. Knickers were a
popular option for women’s golfers.
In the early part of the decade,
women wore gray or tan knickers
made from denim, tweed, linen, or
serge. Knickers gathered at the
bottom below the woman’s knee.
Most options had slash pockets near
the crotch that were more for looks
than usefulness, and most options
button up the side. These pants were
outlawed totally in some
communities, while other towns
limited their wear to the golf course.
By the end of the decade, women
also chose corduroy knickers.
Swimwear

The greatest change was seen

in the swimsuit, where only a
few years prior women entered
the water wearing wool
stockings and corsets. The
1920s bathing suits not only
got rid of the stockings,
sleeves, and heavy material,
but added bright patterns and
even introduced the two-piece.

Rayon was used in the 1920s in the

manufacture of tight-fitting
swimsuits,[7] but its durability,
especially when wet, proved
problematic,[16] with jersey and silk als
o sometimes being used.
Louise Brooks:
Louise Brooks was a silent film actress and
dancer known for popularizing the bobbed
haircut, which became an iconic hairstyle of the
1920s. Her fashion choices, including stylish
flapper dresses, contributed to her status as a
fashion icon of the era.

Josephine Baker:
Josephine Baker, an American-born French
entertainer, became an international sensation in
the 1920s. Known for her performances at the
Folies Bergère in Paris, Baker was celebrated for
her bold and glamorous stage costumes, often
featuring fringe and elaborate embellishments.
The new movie version of The Great Gatsby, makes debut in
theaters. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is the ultimate story
about the consequences of the excess of the Roaring Twenties.
Incidentally, Ralph Lauren designed the men’s clothing for the
original 1974 movie starring Mia Farrow. The movie was highly
praised for its beautiful costume design; the costume designer,
Theoni V. Aldredge, won an Academy Award for her work on
the movie. The film’s costume designer, Catherine Martin,
collaborated with Miuccia Prada and Brooks Brothers to create
pieces for the film.
Baz Luhrmann and his team captured the essence of
1920s fashion in The Great Gatsby, which premiered in
2013. Costume and set designer Catherine Martin says
that they never intended the movie to be an accurate
historical reenactment. Instead, they decided to go with a
more idealized sketch of what the characters would have
been wearing at the glitzy parties. When you look at Great
Gatsby Roaring 20s fashion in this movie, one outfit that
might stand out to you is the pink seersucker suit. Martin
headed to Brooks Brothers to search their archive for
suitable suit styles for the character to wear. She
discovered a pink seersucker suit from the early 1930s
and learned that the fabric and color had been made since
at least 1900. The film will help bring the fashion of the
1920s to a whole new generation of movie-goers and
fashionistas.
Cultural Impact:
1.The Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties:
The cultural phenomenon known as the Jazz Age characterized the 1920s. Jazz music
and its associated dances, such as the Charleston, influenced the social scene. The
influence of jazz music and the Charleston dance on the social scene impacted fashion.
Clothing designs adapted to accommodate the energetic dance movements, featuring
fringe and loose-fitting styles.
2.Women's Liberation:
The 1920s witnessed a shift in societal norms, particularly with regard to women's roles.
Women gained the right to vote in 1920, and this newfound sense of independence was
reflected in their fashion choices. The "flapper" emerged as a symbol of the modern,
liberated woman, rejecting traditional Victorian and Edwardian styles in favor of shorter
hemlines, looser silhouettes, and a more androgynous look.
Economic Impact:
1.Mass Production and Ready-to-Wear:
1. Advances in mass production techniques, inspired in part by Henry
Ford's assembly line for automobiles, extended to the fashion industry.
Ready-to-wear clothing became more affordable and accessible,
allowing a broader segment of the population to participate in the latest
fashion trends.
2.Consumerism and Advertising:
1. The 1920s marked the rise of consumer culture and advertising.
Advertisements promoted the latest fashions, encouraging individuals to
keep up with trends and purchase new clothing. This consumer-driven
approach contributed to the idea of constantly evolving styles.
3.Economic Prosperity (Before the Great Depression):
1. The early 1920s were characterized by economic prosperity and a
booming stock market. This affluence allowed more people to engage in
leisure activities and spend money on fashionable clothing. The
newfound wealth of the "Roaring Twenties" contributed to an emphasis
on luxury and glamour in fashion.
FASHION IN THE
1930s - 1940s
As the 1920s rolled into the 1930s, women’s fashion gradually evolved from the
boyish look of the previous decade into the feminine silhouette of the early
thirties. Following the Roaring Twenties, fashion was marked with a return to
conservatism. With the stock market crash in 1929 and the dawn of the new
decade, hemlines lowered back down to the ankle and waistlines moved back
to their natural place.

