Introduction

• At the dawn of the 1920s, the world was still reeling

from the First World War. The conflict had a
fundamental and irreversible effect on society, culture,
and fashion.
• Essential to these new styles was a simplicity that had
not previously been seen in women’s fashion.
• This simplicity created the popular tubular “la garçonne”
look that dominated much of the decade. Also known as the
flapper, the look typified 1920s dress with a dropped waist
and creeping hemlines that could be created in economical
fabrics.
• Coco Chanel helped
popularize this style and
was a prominent designer
during the period.
•  Both waistlines and hemlines followed similar, though
inverse, projections throughout the decade, as
waistlines dropped until 1923 before beginning to rise
again in 1928; while hemlines rose until 1926, when
they started to fall again.
• Though this was one of the more popular styles, it was
by no means the only. In fact, a style popularized by
Jeanne Lanvin could not be further from this
“androgynous” look.
• Lanvin’s popularity hit in the Twenties. Her style
adopted the look of the time with the use of
embellishment, complex trimmings and exceptional
embroideries.
• these dresses had long,
full skirts, sometimes
even with panniers, like
this black and silver
“Robe de Style”.
• Lanvin’s dresses were
starkly different from the
shapeless silhouettes of
the flapper, though some
interpreted this style with
her own feminine twist.
• Another trend for women
that enjoyed massive
popularity in the twenties
was that of sportswear
worn as daywear. 
 MEN’S FASHION
• 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.
• 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.
• Though the origin of the style is
contentious, it is generally
agreed that it derived from the
trousers that rowers on Oxford’s
crew teams pulled on over their
shorts, and you can see how The
Bystander satirized this in
1924 .
• 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 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.

• 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.
FASHION ICON: EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES

• Though many men looked to

Britain generally for their sartorial
inspiration, one man stuck out for
his influence: Edward, Prince of
Wales.
• Though later a controversial
figure, in the twenties, the Prince
of Wales was the good-looking,
well-dressed son of the king who
was often seen at parties in
London.
 Children’s fashion
• Girls' dresses became short, loose,
and made of cotton. Light cardigans
were often worn over them.
Summer shoes were usually made
of canvas, making them lighter than
the hard boots of the Victorian age.
In winter, girls wore a heavy sailor
suit or a serge skirt with a sweater,
often with a matching beret. A
knitted suit of long underwear went
underneath and included
attachments for holding up long
stockings
• Boys wore knickers, or knee-length
trousers, all year round. Gradually, these
trousers grew shorter, so boys had bare
knees through early adolescence. In
summer, they wore ankle socks with
canvas shoes or sandals, and in winter
they wore heavy knee socks. Boys also
wore lots of knitted pullovers and
cardigans. For school, they still wore suit
jackets and ties, but these were much less
restrictive than before. Special occasions
might warrant a sailor suit or something
made of velvet, but these were less fussy
than their counterparts of the Victorian
era