Fashion in the Time of the Great Gatsby

FASHION
IN THE TIME OF THE
GREAT GATSBY
LaLonnie Lehman
SHIRE PUBLICATIONS
CONTENTS
CAPTURING THE
1920S
THE GOOD TIMES
WOMEN’S FASHIONS
MEN’S FASHIONS
ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN
PLACES TO VISIT
FURTHER READING
The cover for the first edition of The Great Gatsby, published in 1925.
CAPTURING THE 1920S
Woodrow Wilson’s demand that America take on new responsibilities
of world leadership afterWorldWar I was rejected as the war brought feelings of
disillusion and alienation to most of the youth of America. By the 1920s, they were
choosing to ignore the problems of the country and live for the moment instead of
the future.
These young people became the focus of attention when they adopted a cynical,
romantic attitude toward life and embraced new ideas. “Youthful” was the new
byword for America. Coupled with the affluence of America during the 1920s, the
new attitudes led to the increased consumption of goods and the establishment of
leisure-time sites such as dance halls, nightclubs, sports arenas, amusement parks
and movie theaters.
Female emancipation gathered pace after the war as many women refused to
return to prewar ideals of domesticity. Women gained the vote in 1920, attended and
earned degrees at colleges and universities, moved into professional workplaces and
participated in new leisure activities.
These changes in society brought a drastic shift in culture and morals. Drinking,
dancing, smoking cigarettes and driving automobiles by both men and women was
criticized by the older generation and admired by the new. The mass production of
cheap newspapers, tabloids and magazines meant that all classes could read about
current and sensational events.
Into this atmosphere came one of America’s most-read novels of the period: The
Great Gatsby, published in 1925. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the celebrated
author of other novels and many magazine articles, The Great Gatsby embodied the
lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties—a sophisticated life that included hard liquor,
cigarettes, expensive cars, love affairs, new dances, new jazz music, and new
fashions. This appealed to young men and women eager to get on with an exciting
life. Fitzgerald wrote, “The uncertainties of 1919 were over—America was going on
the greatest, gaudiest spree in history.”
Fitzgerald’s characters reflected his own values. He was educated at Princeton
but left before graduating, served in the United States Army in 1917–19, and made
his living by writing. After he married Zelda in 1920, they lived the life of the Jazz
Age: a decadent social and private life on the urban East Coast, a few years in Paris
and traveling in Europe. They lived like other artists of the 1920s by spending
lavishly, purchasing expensive automobiles, drinking heavily, and throwing and
attending parties. Descriptions of parties in The Great Gatsby included many guests,
full orchestras, and dancing into the wee hours.
P
RESIDENT
A 1925 cartoon that shows a young man in a “jalopy” smoking a cigarette in
a long cigarette holder and holding a flask containing spirits. The young
flapper stepping on the running board shows her hosiery rolled down below
her knee as she applies lipstick and looks in the mirror of her compact.
Front cover illustration by Helen Dryden for Delineator, a women’s
magazine which featured fashion, sewing patterns, and fiction.
‘The Dancing Marathon’, an illustration in Judge (May 1923).
The change in morals during the 1920s was more pronounced for young women,
as they moved about without chaperones, wore new hairstyles, used makeup and
lived independently. Young women also overthrew accepted posture, speech and
etiquette. Their presence and manners revealed a new woman who could engage in
all of the activities that were acceptable for men.
The new sport of skiing in mountain resorts in America and Europe required
specific fashionable clothing. A dark tweed wool sweater with leather belt is
worn with a divided skirt. A wool sweater with circle designs is worn with
breeches. Soft, oiled ski shoes with wool ski socks, wool gloves, a colorful
scarf and a helmet-style cap complete the outfit.
Clothing fashions for American men and women quickly expanded to
accommodate the new lifestyle of the 1920s. Clothing for men featured new
garments and softer tailoring. For women, the shortening of skirts and revamping of
the corset affected the wearer’s silhouette, movement and comfort. The introduction
of sports clothing allowed both men and women to participate in sports in comfort.
This group of couples are dancing to the new jazz music. The men are in
suits that are kept buttoned while the women are in short dresses with fullness
below the hipline, and plunging backs. The woman in blue wears shoes and a
cloche hat that match the color of her dress.
THE GOOD TIMES
1920s was “Eat, drink and be merry—for tomorrow we
may die.” Many young Americans, often called the flaming youth, were
rejecting the etiquette of the past and daring to create a new style of living. The
young women were described as restless, seductive, greedy, and unrestrained. The
young men were labeled cynical. They led the way in flouting the law and talked
about living in a world ruined by their elders. In The Great Gatsby Myrtle says about
her first meeting with Tom “…you can’t live forever; you can’t live forever.”
For the first time, men and women consumed alcohol together, bringing about a
major social change. Prohibition—the law that made the sale, transportation and
manufacture of liquor illegal—was established in 1919. The public rebellion against
this law created an illegal industry, called bootleg, of making, selling and
transporting spirits. Rye whiskey and gin were two of the types of alcohol most
widely consumed illegally. The excitement of finding a place to consume alcohol
and avoid arrest was the focus of rebellious young men and women. The speakeasy,
an establishment which illegally sold alcoholic beverages, became a place where one
could drink, have clandestine affairs and dance while hoping to escape the notice of
the police. Fitzgerald says in The Great Gatsby, “The bottle of whiskey—a second
one—was now in constant demand by all present…”
A postwar craze for automobiles brought monumental changes to the American
lifestyle. The availability and popularity of the automobile changed “courting” to
“dating” (without chaperones) and created the ability to travel quickly between city
and country for work, parties and picnics. It provided fun and recreation as “Sunday
drives” became a leisure activity. Out of the way places, like speakeasies, were
accessible because of the auto. New slang terms like “jalopy” (an old car) and “flat
tire” (dull person) entered the popular lexicon.
The economy was transformed as the automobile became America’s biggest
industry, consuming steel, lead, rubber, nickel and gasoline. The automobile became
a most desired commodity—by the late 1920s more than 20 million cars had been
registered.
A
POPULAR SLOGAN OF THE
This automobile, a 1929 Pierce Arrow Coupe with a rumble seat, represents
the luxury cars that were owned by wealthy Americans.
Most people could purchase an automobile. The rich bought Packard, Pierce
Arrow, Stutz, Cadillac, and Chrysler cars that were beautifully designed, colorful,
powerful and expensive, indicating high social status. Very expensive imported
automobiles came from Belgium, France, and Germany. The less wealthy bought the
cheapest—the black utility Model T produced by Henry Ford.