Although the popular styles of the 1930s were generally a departure from
those of the previous decade, the simple lines of the
1920s La Garçonne look prevailed. While the simplicity of the 20s created
a sack-like silhouette, the simplicity of the 30s hugged curves, creating a
soft, feminine shape. During this period, the silhouette evolved into a
slender, elongated torso with wider shoulders and a natural waist.
Contributing to the overall slender look of the early thirties was one of
the most important developments and trends of the decade: the bias
cut. To cut fabric on the bias means cutting the fabric 45 degrees
against the weave, creating a fluid, body-skimming garment (Morton).
Designer Madeleine Vionnet began using the bias cut in the 1920s,
and in the thirties, it became a popular method of creating dresses
that skimmed over women’s curves.

While eveningwear became dominated by the body-skimming

silhouette, daywear returned to romanticism and femininity. Day
dresses came in a variety of patterns: floral, plaid, dots, and
more abstract prints, like the zebra print suit. They had clearly
defined waists and fell between the mid-calf and just above the
ankle. Smart suits were popular with crisp lines and sculptural,
defined shoulders, like those in the Edward Molyneux dress
from 1939
 Increasingly, women looked to movie stars for fashion inspiration during this
period. Hollywood disseminated fashion to the masses and stars like Greta
Garbo , Marlene Dietrich and Bette Davis, among others, became some of the
first Hollywood style icons. Many women all over the world attempted to
emulate their style. Making this a little easier was a rise in makeup and the
beauty industry, allowing women to copy their favorite stars at a small cost.

Of course, the Depression also had an influence on

fashion, contributing to this democratization, especially in
the United States. Before the 1930s, buyers would
purchase copies of Paris designs and resell them in their
home countries. However, as the Great Depression
affected all areas of business and life in the US, new duties
of ninety percent were imposed on the cost of these copies
FASHION ICON: JOAN CRAWFORD
There was no shortage of fashion icons in the 1930s thanks to the rise of the
movie stars. But it was Joan Crawford in 1932 who proved just how pervasive
of an influence film could be on fashion. Starring in the film Letty Lynton,
Crawford donned a diaphanous white organdie gown which would spawn
thousands of copies across the US.
Designed by MGM costume designer Gilbert Adrian, with whom Crawford (and
other stars) would continue to work with on- and off-screen for years, the dress
diverged from the body-skimming dresses the public had become used to in the
early thirties. Instead, the white dress had a nipped in waist, full skirt, and huge
puffed sleeves created with layers of translucent white organdie. So popular
was the dress that it was copied at all price points in a phenomenon we readily
recognize today but was new with the advent of the movie industry. Its design
also helped inspire a return to romanticism in 1930s fashion and the dress
influenced designs that did not directly copy it but took inspiration from the
feminine style as seen in the mid-1930s Vionnet gown and a 1937 Lanvin
gown.
 MENSWEAR

Like womenswear, menswear saw a shift of focus to the movies for

fashion inspiration in the 1930s. Just as women’s fashion had
begun to democratize in the twenties, men’s fashion followed suit.

