1920's Style
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The 1920s Style of a Flapper
The early 1920s was a Camelot time. 1920's style saw women free from enormous skirts. One of the best examples of this was the flapper. It was a time of cutting loose and having fun. The flapper was an independent woman that knew how to have fun and look good doing it. She was strong and mysterious: everyone wanted to be her friend. Let's take a look at the free-spirited flapper of the 20's.
Sadly it ended in October 1929 with a crash on Black Tuesday which was followed by the the Great Depression and WW I. But the decade of the 1920s in which women won the vote, dressed stylishly for themselves, and had a great deal of fun, sowed the seeds of modern living.
First Appearence of the Flapper
Nasence of 1920s style
The term flapper in the 1920s referred to a "new breed" of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to the new jazz music, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, treating sex in a casual manner, smoking, driving automobiles and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms.Flappers had their origins in the period of liberalism, social and political turbulence and increased transatlantic cultural exchange that followed the end of the First World War, as well as the export of American jazz culture to Europe.
The first appearance of the word and image in the United States came from the popular 1920 Frances Marion movie, The Flapper, starring Olive Thomas. Thomas had starred in a similar role in 1917, though it was not until The Flapper that the term was used. In her final movies she was seen in the flapper image. Other actresses, such as Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Colleen Moore and Joan Crawford would soon build their careers on the same image, achieving great popularity.
You can read the rest of this article on Wikipedia.
Twenties Royal Style
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother - 1925
Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, is the epitome of 1920s royal style. Born Lady-Elizabeth Bowes Lyon she married the Duke of York in 1923 and the painting illustrated depicts her as the Duchess of York in 1925. (If you are interested, it is by the artist Philip Alexius de L´szló. That page also has a much better reproduction of the painting which is part of the Royal Collection.) Even though this is a formal portrait, notice some obvious 20's style points:- short, bobbed hair, and
- long strings of pearls
- Black and white drawing from 1923
- Time collection of photographs of Queen Elizabeth, leading with one from 1926
Buy at AllPosters.com
Flappers of the 1920s had phrases that were commonly used in that era. Some include :
"the bee's knees" - an extraordinary person, thing, idea
"Chassis" - the female body
"Clam" - a dollar
"Dead soldier" - an empty bear bottle
"Razz"- to make fun of
"Sinker" - a doughnut
1920s Chanel Style Gown and headband Pattern
Experience 1920s fashion
Want to have a beautiful flapper dress that you didn't buy in the store? Why not make your own dress. You can choose your own material and color.
1920's Style Gown & Headband Pattern
Amazon Price: $19.00 (as of 02/15/2012)
1920s - The Dawn of Technicolor
Twenties Fashion in Color
Hollywood had a huge impact on 1920s fashion as movie theatres became more common. Everybody remembers that 20s as the decade in which movie-goers got Talkies for the first time but the first national release of aTechnicolor movie was The Toll of the Sea in 1922. For the first time, audiences could see stars, and the clothes they wore, in color. It was only a two color process, but inevitably just as today seening stars in certain colors had an impact on Flappers and other the women of the Twenties.
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Get the 1920s Bob
Achieving a Flapper's hair
Flappers wore their hair short in the 20s. They wanted to achieve a young, boyish look. The initial bob, which at the time was simply a blunt cut, level with the bottom of the ears, was either worn with a fringe or pushed back off the forehead. The Shingle bob, which came into fashion in the mid-20's, was cut into a V at the nape of the neck, with finger waves on both sides. The process of making finger waves sounds fairly complicated. I wouldn't try doing it last minute. Practice at home beforehand. You can read the full instructions here.Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.
1920s Chignon Hairstyle
Getting a French Twist
1920's style parties are the rage, but bobbed hair is too extreme for a party for a woman with long hair. Another classic 1920s hairstyle is the chignon which suits women with long hair- this style was popular from the early 1900s (the photo shown is from 1904) right through to the 40s. Sometimes known as a French twist, the hair is first brushed straight and gathered at the back in the hands. The ponytail is then twisted to tighten the hair, and the twisted ponytail piled on the back of the head and secured with pins to give a very attractive bun. It's possible to use anything to secure the bun. Chopsticks are popular and with allusions to geisha can give the chignon a sexy edge or a double pronged hair pin (hair fork) is the most stylish choice.There are more elaborate versions of the chignon including double buns and the chignon banane in which extra volume is added be wrapping a cloth inside the bun. For much more about chinon hairstyles and how to create them, please visit my separate lens, which also features a range of chignon hair forks. (Coming soon - watch this space!)