Charles Lindbergh, working on The Spirit of St. Louis in c. 1927.
Information was readily available to the American public and brought
commonality to all levels of society. Newspapers and magazines, with their flashy
headlines and color illustrations, fueled the American public’s interest in events
such as the visit of the Prince ofWales (later EdwardVIII) to the United States,
Amelia Earhart’s and Charles Lindbergh’s airplane flights and the discovery of the
tomb of Tutankhamen, an Egyptian pharaoh.
News and photos of sporting heroes, like baseball player Babe Ruth, swimmer
Johnny Weissmuller, boxer Jack Dempsey, and racehorse Man O’War, were
consumed by eager readers. Attending sporting events became a national affair.
From baseball to horse racing, tennis, swimming, football, boxing and golf,
Americans went to these events to cheer for their heroes.
The New York Daily News, Daily Mirror, and Evening Graphic were smallerformat newspapers, called tabloids, which printed sensational stories and pictures
that young Americans craved. Life magazine covers showcased drawings by John
Held, Jr., that reflected the new culture and morality with colorful amusing
representations of the new dancing, women smoking, couples in swimsuits and
women driving cars. All of these publications were cheap, plentiful and sold on the
streets.
Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in a film scene, 1927.
The Town & Country magazine chronicled the social events and leisure activities
of the wealthy families of NewYork, Boston and other cities where surnames
appeared in the Social Register. The Social Register listed names and addresses of
prominent American families who formed the social elite. The activities and
lifestyle of the social elite became exciting conversation fodder for people outside
these exclusive social circles.
The new technologies of radio and movies, both silent and talkies, contributed to
the influx of information received byAmericans. Regular radio broadcasts by the
National Broadcast Company (NBC) and Columbia Broadcast System (CBS) came
on the air in the second half of the 1920s. In opulent new movie theaters, Hollywood
movie stars on the “silver screen” showed young men and women how to drink,
smoke, kiss, stand, dress, and dance. Joan Crawford and Rudolph Valentino were
models for aspiring sophisticates.
A traveling couple. The woman wears a summer coat with shawl collar,
fastened asymmetrically at the hipline, with a cloche hat and clutch purse.
The man sports a two-button knicker suit with vest and fedora hat.
But jazz was the key to the 1920s, and became America’s one great contribution
to world music. The distinct sound of jazz—employing syncopation, swung notes,
blue notes and improvisation—was first played by black musicians in New Orleans
before spreading to Chicago and Harlem in New York City. Musicians Duke
Ellington and Louis Armstrong and singers Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith were
famous in the jazz world. White musicians incorporated the syncopated sound into
popular forms of music.
George Gershwin wrote many of the 1920s songs that epitomized jazz, including
Rhapsody in Blue and I’ve Got A Crush On You. This music was played by dance
bands, recorded on phonograph records and printed as sheet music. Lyrics reflected
the fun feeling of the 1920s with lyrics like “in the meantime, in between time, ain’t
we got fun?”
Jazz music inspired many new dances, such as the Charleston, Black Bottom,
Shimmy, Turkey Trot, Grizzly Bear, Kangaroo Dip and Bunny Hug. Dance partners
were closely entwined for many dances as words in the songs encouraged body
contact. Some dances required arms flapping, legs flying and use of the whole body
to accomplish the fast movements. Female dancers were free to dance with great
athleticism.
At private homes, dance clubs, speakeasies and outdoor parties, music and
dancing were the main attractions and demanded radical new styles in clothing for
women.
Cartoon drawing of a flapper in a short skirt with bobbed hair, seated in the
new slouch posture with legs crossed, smoking a cigarette.
Where’s there’s smoke there’s fire’, by Russell Patterson, 1920s. The
traveling woman on the cover of this 1928 magazine wears an Art Deco
design coat with a large fur collar over a coordinating belted dress. She has a
cloche hat and clutch purse that match a color in the coat.
WOMEN’S FASHIONS
World War I saw young women eagerly adopting a new style
of clothing. Clothes were less confining, simple in cut and meeting the needs of
motion required by postwar activities. From underwear to outerwear, day wear to
evening wear, and sportswear to active wear, the clothing reeked of modern
attitudes.
The 1920s silhouette was a tube from shoulder to knee or mid-calf, with the bust
flattened, waist ignored, hips smooth and often fullness below the knee. Greta
Garbo, a Hollywood film actress, became the “look” that the fashionable “flappers”
of all classes wanted—flat chested, square shoulders, narrow hips and long legs.
They also adopted Garbo’s relaxed, sophisticated posture called the “slouch.”
The slouch posture, short hair and pale, defined makeup provided the form for
the new clothing desired by the young women who wanted their dress style to reflect
a new way of thinking.
As the American fashion designers were yet to appear, fashion-conscious women
continued to look to Paris for the most current clothing style. Coco Chanel, the most
influential clothing designer of this period, had introduced the new silhouette to
modern young women in France beginning in 1913. Chanel was part of the Parisian
circle of high society avant-garde artists, writers and musicians, and lived the
lifestyle that her customers either had or wanted. She became a celebrity designer,
and as she became known in America—seen in magazines in photographs with the
rich and famous of Europe—she fueled interest in the new French fashion. Chanel
became the darling of American women and her designs were eagerly purchased or
copied.
Wealthy women often traveled to Paris to purchase wardrobes for the season or
to buy specific garments for special occasions. Others commissioned a private
dressmaker to produce garments for which the client set specifications based on
Parisian designs seen in fashion magazines, which included Vogue and Harper’s
Bazaar.
French designs for women’s clothing spread rapidly across the United States.
The French fashion designers sold their designs to select retail stores. The designs
were copied by pattern makers and samples constructed. The copies were shown in
New York to buyers for stores around the country then mass produced to fill the
orders. Often the designer allowed the design label, along with the store label, to be
sewn into the garment. The store would then be known for the designer copy they
offered. The Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog in 1927 offered a winter coat that noted
in the advertisement, “This coat is an exact reproduction of the original model
designed by Paul Poiret the famous Parisian couturier.” Stores prepared a line of
T
HE DECADE AFTER
copied designs for separate seasons that included spring, summer, fall, holiday, and
often resort. Consequently, American women could purchase designer-label clothing
ready-made in stores such as Neiman Marcus in Dallas; Filene’s in Boston;
Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Bonwit Teller, and Lord & Taylor in New York City.
Because there was little need for precise fitting, for the first time department
stores could offer stylish, mass-produced clothing for less wealthy women. These
styles were produced by copying styles based on images published in fashion
magazines and newspapers. Department stores offering less expensive clothing were
Marshall Field, Montgomery Ward & Co., and Sears, Roebuck in Chicago. The mail
order catalogs from Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward made the whole country
aware of the new styles. Less expensive mass-produced clothing, based on Paris
designs, was advertised as “NewYork style.”