While suits were still worn for formal occasions and work, casual wear such as
knitted sweaters and soft-collared shirts became increasingly popular during the
day

Of course, formalwear did not disappear altogether, and the tuxedo continued
to be a popular choice. New material such as sharkskin, a synesthetic fabric,
gained in popularity for suits in the mid-to-late thirties while white tuxedos were
a favorite in warm climates
Trousers and Active wear
Hollywood screen stars Katherine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich helped
introduce women’s trousers for sports and leisure. These trousers were wide-
legged and high-waisted, often styled like sailors’ pants. Women wore baggier,
casual lounge pants on vacation and at the beach. The modern swimsuit came
of age during the 1930s, as lighter-weight, rubberized fabrics replaced heavier
wool suits.

Swimwear was getting briefer and the back was scooped out so that women could
develop tanned backs to show off at night in the backless and low-backed dresses.
The colours of the beach holiday were navy, white, cream, grey, black and buff with
touches of red.
Pyjamas introduced as informal dinner dress or nightwear for sleeping died quickly
as fashions. However, the third use of them as a practical beach outfit caught on and
every woman made them an essential garment to pack.
They were soon regarded as correct seaside wear. The trousers were sailor style,
widely flared and flat fronted with buttons.
They were made up in draping heavy crepe-de-chine. Blue and white tops or short
jackets finished the holiday look.
Gloves were "enormously important" in this period. They were a type of
accessory that came to be seen as more of a comfort rather than for style. The
elaborate trim was removed and was replaced by plain gloves. Evening gowns
were accompanied by elbow length gloves, and day costumes were worn with
short or opera-length gloves of fabric or leather.
Manufacturers and retailers introduced coordinating ensembles of hat, gloves
and shoes, or gloves and scarf, or hat and bag, often in striking colours

In the 1930s, women copied the hairstyles and accessories they saw on
popular, glamorous film stars. Short, curly styles dominated, such as the sleek
Marcel wave (first popularized in the 1920s). Toward the end of the decade, the
more classic 1940s medium-length “middy” style started coming into fashion.
Women often accessorized with inexpensive costume jewelry, gloves, silk
scarves, and furs. Smaller hats were popular, such as berets, Greta Garbo-
style slouch hats, or knit caps. Turbans topped fancier looks. Two-tone oxford
shoes and strappy dress shoes with high, chunky heels were the shoes of
choice. It was common to match accessories such as shoes, handbag, and hat.
The new improved fabrics like rayon had several finishes and gave various effects exploited
by designers eager to work with new materials. Cotton was also used by Chanel and
suddenly it was considered more than a cheap fabric for work clothes.
But nothing cut and looked like pure silk and it was still the best fabric to capture the folds
and drapes of thirties couture. Fine wool crepes also moulded to the body and fell into
beautiful godets and pleats.
The new improved fabrics like rayon had several finishes and gave various effects exploited
by designers eager to work with new materials.
 The economic hardships of the 1930s had a direct impact on fashion,
The evolution of fashion in America from the 1920s to the 1940s reflects a
leading to more practical and economical styles. The silhouettes
dynamic period marked by profound social, cultural, and economic
became more streamlined, and fabric rationing during World War II
changes. The Roaring Twenties ushered in a liberating and rebellious
influenced designs further. Despite the challenges, this period saw the
spirit, epitomized by the flapper style and the iconic Little Black Dress
emergence of Hollywood glamour, with film stars influencing fashion
introduced by Coco Chanel. The 1920s embraced shorter hemlines,
trends and contributing to the creation of the "Golden Age of
androgynous silhouettes, and a departure from traditional norms, reflecting
Hollywood" aesthetic.
the newfound independence and energy of the era.
In conclusion, the fashion of the 1920s to the 1940s in America
The economic prosperity of the 1920s, driven by innovations like mass mirrored the dynamic and transformative nature of the times. From
production and the rise of consumer culture, allowed fashion to flourish. the bold, carefree styles of the Roaring Twenties to the practical
Ready-to-wear clothing became more accessible, and the influence of adaptations during the Great Depression and World War II, fashion
Parisian couture continued to shape American style. However, this era of served as both a reflection of societal changes and a means of
opulence came to an abrupt halt with the onset of the Great Depression in creative expression. This period laid the foundation for the diverse
the 1930s. and ever-evolving landscape of American fashion in the decades that
followed.