1920s Style Hats - Flappers
The Cloche
For women, the hat most associated with 1920s style is the cloche. The cloche was the hat of the flapper. It's a close-fitted, bell shape that fits snugly and is pulled down close to the brow line. Although simple cloches were made of felt, dressier versions for formal evening wear were made of lace or beads. They are well suited to the short hair style of the Twenties.Cloche hats became fashionable again at the end of the Noughties.
Buy a black cloche hat.
1920's Dress
A common misconception
The way women dressed in the 20s usually reflected their status. Only the wealthy wore such elegantly ornate dresses. Because of the simple pattern of the flapper dress, ordinary women were able to duplicate theses dresses at home for far less money.The major misconception of the flapper, is that her dresses were always scandalously short. They actually came down to her calf for day and evening dress. There was a brief period between 1926 and 1928 when the dresses actually hit above the knee.
Flapper dresses were characterized by a a straight wiast that hid a woman's curves and which accentuated the boyish look. Women also went as far as to flatten their chests as much as possible. A long string of beards or pearls, having down below the chest, stressed the flat bodice.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Buy Flapper Dresses
eBay can be a great place to find 1920s style dresses. Here is a selection of flapper costumes. If you don't see what you like, do a quick search to find more.
Or maybe you'd like to find an authentic vintage dress? Just remember to check that it is authentic if that matters to you. Caveat emptor and all that when it comes to eBay.
Accessories
Finish off the 1920s fashion look
Flappers had many things about them that were unique and stood out. From their perfectly polished faces to their long cigarette holders, they were the top of fashion. My favorite thing about their style was hats...most commonly, the cloche hat.They were typically made out of felt so that they fit the woman snugly. The brims covered the flapper's forehead and hit right above her brows. This gave the flapper a particular look because they always had to cock up their chins to be able to see.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
1920s Flapper Makeup
Hair, dress and accessories are only part of the Roaring Twenties Flapper look. Makeup was also really distinctive with very high, thin brows drawn in with an eye pencil and very strong shape to both eye liner and lipstick. Here is a video tutorial to help you apply makeup for an authentic 1920s look.
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1920s Flapper Dance Shoes
The shoes the flappers wore were so trendy. Even by today's standards, I think they can hold their own.
Could not locate item B001HLH64E. Please try again.Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.
1920s Movie Stars
At the start of the twenties all of the movies were slient movies, but the "talkies" took over by the end of the decade. Some of the greatest ever movie stars are from the days of the silent movies - stars lile Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson. Of these, perhaps the iconic style couple were Douglas Fairbanks and his wife Mary Pickford (who was known for eating roses!)
Video Montage of 1920s Style
Flappers - the Roaring Twenties
The author has called this video Flappers - The Roaring Twenties and it's a nice compostion which gives a good feel of 1920s style and society. It's set to appropriate music, which a different piece for each of the segments so it's also a good flavour of the musical style of the time. Obviously it starts with a Charlston, the dance most associated with the 20s.
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Would you have wanted to be a flapper?
What was your favorite thing about them?
Leave your comments here.
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Kathryn
Jun 8, 2011 @ 7:57 pm | delete
- Anyone have recommendation(s) on where to buy Ladies 1920's inspired shoes?
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Recession-Proof
May 24, 2011 @ 11:47 am | delete
- Wonderful lens, thanks so much
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ajilcliaen
May 3, 2011 @ 2:03 pm | delete
- I love reading about the roaring twenties. The fashion is to die for honestly! Great lens :)
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jazz
Mar 16, 2011 @ 3:27 pm | delete
- interesting....
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outsource123
Dec 10, 2010 @ 1:53 am | delete
- Cheers, that lense was pure awesome.
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The infuence of King Tut on 1920s style
The discovery in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Tutankhamun's almost intact tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings had a massive impact on all aspects of 1920s style. Fabric designs incorporated Egyptian influences like the lotus flower and scarab. I will be writing about these influences on 1920s style shortly and have a showcase of original photographs of the 1920s Valley of the Kings. But you might enjoy also my general material about this most famous of tombs.
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by Kate-Phizackerley
Kate-Phizackerley
Off Squidoo I am a middle-aged woman with a wide range of interests from Ancient Egypt, backgammon, cookery ... to ... Zimbabwe which I visited 20 years... more »
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1920s Fashion Source Book
The 1920's (Fashion Sourcebooks)
Amazon Price: $145.66 (as of 02/15/2012)
The worth of this book is demonstrated by the high price that some sellers charge but if you look on Amazon somebody might have a copy at a realistic price
More Great 1920s Material
Some of my other 1920s lenses