This dress could be worn for afternoon tea or dinner. It is georgette and lace
with a georgette flower and a sash that ties in a generous bow. The lace
appears in the deep yoke and cuffs and in the softly ruffled tiers of the skirt.
Home sewing became more popular among less wealthy women because of the
simplicity of sewing straight, unfitted garments. Paper patterns were available to
home sewers and local dressmakers from several popular companies, including
Butterick, Home, Vogue and McCall’s. Their patterns were shown in magazines
produced by pattern companies. In addition, each company made catalogs of patterns
that were available in yard good stores, department stores, and mail-order
companies.
Artificial silk, a man-made fabric known as viscose rayon, was first
commercially produced in the United States in 1910 and by 1924 was called “rayon.”
This man-made fabric had the drapability and sheen of silk, but was less expensive,
required less careful care and could be combined with cotton and wool. Rayon was
widely available to both home sewers and manufacturers enabling them to construct
the new fluid dresses without the use of expensive silk. Together, paper patterns,
rayon fabric, mass production of clothing and department stores made the new dress
style available to all social levels.
As women wore different clothing for each part of the day, or for a different
activity, clothing was designated as day dress, afternoon dress, day suits, day coats,
evening dress, evening coats, sportswear and lounge wear.
Day dresses were one-piece garments that hung from the shoulders in a straight
line past the waist and hips to the hem. The straight line from shoulder to hem was
interrupted by either a seam or decoration at the hip line. The dress usually had some
sort of fullness from the hip to the hem to allow for walking. Techniques to achieve
fullness were flaring the skirt, adding pleats or godets, and attaching floating panels.
These skirt shapes also allowed for ease in getting into automobiles and dancing.
This McCall pattern sold in 1927 features a one-piece slip-on dress with a
lowered curved neckline and asymmetrical seaming on the bodice and
asymmetrical ruffle on the skirt with a bow at the hip.
Necklines of 1927 shown on this one-piece dress pattern offer both V and
square styles. The skirts have gathering in the front, but are straight in the
back.
Most dresses had necklines that hovered around the throat or slightly lower and
were round, V-shaped, square, bateau or a cowl that laid flat against the body.
Although some dresses appeared without sleeves, many had cap, above-the-elbow,
elbow, and wrist-length sleeves.
Dresses usually had even hemlines, which ranged from mid-calf at the start of
the decade to knee length in the period 1925–28 before falling again to mid-calf.
Dress hemlines were the shortest during the time of The Great Gatsby.
The dress was simple in line without the elaborate seaming or darting used in
fitted garments; but was highly decorated with techniques like quilting, tucking, tiny
pleats, gathering, reverse darts and embroidery. Dresses were decorated with bows,
belts, buttons, fabric-covered buttons, ribbons, artificial flowers, brooches, fringe,
feathers and fur. One advertisement showed a dress with a collarless neckline, chic
draped side-panel on the blouse, a deep inverted pleat on the skirt and sashes with
bows.
The day dress on the left has a button collar and cuffs in lace and is trimmed
in lace. The center day dress is two-piece wool with stitched tucks that give
the diamond shaping at the waistline and cuffs. The dress on the right is a
two-piece taffeta with dots, white collar, tie, cuffs and buttons with a pleated
skirt.
Afternoon dresses repeated the same silhouette as the day dress, with the same
long straight line, and were usually sleeveless. They extended to mid-calf or ankle in
the front and fell to the floor in the back or had trains of various lengths. This
hemline could be irregular like a handkerchief hem, ending with points extending to
the shoe top or trailing on the floor in the back or on either or both sides. They were
made from fabrics including silk, linen, wool, cotton and rayon. These fabrics were
either plain with decoration, or patterned, or a combination of colors and trims. Such
dresses were often worn to afternoon dances.
Advertisement for tubular-style day dresses with a lower calf length, and
worn with a large brim hat, show the style in the years before 1925.
The sports-style dresses on the far left and far right are one-piece, and the
others wear two-piece styles. One woman wears a headband while the others
wear cloche hats with either a narrow or wide brim.
Some afternoon dresses were sold as part of an ensemble, with a matching coat.
The dress was sleeveless, while the coat had long sleeves, and as it was not removed,
the coat served as part of the dress. While the dress and coat often matched in
material and color, they also appeared in coordinating colors and materials. The
dress and coat were the same length and the hems were the same length as day
dresses. These dresses were worn for traveling, shopping or lunching.
Another garment choice for day wear was the suit. It consisted of a blouse worn
with a skirt and matching jacket that maintained the boyish silhouette. The blouse
was often sleeveless, buttoned down the front and could be tucked into the waist of
the skirt or worn over the skirt extending to the hip. The necklines wereV-shaped,
square, round, or with a Peter Pan collar. The skirts were flared or pleated from the
hip to a straight hem that came to just below the knee. They were often attached to a
sheer slip worn under the blouse.
Sleeveless evening dresses appear with fullness added to the skirts in three
different ways. From left to right, the first skirt has godets on one side, the
second a gathered sheer overskirt and the third a tiered, draped ruffle.
Perfect for traveling to the warm climes is this two-piece crêpe de Chine
dress. It features a sailor-style collar and tie with a pleated skirt. The matching
straight-line flannel coat has detail seaming and cuffed sleeves.
The matching jackets extended to the hip. Some were worn closed while others
were made to be worn open to reveal the blouse and the front of the skirt. The
sleeves were sewn smoothly into the armscye, or armhole, and were close fitting,
ending at the wrist, with or without cuffs. As in the day dress with coat, the suit
jacket was not removed.
A McCall pattern for a one-piece evening dress with a blouson bodice, a deep
V-neckline front and back, a hip band draped in the front and smooth in the
back and a full skirt with an uneven hem to the knee. The chiffon dress was
worn over a slip that was visible. The drawing suggests silk for the slip and
chiffon for the over dress.
Some suits, worn without a blouse, consisted of a hip-length tunic top worn over
a matching skirt. Decorations for all suits included binding with contrasting fabric,
tucking, pocket trim, buttons and fur on collar and cuffs.
Fabrics used for suits were usually woven wool, silk and linen. The use of knitted
fabrics in suits became very popular because of the ease of movement they afforded.
French designer Coco Chanel used knitted fabric in some suits she designed as early
as 1913 and by the 1920s they were eagerly adopted by the American woman.
