1920s Fashion for Women

1920s trends were way different for the modern time. Women used to prefer less-tailored clothes, dropped waistlines, and short hemlines. They were not very fond of corsets or feminine-looking outfits. Note that the styles varied according to the daytime, occasion, and purpose. Today, we are going to explore 1920s women’s clothing. Without further ado, let’s dive in. 

HOUSE DRESSES

These dresses were easy to make, and most women tailored their home clothes themselves. Different types of cotton fabrics and linen were their top choice. Gingham was very popular because of the vibrant colored check pattern. Plaid was in the second position. It was available in multiple beautiful shades. Sometimes, small flowers were drawn on top of the plaids to make them more stunning. There were also checks and stripe dresses with solid colors. Oversized cuts with white piping, wide sashes/ waist belts, tuxedo collars, pockets can define a typical house attire.

WORK OUTFITS

Apart from being a housewife, many women worked as factory workers, tailors, maids, nurses, and babysitters. In most cases, they had to put on specialty uniforms or aprons over a casual cotton frock. Professional women who worked as teachers, assistants, receptionists, and journalists wore classic day clothes, coat-shaped outfits, or blouses and skirts.

COLLEGE FASHION

Back then, sportier clothes were the college kids’ favorites. They used to wear plain shirts, knee-length plaid skirts, and knit vests or sweaters. They liked to complete their looks with knit socks, flat sporty shoes, and short hairstyles. Knee-length knit dresses were appropriate too. As you can assume, knit was the most famous fabric among the college-going girls. However, uses of half-silk, rayon, and cotton were visible too. 

PARTY DRESS

The 1920s was an era to celebrate women’s energetic freedom. The 1920s socialites best known as the flapper girls enjoyed partying, drinking, smoking, and dancing. Evening dresses from the 1920s can only be described as incredibly glamorous. Fast forward to the 2020s these dresses are now mostly referred to as Flapper Dresses. These glamorous dresses that were more often knee-length and loose-fitting featured stunning art deco patterns of beads, sequins and often finished with a layer of fringes around the hem.  Flapper dresses are still quite popular today thanks to the 2013 blockbuster “The Great Gatsby”. An exclusive and stunning range of these flapper dresses can be found online at Flapper Boutique.

TRAVELING CLOTHING

Traveling was not a pleasant thing to do due to crowded transports, dirty surroundings, and hot weather. So, females covered themselves with long suits or nice overcoats. Some women also loved knit weather or sturdy cotton shirts with trousers. Brown, black, blue, green, gray, and other neutral colors were prioritized as dirt is less visible on these shades. As for accessories, they wore cloche hats, medium-length gloves, and comfortable low-profile shoes. 

REGULAR STREETWEAR

The majority of women wore high-quality frocks or blouses and skirts for friends’ outings, daily walks, shopping, or tea parties. Usage of coats or sweaters was optional. The frock-style clothes generally came with collars, natural waist sashes, long neckties, and some buttons. For footwear, they picked mid-heel Oxfords, strapped shoes, or other low-profile options. Long necklaces, hats, and small leather purses were quite trendy. 

VINTAGE SWIMSUITS

1920s beach fashion featured great styles combined with casual comfort. Sleeveless middy tops were perfect for beach vacations. The short pleated skirt looked so great with them. These attires were more body-fitted compared to other types of dresses. White, blue, red, yellow, and other bright colors were a great pick. Also, women from the upper classes replaced skirts with beach pajamas.