1920s Fashion Costumes

In the 1920s, people began to break away from formality in favor of more practical and comfortable clothing. Women's dresses, which had been long and narrow, maintained the straight lines and dropped waistline while adopting shorter skirts with pleats or slits for ease of movement. These fuller skirts made it much easier for women to dance the popular Charleston and Lindy Hop.

Flappers thumbed their noses at convention by engaging in shocking behavior, such as smoking, drinking, and dancing. This Halloween, let your free spirit run wild in a flapper dress costume.

Menswear also became less formal during the 1920s, but men of power still tended to wear suits. Some of the most powerful men were those in organized crime. Prohibition, intended to curtail production and sale of alcohol, actually propelled organized crime to new heights. Gangsters made huge profits in the illegal alcohol trade and protected their interest by cold-blooded means.

The 1920s were the heyday of organized crime. Notorious criminals became well-known figures, some of them actually admired by the public. Claim some of that admiration for yourself this Halloween by dressing in a gangsters outfit. With a costume like that, who could refuse you anything?

Any costume is so much cuter when it's worn by a child, especially if it's a grown-up costume. So many little girls dress up as a princess or a cheerleader or a witch for Halloween. But there comes a time when a girl wants to be something a little more sophisticated. A flapper costume for girls will set her apart from the crowd.

A flapper dress is a perfect costume for girls. The natural exuberance of young girls mirrors the giddiness of the roaring 20s. From toddlers to teens, they'll love the way the fringe and sequins shimmy and shine with every move.

Some of the most notorious gangsters from the 1920s started when they were young. Al Capone was expelled from school and went on to become a crime boss earning $100 million per year. Lucky Luciano started his own gang as a teenager and was grossing $12 million a year before he was 30. You may not wish for your son to be engaged in organized crime, but in a gangster costume for boys, he'll at least look like someone who's rolling in dough.

Boys want to be powerful and respected, but they don't have to turn to a life of crime to gain that respect. A gangster costume confers a mysterious air and suggests a connection with the most powerful families of the 20s and beyond. Teach your son a quiet swagger, and he'll be the focus of every eye when he walks into the room.

Men aren't the only ones who head organized crime gangs. There are some pretty tough women out there, too. No longer are they limited to being a moll who keeps a male gangster company. They orchestrate everything from drug smuggling to prostitution to extortion.

Of course, if you want to dress as a female gangster for Halloween, you may wonder just what would make up the costume. There's no iconic outfit that would make people look and say, "Oh, yeah, she's dressed as a female crime boss." So what the heck -- dress up in women mobster costumes that are modeled after men's gangster suits. Everyone will know instantly what your Halloween costume theme is.