Evening dresses were designed for movement as the woman was walking or
dancing. A flowing motion was created using lightweight fabrics like chiffon, lace
and crepes. Heavier fabrics of satin, faille, taffeta and velvet allowed the fabric to
fly away from the body. To achieve movement, irregular panels, flounces, godets
and pleated apron fronts were incorporated into the design.
This red velvet evening dress, made by Thurn, New York, was worn at a
debut party in December 1926. It is a tubular one-piece sleeveless dress with
a side drape, trimmed at the waist with two bands of metallic gold thread with
red glass beads, gold-painted strung beads and rhinestones.
The silhouette of the evening dress followed the tubular shape of the one-piece
dress. The dress was generally sleeveless with a low neckline in V, square, or
rounded shapes that dipped quite low to the mid-back, mirroring the shape of the
front. Often the bodice was held up by narrow straps over each shoulder.
Matilda Dodge, widow of John Francis Dodge who co-founded the Dodge
Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan, is dressed for an evening party with
a feather fan, headband and jewelry in this photograph of 1921.
Both straight and irregular hemlines were used on evening dresses. There were a
variety of lengths below the knee in front, even touching the floor, while either or
both sides or the back of the dress could be uneven. The backs were flounced or
circular, ending in trains of various lengths. Another hem treatment was the
handkerchief with the distinctive four points draping to mid-calf or the floor.
The evening dress was heavily beaded, embroidered, sequined and jeweled in
several designs, including the new geometric Art Deco style. It might also feature
fringe, tassels, and bows.
Coats of different fabrics and styles were worn with both day and evening attire,
depending on the season. Coats had the same visual line as dresses, hanging straight
from shoulder to hem, but often with fullness from the hip to hem provided by
godets, pleats or vents. Coats came in several lengths: hip, three-quarter, just above
the dress hem or covering the dress hem. Some coats had patch pockets or flap
pockets while many coats had no pockets at all. Clutch coats had no fastening and
were held closed by a hand. Double-breasted and single-breasted coats fastened at
the low waistline with buttons, while others fastened asymmetrically with tie
closures at the hipline.
This McCall pattern in 1927 shows an evening dress with a deep V-neckline
both front and back and V-seaming at the hip. The handkerchief hem skirt
provides freedom of movement on the dance floor.
Wool was the preferred fabric for winter coats, often trimmed with fur on the
collar, cuffs, and hem and down the front. The fur was applied in various widths
from narrow to wide. Coats made completely of fur were also often worn. The fur
used for coats and for coat trims included mink, sable, French seal, monkey fur and
fox. Summer coats were made in the same styles as winter coats, but of lighter
fabrics like silk and linen.
The cover of The Golden Book magazine sports a woman in a patterned
clutch coat with a large fur collar.
Tailored lightweight spring coats like this one were good for traveling or for
mornings or afternoons in town. It has patch pockets and is worn with a
cloche hat, gloves and clutch purse.
Evening coats and capes were made of velvet, silk, wool and fur. The evening
coat was usually a clutch coat. Oriental patterned fabric was used with fur trim that
decorated the neck and front edge and the cuffs.
A new ensemble, lounging pajamas, appeared with pants and a hip-length top
that mimicked the dress line. These were worn at home in the morning and evening,
often for entertaining informally. Fabric used for these pajamas included soft
flowing silk, chiffon and lace combinations. Oriental designs on the fabrics were
very popular. Lounging pajamas were worn with undergarments, hose and eveningstyle shoes.
With the looser clothing, the 1920s woman found freedom of body movement,
from crossing the legs at the knee and raising the arms in order to apply makeup or
rearrange hair, to participating in sports and performing on the dance floor. These
activities required new foundation garments which were developed to shape a
woman’s body into a boyish figure and allowed women to move freely and adopt the
“slouch” posture. The undergarments included the bandeau (brassiere), corset,
camisole/petticoat, drawers, bloomers (panties), girdle, and chemise.
Next to the skin, women wore a bandeau (later brassiere) that flattened the bust.
Styles varied from short, covering just the bust, to waist length, with bust cups
stitched or corded to assist in flattening the bust. Elastic was often inserted in side or
back panels for more comfort and freedom of movement. Openings, either in center
front or center back, closed with hooks and eyes. Most had shoulder straps, but some
models were simply a band around the body that covered the breast.
The new corset, a lightweight one-piece garment that created a tubular shape,
came in two basic styles. One was a topless corset that covered the body from just
below the bust to the hips. V-shaped elastic panels were added from the waistline to
the bottom of the corset to allow movement. The bandeau would be worn with this
corset. Another corset style, which covered the body from above the bust to the hip,
produced a straight line by flattening the bust, de-emphasizing the waist and
smoothing the hip. Both styles had shoulder straps, and hose supporters at the
bottom of the front and sides to hold up the hose.
A georgette dress and coat would be used as a traveling ensemble. The dress
has a V-neck and a flat, accordion-pleated flounce and long sleeves. The coat
is straight, the sleeves are wide at the cuff and the collar can be worn up or
down. The luggage includes a suitcase, hat bag, and an overnight bag with
fabric fitted with mirror, comb, hairbrush and toothbrush holder.
Over the corset women wore a chemise, which came in three styles. The waistlength bodice-top style was held up with narrow ribbon straps and had elastic at the
bottom edge, while a bodice-top style that came to just above the knee had narrow
ribbon straps but no elastic. A half version of the chemise was available that
extended from the waist to just above the knee, and was tied with a drawstring. The
term “slip” was coming into use and was often used interchangeably with the name
“chemise.” There was an envelope chemise that was a one-piece step-in garment that
included both the camisole and the panties.
“Drawers,”“bloomers” or “panties” were all names for a garment that covered
the lower part of the torso. It was a step-in garment held up by elastic at the waist
and extended to just below the crotch. With the panties, a garter belt was added
whose sole function was to hold up the hose. When that garment was elasticized to
provide a smooth look over the hips, it was called a girdle and had hose supporters
attached.
The Allen A. Company, a Wisconsin hosiery and underwear company,
advertises hosiery for the entire family including girls knee socks and
women’s, men’s and boy’s hosiery.
Fibers used for all undergarments were silk, rayon and cotton. The fabrics
included satin, crepe, batiste, and coutil. Colors were white, cream, pink, flesh pink,
shell pink, and orchid, and also very pale colors of blue or green. Decorations on the
undergarments came from the fabric, which was often brocade, and from stitching,
lace, lace insertions, ribbon run and embroidery.
