Fashion History: 1920s

   

The 1920s is often referred to as a Birth of Style, it gave up on a Victorian status ''quo'' as magazines and catalouges have been introduced and made is more accessible to a regular people. It originated in America in times of a very good economical situation, nobody had to worry about the money, people wanted to have fun and they focused on creative development. It's when fashion entered modern world. Roaring Twenties is also a period which perfectly illustrates that fashion doesn't simply live it's own life, it's influenced by many situational factors, because the change also happened because women during the war entered the life of men, because of the labour shortage they were doing jobs that men did before, they also adapted men lifestyle for a while and certainly they liked it and it translated to fashion :)

''Sexy Independent'' was a great trend among the women of 20's. They wanted to be powerfull, sexy and financially independent, so they were lookig up to Chanel, which was a representation of it all. Independence meant ''looking more like men''.
 ''Without breasts, without hips, without 'underwear,' who smoke, work, argue, and fight exactly like boys and who. . . with their heads swimming under several cocktails, seek out savory and acrobatic pleasures on the plush seats of 5 horsepower Citroëns''
This ideally describes young generation of those times.
All of the aboove was reflected in what in French was La Garçonne , in English translation ''Flapper look''. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gvrHl3okfg&feature=player_embedded#at=85

Louise Brooks

She was a silent movie superstar. Her haircut, black short straight bob, have become iconic, redefining the boundaries. It was more free spirited and youthful. She was famous for her Sexual promiscuity ( an affair with Charlin Chaplin ). Being sexy was bang on trend. She wans't mixing only with a movie stars, she liked to hang out with intellectuals of the time , like F Scott Fitzgerald who bought attention to the sophisticated aspects of a new post war society that emerged in the 1920s. 

   

1920s Silhouette


Roaring twenties was all about elegance. Looking feminine but without curves. A flat chested women had an advantage at those time, cause it was taken as more attractive and they even had special underwear that flattened the boobs. The silhouette is long and cylindrical with skirts falling behind the knee.Waistlines were dropped dramatically, in the early 20s it was even below the hips, and as the years past by the wait line was climbing higher and higher but still lower then it's natural place.Truly authentic knee length dresses were matched with short necklaces long dresses had long necklaces. Despite the fairly simple design of the outfits the amount of details was astonishing and they had many varations, one extremely popular fashion was Basque dress or Robe de Style ( pictures below ) and are best known from creations from Jeanne Lanvin the most influential fashion designer of the times

It was a great period for fashion, that's why it's so often copied and updated. Very often on a big Celebrities Galas like move awards we can see most of the girls being inspired by 1920s. Personally I love the elegance but also a hint of a free spirited feeling to a flappers style :)

I absolutely adore last two picures, they are from Gossip Girl, the best Tv series EVER ! and the fashion in it is just AMAZING !!