What We Can Learn From The Fashion Of The 1920s

So, what happened in fashion during the 1920s? The better question may be “What didn’t happen?” The use of cosmetics like red lipstick and dark mascara hit the mainstream, hemlines soared to new heights, and many women traded in corsets and layers and layers of clothing for much less restrictive garments (and undergarments). Ultimately, the 1920s paved the way for our modern way of dressing.

“The development of a more convenient, modern female wardrobe was a major trend of the 1920s and was achieved through the progressive simplification of dress as the decade advanced – a rejection of formality and multiple layers, in favour of comfort and a lighter, more natural effect,” dress historian Jayne Shrimpton wrote in her book Fashion in the 1920s, according to The Fashion Institute of Technology.

Certainly, the clothes we wear today are much simpler than what our great great-grandmothers were wearing more than 100 years ago. And we have the 1920s to thank for that! Keep reading to learn more about 1920s fashion.

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1920s Fashion Was Much More Than Flappers

The 1920s fashion that most of us picture has been filtered through the lens of pop-culture, from Roaring Twenties-inspired red carpet looks to Spirit Halloween flapper costumes. The Twenties seem to be a time of overflowing champagne and sparkly, scandalous dresses. What isn’t obvious from media like Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and the hit TV series Downton Abbey is that the 1920s marked the first time that Hollywood influenced how women wanted to look on a massive scale, from what they wore to how they plucked their eyebrows. And of course, Hollywood’s influence in that area has only strengthened over time. 

Not to be forgotten are the less glamorous fashions of the Roaring Twenties, like the rise of sportswear and menswear-inspired looks facilitated by designers like Coco Chanel. You know that strappy exercise dress you keep seeing in Instagram ads? Today’s athleisure can be traced back to the 1920s, when ladies who loved to play tennis (or at least loved wearing tennis outfits) popularized sporty looks on and off the court. 

Many women copied the styles of tennis player Suzanne Lenglen, who was dressed by designer Jean Patou. Lenglen wore light-colored pleated dresses, white stockings, monogrammed cardigans, and her signature bandeau headbands, according to Vogue. 

Believe it or not, knit sweaters were once only for men. Designers like Chanel added feminine touches and – voilà – stylish ladies couldn’t get enough of them. Thanks, Coco!

Rise of “La Garçonne”

You can’t talk about 1920s fashion without talking about its most popular silhouette – “la garçonne,” which emphasized (or created) a boyish figure. Suddenly, instead of seeking to emphasize curves, fashionable young women wanted to appear like they didn’t have them. These “tubular” dresses often had embellishments including feathers, fringe, and all things sparkly – and such embellishments are back in a big way on the runway in 2022, according to The Zoe Report.

The drop-waist styles of the 1920s were advertised on stick-thin models with ubiquitous bob haircuts – and women wanted to look like them.

Tobacco companies marketed cigarettes to women as a weight loss aid. Despite the fact that many considered it taboo for women to smoke, the percentage of female smokers more than doubled. No wonder so many images of flappers show them with a cigarette holder and a devil-may-care attitude. 

Of course, by the 1930s, cigarettes were a luxury that fewer and fewer Americans could afford thanks to the Great Depression. Styles became more feminine and silhouettes once again emphasized the natural waist, but the Roaring Twenties had already ignited something new: specific body types and their accompanying silhouettes would cycle in and out of “fashion” for decades to come.

Rouge, Mascara, and a New Makeup Market

Cosmetics have been around nearly as long as women have, but the 1920s marked a big change in how Western women wore makeup. Before the 1920s, women either eschewed makeup or wanted it to be nearly impossible to tell if they were using cosmetics to enhance their natural beauty. By the 1920s, many women had thrown those attitudes out the window as makeup companies figured out how to package cosmetics in tubes and compacts, making it much more accessible.

Like I mentioned earlier, Hollywood played a big role in the beauty standard as well. Thin, dark eyebrows on a female face really stood out in black-and-white films, and women of the ‘20s copied the expressive eyebrows of stars like Clara Bow, Josephine Baker, and Anna May Wong, according to The Vintage Woman. 

“1920 was an era of sophisticated thin, yet rounded brows that emoted a whimsical and childlike awe to the face,” makeup artist Shanzey Al-Amin told Byrdie.

If you’re into vintage-inspired makeup, be sure to check out up-and-coming brand Bésame Cosmetics, which offers 1920s-themed perfume and lashes.

Are ‘20s Trends Wearable Today?

The Roaring Twenties aesthetic is still hugely popular when you need a look that exudes glamor and sophistication, so it’s safe to say that the 1920s are here to stay in the 2020s. But there are many other ways to revive some of these vintage trends without looking like you’re wearing a costume or going to the Met Gala. Social media influencers like Carly Knight and Mina Le often rock 1920s-inspired looks – Mina with her classic bob, and Carly with her impressive vintage clothing collection. 

If you’re looking to switch up your hair, copy Mina or TikToker @esteeisonline and ask your stylist for a timeless, flapper-inspired bob. Or fake one à la this YouTube tutorial from Brittany Sarah. If you like Carly’s look, try out the drop-waist silhouette – it’s unique but still classic. 

In fact, drop-waist may be trending. Searches for drop-waist dresses are up 25% year over year, trend analyst Kendall Becker told The Zoe Report. Brands like Banana Republic and ShopBop are both ahead of the curve: Check out this patterned, pleated dress from Banana Republic or this pink utility dress from ShopBop.

Closing Thoughts

What goes up, must come down – and that applies to hemlines and a whole host of fashion trends. Trends cycle through, but we have the 1920s to thank (or curse, depending on your preferences) for inspiring the modern fashion era.

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