Hosiery was universally worn by women, with all styles of dress. All hosiery had
a full foot with a heel shape and a seam that was visible up the back of the leg. Hose
came to mid-thigh and was held up with hose garters, which were ribbons sewn to
the corset or garter belt with a clasp to attach to the hosiery. Hosiery could also be
held up by rolling the tops down to just above the knee and securing with an elastic
band.
As skirts shortened, hosiery became visible and new colors and textures became
available. Light colors of nude, flesh and beige tones became the colors of
preference. Silk hose, in the new colors, were highly praised as they were the most
luxurious and expensive. The new rayon hose were both less expensive and available
in the new light colors, making them accessible to all women regardless of income.
This eye-catching advertisement for silk hosiery shows silk stockings that
come to above the knee. The hosiery is offered “in a variety of lovely shades
for afternoon, evening and sport wear.” The description also notes that the
hose could be dyed.
Two notable hosiery companies in the United States were Holeproof Hosiers
Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Emery & Beers Company in NewYork
City. Emery & Beers advertised “Onyx” hosiery with “pointex” heels, which were
sheer hose with a reinforced heel.
As leisure activities and travel grew more popular, the fashionable woman’s
wardrobe included a new genre of clothing called “leisure” or “sportswear.” Coco
Chanel’s sportswear designs provided freedom of movement and comfort with a
young casual look that appealed to American women. Chanel had borrowed the
masculine English country style, including cardigan sweaters and tweed fabric that
she adapted into knitted suits, tweed coats and suits and jackets for women. While
the boyish style prevailed in all her designs, the use of masculine fabrics made the
fashion appear as new.
Casual wear was quickly adopted for watching sporting events, informal
gatherings and enjoying leisure time at resorts and recreation areas. Spending time
in outdoor activities, while gaining a suntan to prove one had leisure time, was a new
phenomenon that young American men and women embraced as they copied the
activities of the wealthy upper class.
Women’s sportswear in the 1927 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog showed a sports
suit that consisted of a top and skirt: “all wool knitted worsted two-piece ‘Tom-Boy’
sport suit.” It was described as “made in clever two-piece style, it consists of a slipon blouse with a smart woven stripe pattern, while the skirt is of harmonizing solid
color. Has attractive adjustable belt, with leather ends and a buckle.” The colors
offered were Robin Hood green and tan.
The knickers suit in the same catalog was described as a two-piece outfit of
woven black-and-white check of imported linen. It had a sleeveless double-breasted
jacket, buttoned low on the hips with two patch pockets and well-tailored knickers
with a white tailored blouse of English broadcloth.
A “sport blouse” appeared in the catalog as a pullover knitted of soft all-wool
worsted yarn, often with a design in rayon yarn. Another style, called a “Lumberjack
blouse,” was an all-wool plaid flannel featuring a knitted waistband and cuffs. Both
styles of blouse came to the hip, and were worn over a skirt.
The sport dress on the left is printed silk with a pleated skirt. The blouse has
two pockets placed close to the shoulders. The collar, bow, pockets and cuffs
are of plain silk, while the belt is made of the printed silk. The jaunty
ensemble on the right is a linen sleeveless dress and jacket. The jacket and
blouse are trimmed with linen bands of contrasting color.
The white sleeveless tennis dress is perfect for the woman actively engaged
in tennis. It has a sleeveless blouse with a lowered round neck and a hip band
with buttons and a pleated skirt. The contrast bands are applied around the
neck and armholes and in horizontal stripes on the blouse.
Lady golfer as depicted on the cover of Delineator magazine in 1927.
As it became more acceptable for women to participate in active sports, specific
clothing was introduced for particular sports, including tennis, skiing, golf,
horseback riding and swimming. As Paris designers included the new garments in
their collections, they were copied and offered to American women.
Tennis dresses looked remarkably like day dresses. The tubular dresses fell
straight from the shoulder to the hip line, where fullness was added through a flared
shape or pleating, ending at the knee or slightly below. The necklines were square,
V-shaped or round, sometimes with collars that laid flat against the body. Dresses
were sleeveless or had cap or short sleeves. The dresses were made of white cotton,
decorated through the application of braid, stitching, belts and buttons. White
hosiery or white socks with white canvas tennis shoes and the cloche hat completed
the costume.
Skiing was becoming popular in Europe and wealthy Americans traveled there to
experience the new sport. The female ski costume incorporated pants, cuffed at the
ankle, and a waist-length button-front jacket. The wool jackets and gloves were
trimmed with white rabbit fur which matched the fur hat, giving it a feminine touch.
Golf did not require a special costume for women, but tweed skirts and sweaters
with low-heeled Oxford shoes became the accepted style.
Horseback riding attire for women was changed by the acceptance of women
riding astride, although it was a copy of the masculine horseback riding style, with
jodhpurs (riding pants with a flared hip and tight from knee to ankle), white shirt and
stock tie, coat, knee-high boots, hat and gloves.
Swimming and sunbathing became leisure-time activities in warm, sunny luxury
resorts and quickly became popular in summer months wherever there was a beach.
A new costume was created for lying in the sun and actually swimming. The bathing
suit consisted of a tunic top and trunks. The tunic was a sleeveless tank top that
came to the hipline, showing the straight line silhouette. It had a neckline that wasVshaped, bateau, round or a style that was cut straight across above the bust with
narrow straps over the shoulder. Trunks varied in lengths that extended between
upper-thigh to slightly above the knee and were either separate or attached to the
tunic at the waist. The swimsuits were made of knitted wool and came in various
colors including black and were often decorated with stripes. One-piece suits
became available as the decade progressed.
Cruising attire for women includes a V-neck two-piece dress with coat, a onepiece dress with a cardigan-style top and for men a single-breasted suit with a
fedora and a knicker suit with knee-high socks and a sporting cap.
This cover for Life by John Held, Jr., shows a couple in knitted swimsuits.
The young woman is revealing a sunburn, and the cartoon is titled “The Girl
Who Gives Him The Cold Shoulder.” (August 26, 1926)
Jantzen Knitting Mills in Portland, Oregon, advertised women’s swimsuits in
their 1920 catalog with a drawing of The Red Diving Girl and in 1921 advertised
their suits in Vogue and Life magazines. In 1923 Jantzen’s advertising slogan was
“The suit that changed bathing to swimming.” In 1927, the Sears, Roebuck & Co.
catalog offered “California” swimsuits in peacock blue and jockey red with black
and white stripes, and kelly green with orange and white stripes. Included in the
catalog were rubber swim caps, one in blue with a blue bow called “Big Bow” that
referred to the actress Clara Bow.
While the 1920s “look” depended highly on the clothing silhouette, it was
certainly cutting the hair into a short bob and the new use of makeup that completely
defined the style.
The natural shape of the head was revealed as the hair of young modern women
was cut short, close to the head. The hairstyle, called a boyish bob or shingle, was
cut very short in the back, trimmed to aV at the nape of the neck with longer top and
sides. This new short haircut was so remarkable that Fitzgerald wrote a short story
called “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.”
Beauty parlors, beauty salons or beauty shops rapidly increased in numbers as
the demand grew for shampoos, cuts, curls, and waves. New machines and chemicals
produced “permanent” waves or curls. Coloring the hair increased and dyes,
including henna, achieved the desired dark auburn color hair. In The Great Gatsby
Jordan responds to a comment, “You’ve dyed your hair since then.”
This McCall swimsuit pattern of 1927 offers the home sewer a choice of Vor round-collared necklines and slits or pleats in the belted tunic top. The
shorts are suspended from a shell.
This young swimmer wears a sleeveless knitted wool tunic-style swimsuit
with short trunks and a bathing cap.
Along with the new haircut, the use of makeup became essential to the
fashionable young woman. The face, eyebrows, eyes, lips and fingernails were
colored and shaped into a new look.
The face color of the 1920s was achieved by applying a thin layer of cream and,
while still moist, using a puff to add ivory powder. This created a pasty finish in a
pale tone. A rose or raspberry color was added to the apple of the cheeks in a circle
shape. Liquid, cream and powder rouge were available. Eyebrows were tweezed thin,
penciled dark brown or black, and slanted downward toward the temple. A wax
beading cosmetic was applied to the eyelashes, and the area around the eye was
darkened with black grease sticks. The lips were drawn into a “Cupid Bow” shape in
which the center of the red lips was extended vertically and the width of lips was
shortened. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald describes Catherine as having “…a
complexion powdered milky white. Her eyebrows had been plucked and then drawn
on again at a more rakish angle…” The fingernails were painted only in the center,
leaving the half-moon and tips bare. The favorite colors were shades of red.
This high-crown cloche hat is for more formal occasions. The brim is
gathered and shaped to partially cover one eye. The pearls and makeup
complete the 1920s look.
Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein and Max Factor operated makeup companies
by the 1920s which offered rouge, lipstick, face powder and even mascara. Compacts
to hold face powder, and twist-up lipstick cases were designed to be displayed in
public as young women“touched up” their makeup. The compact and lipstick were
carried in a purse and used in dining places between courses or at the end of the
meal.
With their tubular silhouette, bobbed hair, and Hollywood makeup the flappers
were ready to join the young men in the new exciting activities of the “Roaring
Twenties.”
This couple dances at a formal affair in evening wear. He wears tails with a
white tie, studs on the shirt front and cuff links. She is wearing a sleeveless
evening dress with a low back and fabric flowers cascading down her side.
MEN’S FASHIONS
both those who had survivedWorldWar I and those at home who had
seen the effects of the war, were eager to make changes in their clothing to
reflect their new thinking. In the 1920s, they sought a youthful, sleeker cut of
clothing and a wider variety of styles, colors and fabrics. The desired silhouette
showed boyish natural shoulders, a slightly defined waist and a slim leg.
Clothing for the American male was firmly embedded in the English style.
Edward, the Prince of Wales, was considered the best-dressed man in the world and
his style was widely copied by American men. News reports and photos of the prince
were a sartorial guide for the “dapper” man who wanted to look slim and youthful.
When the prince visited America in 1923, the clothing he wore became the byword
of sophistication. Men adopted his use of red ties, brown suede shoes, Fair Isle
sweaters, panama hats, double-breasted suits, blazers, and snap-brim felt hats for
their own wardrobes.
Wealthy men traveled to London to purchase custom-made wardrobes from the
long-established tailors on Savile Row. Ordering or hiring a buyer in London was
also a way to obtain the coveted clothing. Fitzgerald has Gatsby say, “I’ve got a man
in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of things at the beginning
of each season, spring and fall.”
In the United States men’s clothing was produced by independent tailors and
men’s ready-to-wear stores using photographs, drawings and actual garments to
achieve the English style. Independent tailors made garments to the customer’s
specifications. Men’s ready-to-wear stores produced garments to be sold in their
own stores with their store labels. Brooks Brothers in NewYork was one of the first
men’s ready-to-wear clothing stores. Brooks Brothers hired tailors to create stylish
men’s ready-to-wear clothing with the Brooks Brothers labels. A fashion icon
throughout the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald helped to popularize several Brooks
Brothers innovations, including the button-down and attached collar shirts, which
were quickly adopted. Other American men’s-wear brand names were Hart,
Schaffner & Marx and Hickey-Freeman. Men’s clothing became stratified into suits
worn for business, sportswear for informal casual wear and formal wear.
Y
OUNG MEN,
The 1927 Hickey-Freeman two-button suit with vest is moderately snug in
the hips, high in the waist and has wide shoulders.
Suits, consisting of matching coat, pants and vest, fit close to the body to achieve
the slim look desired by young fashionable men. The suit jacket had natural
shoulders and hung in straight lines to the thigh with a slight curve at the waistline.
The single-breasted jacket was made in two- and three-button styles and was worn
with all the buttons fastened. Double-breasted styles had two sets of buttons, which
were also worn all fastened. Lapels ranged from 2½ inches to 3¾ inches. All of the
jackets had pockets, which included a breast pocket highlighted with a handkerchief
and slash or patch pockets on the fronts. The jacket had a very short back vent or
none at all.
Suit trousers, or pants, fit slightly above the natural waist and were full-cut with
two pleats on each side of the center front that was closed with a button fly. The legs
were cut straight, with legs measuring 18 to 21 inches in circumference at the cuffed
hem. The trousers were supported by braces that buttoned on the inside of the
waistband. Toward the end of the decade, belts were beginning to be worn instead of
braces, which resulted in some trousers appearing with belt loops.
The collarless vest (waistcoat) of the suit came in both single- and double-
breasted styles, both of which were worn with the single-breasted coat. The vest was
cut high enough that it showed above the lapels of the coat and extended down to
cover the waist of the pants. The bottom edge of the vest could either be straight or
shaped to a point on either side of the center front. There was a breast pocket over
the left chest and two pockets near the hem on either side of the center front. As the
wristwatch became popular, lower vest “watch” pockets were seldom used. Suits
were made in a variety of colors including navy blue, medium gray, browns and pale
colors such as tan, grays, blue grays and gray blues.
As the cultural informality of the 1920s grew, the need for more casual clothing
evolved. The male wardrobe nearly doubled in size as the new concept of “odd”
clothing—pants, coats and vests that did not all match in color and fabric—was
adopted. This new “sportswear” was worn at sporting events, resorts and other
informal places.
Odd jackets, called sports coats, were styled like the suit coat, both single- and
double-breasted, and appeared in several colors and fabrics. One new style was the
blazer, which was dark blue, often double-breasted and had metal buttons. A
descendant of British sailing attire, the blazer had great appeal for American men as
a status symbol.
The automobile is the background for this man in a 1926 two-button suit that
is proportioned to fit a youthful, athletic figure. It is shown with a striped
four-in-hand tie and a fedora.
This six-button double-breasted suit was offered by Hickey-Freeman in the
fall of 1928.
This two-button suit with vest was offered by Hickey-Freeman in the fall of
1928.
This 1927 Hickey-Freeman suit with vest is modeled in front of an Art Deco
stained glass. Its chief features are wide shoulders, high waistline, new lapels
and a snug fit over the hips.
Odd pants were called slacks and were styled like suit pants. They were made in
many fabrics, including wools, Harris tweeds, linen and flannel. Both winter and
summer colors included tan, gray, green, pale blue, pale green, lemon, metallic grays
and tobacco brown. Additionally, slacks made of striped fabrics with white and
colored backgrounds were worn.
One of the most popular styles of the odd pants was the very loose white flannel
trousers. They were worn by men who were extremely class-conscious and wanted to
visually remove themselves from the less financially fortunate. In The Great Gatsby,
Nick describes that for the lawn party he “dressed up in white flannels….”
The two other kinds of odd pants worn by men were the trousers called Oxford
Bags and knickers. The British fashion of Oxford Bags was adopted by young
American men. They were voluminous gray flannel or worsted pants (initially
intended to be worn over knickers) that measured at least 24 inches in circumference
at the knee and tapered to 21 to 24 inches around at the cuffed hem. College men and
other daring young men wore these voluminous pants with shirts, ties, vests,
sweaters and sports coats.
Knickers were worn by college boys and mature men on and off the golf course.
Knickers were pants which ended about 4 inches below the knee, with the fullness of
the fabric gathered into a band. As the decade progressed knickers grew even longer
and fuller. Knickers could be odd and worn with odd vests and coats, or as a suit
with matching coat and vest. Knickers were worn with a shirt, tie, vest and coat, as
were knicker suits. The knickers and knicker suit were offered in the same colors as
suits and other sports clothes and in a variety of fabrics, including wool tweed, linen,
flannel, gabardine, whipcord and cotton. Young men demanded belt loops on the
knickers, instead of brace buttons, to accommodate a belt. American manufacturers
offered knicker suits with the addition of matching trousers.
The odd vest was styled like the suit vest. It was worn with slacks or knickers
and the sports coat. The vest could match the coat or pants, or be entirely different
from both in color and fabric.
In the 1920s all shirts had long sleeves and were worn over the underwear and
under the vest. Only a small portion of the shirt showed, in the space above the vest
and below the collar. At the beginning of the decade shirts had detached collar and
cuffs. During the decade, the shift was made to shirts with a 1½-inch attached semistiff collar, called a fold-over. The semi-stiff collar offered by the Cluett, Peabody &
Company (Arrow Shirt) and Van Heusen Company looked like a starched collar, but
felt soft. There were often buttons on the shirt to hold the points of the collar (the
button-down collar) in place. Tabs or collar pins were used to hold the points of the
collar in place under the knot of the tie. Collars and cuffs either matched the
material of the shirt or were white and fastened with cuff links or buttons.
In 1928 Hickey-Freeman advertised this brown double-breasted suit with
wide shoulders and narrow waist. The trousers are pleated at the waist. His
accessories include striped shirt, tie, handkerchief, gloves, cane and fedora.
Shirts in white, blue, green and yellow, both in solid colors and stripes, were
popular. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald describes Gatsby’s shirts: “He took out a
pile of shirts … shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel … shirts with
stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange,
with monograms of Indian blue.”
This Duncan single-breasted knicker golf suit is extra roomy across the
shoulders. The suit and vest were produced by Hickey-Freeman in 1924. The
model wears argyle socks and has a mustache and slicked-back hair with
part.
Overcoats appeared in both single- and double-breasted styles that fell to about 4
inches below the knee. The coat fastened with buttons, with either a fly or plain
style. There was a long pleat in the back to allow for sitting. All of the coats had
wide, peaked lapels, slightly curved body lines and patch or flap pockets on the
lower fronts. The sleeves were cuffed or straight with three or four non-functional
buttons placed at the back seam. Coats with raglan sleeves usually had an all-around
belt, while the other styles had no belts or a half-belt in the back. The overcoat was
made of wool, in black and white or brown and white herringbone tweed, camel, and
lighter colors of gray, brown and blue.
This man is dressed for a daytime formal affair. He is wearing a morning suit
with a wing-collar shirt, ascot with a stick pin, dove-gray vest, black and gray
checked trousers and dove-gray spats and hat.
Formal wear for men was dictated by the time of day and the formality of the
occasion. Daytime formal wear required the morning coat. The morning, or cutaway,
coat was standard for events during the day until 6 p.m. The coat had a collar which
matched the coat while the notched or peaked lapels were made of satin or grosgrain
fabric that contrasted with the fabric of the coat. The coat buttoned at the waist with
one button. The hemline was then shaped in a curving line from the waistline at the
front to the tails at the back ending behind the knee. A center back vent allowed the
tails to be separated for sitting. The coat was dark gray wool with a breast pocket,
which held a gray silk square. The dove-gray vest was double-breasted and closed at
mid-chest. It was worn over a white shirt with a stiff wing collar and stiff cuffs
closed with cuff links. There were three choices for neckwear: the silver and white
striped cravat held in place with a fancy stick pin, the black bow tie, or the four in
hand (necktie) with stripes of gray and lavender. The trousers were of gray and black
stripe with grey braid down the out seam. Completing the look was a silk top hat,
gray spats and gloves and black shoes. Black or navy-blue overcoats could be worn
with daytime formal wear.
Formal events after 6 p.m. required the tailcoat. The front of the tailcoat was cut
so that it did not close. It had a collar that matched the coat material and peaked
lapels faced with satin or grosgrain. A set of three decorative buttons was placed at
an angle on the front from the waistline toward the shoulder. A breast pocket held a
white silk square. There was a seam at the waistline from which tails in the back
extended to the break of the knee. A white pique vest, single- or double-breasted,
with a low rounded cut was closed with pearl or pique-covered buttons and dipped
below the front edge of the coat. A white stiff-front shirt, with a stiff wing collar and
cuffs, was fastened with studs and matching cuff links. White pique bowties were
required. The trousers matched the coat in black or midnight-blue wool and were
finished with braid down the side seams. Black shoes, black socks and white gloves
completed the look. An overcoat or cape matched the color of the tailcoat and was
worn with a black silk top hat, often collapsible, white neck scarf and gloves.
This advertisement for Arrow Collars shows a low collar worn with a threebutton suit, odd vest, shirt, necktie, gloves, and boater hat.
The 100-percent llama hair overcoat offered in natural undyed colors has
patch pockets and is shown in a single-breasted style with fedora and gloves
in 1929.
An Arrow Collar advertisement boasts a summer collar with a permanent
cravat space and front and back “snap-on” oval buttonholes for ease in
buttoning. The man wears the shirt and collar with a suit and straw boater
In this easy, more informal time, fashion-forward young men could wear the
tuxedo, or dinner jacket, for semi-formal events. The tuxedo was a suit-length coat,
single- or double-breasted, with satin lapels and covered buttons. The same stifffront, wing-collar shirt worn with the tailcoat was worn, but with a black bowtie. A
matching black or white vest was worn with the single-breasted jacket. A vest was
not worn with a double-breasted jacket. The trousers were cut like the suit pants with
the addition of black grosgrain or satin stripes on the side seam. The tuxedo was
black or midnight-blue wool with the satin trim in a matching color. The chosen
shoe for the tuxedo was a black patent leather plain-tip.
In 1924, Hickey-Freeman advertised this double-breasted overcoat “in fine
foreign fabrics in beautiful colorings,” which combined looking good, feeling
good and warmth. The model is shown with a pocket square, fedora, gloves
and cane.
The style of men’s everyday clothing was the same for all classes. The difference
in social levels was revealed in the quality of the fabric, tailoring and fit and the
colors. Formal wear and the new sportswear remained the exclusive clothing of the
upper classes.
American film star Lillian Gish in a 1922 photograph wearing a cloche hat
with a veil and flower decoration, sheer neck scarf and gauntlet gloves with
decorative stitching.
ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN AND
MEN
in the 1920s, accessories were necessary to complete
the fashion look. For men, suspenders (as braces now began to be known) were
used on men’s pants (trousers).They were attached on either side of the front fly
opening by two buttons and by one button on either side of the center back. They
were elastic from the back buttons to the base of theY and leather or silk from the
intersection of theY to the front buttons. Suspenders were considered “underwear,”
not to be seen by others, but new colorful designs were introduced as the vest was
removed in “informal” settings. Suspender patterns and colors included narrow
striping on solid colors, regimental stripes, checks in blue and white, red and white,
purple and white, black and white, and solids in bright reds, yellows and blues.
Belts were first used on knickers as early as 1925 when young American men
demanded belt loops. It was near the end of the decade before belt loops were being
put on suit pants and slacks, driving an increasing demand for the belt.
Low-quarter laced Oxford shoes became the most popular style of footwear for
dress and sportswear. Resort attendance established the fashion of white buck shoes
worn with white flannel slacks. The spectator shoe, a two-tone often with brown and
white or black and white, became very popular with the young. The design of the
shoes included wing-tip toe cap, straight-tip toe cap, plain-tip toe cap and strap over
the vamp. There were also plain low-quarter shoes in black, brown and tan.
Socks (also called hose/hosiery), worn with suits and sportswear, were
conservative solid colors that were knitted of lightweight wool, rayon and cotton
lisle yarns. Fancy dress socks knitted of silk were produced in solid and small
diamond or check patterns. Colors for both were medium gray, tan, dark brown, navy
blue and black. Sock garters were worn around the upper calf to hold up the socks.
The new argyle or decorated socks were worn with knickers both for sporting
events and on the golf course. Colors were chosen to relate to the sweaters and
knickers worn, so there were many plain colors and heather mixtures and large and
small diamond designs, cross and circular stripes, checks and plaids. These colorful
wool socks were imported from Sweden, Scotland, Norway and Spain because there
were very few machines in the United States capable of producing them.
F
OR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN
With his two-tone tennis shoes, this man wears a shirt with attached collar
and French cuffs closed with cuff links.
Hickey-Freeman shows a man in a suit coat with body-tracing lines and no
vent. He is holding a tennis sweater.
The necktie, always worn by fashionable men for dress and sports, included the
bow, a short tie worn under the collar and tied in a bow in front, and a four-in-hand.
The four-in-hand is a long tie worn under the collar and tied in a knot at the front
between the points of the collar, with the two tails hanging down to a few inches
above the pant waistband. Ties were made from wool, linen and silk and came in
many patterns including paisley, foulard, polka dot and stripes.
The cravat and ascot, terms often used interchangeably, were neck pieces with a
narrow center section widening to a paddle shape at each end. They were worn under
the shirt collar and secured with a decorative stick pin. They were seen with smoking
jackets and sporting wear, and worn around the neck inside the shirt.
Handkerchiefs, always worn, came in two styles, useful and decorative. Useful
handkerchiefs were made of cotton, white with a soft-colored border and less often
seen. Decorative handkerchiefs were tucked into a puff in the breast pocket without
the points showing. The decorative handkerchief was made of silk and in colors and
designs that coordinated with, but did not match, the tie.
Long-sleeved sweaters with a V-shaped or round neck were worn primarily for
golfing. Another favorite was a coat-style sweater which had a collar and buttoned
up the front. These styles were offered in the Sears, Roebuck catalog.
Men always wore hats, and hats followed the seasons in both materials and
styles. The favored hat in the 1920s was the soft felt fedora with a snap brim and
pinched crown, made in felt for winter and Panama straw for summer. The winter
felt came in light to medium gray, tan, black and brown, while the summer Panama
straw came in natural, white and gray. The boater, a straw hat with a hard, flat top
and brim, continued to be worn in the summer. All hats were decorated with flat,
wide ribbon bands around the crown.
A two-button suit with peak lapels and a vest with a “bit of air” was offered
to men of athletic build by Hickey-Freeman in 1926.
This man speaking on the telephone wears a 1925 double-breasted suit,
offered in grays and fancy patterns.
This single-breasted suit with vest, handkerchief and fedora posed on a ship
in a 1926 advertisement boasts of the American woolen mill that produces
the fabric.
Stepping from an airplane, this gentleman wears a single-breasted suit with
vest. He carries his fedora and overcoat and sports a stylish pencil mustache
and slicked-back hair with a part.
Fashionable men wore mufflers (square or long neck scarves) in white wool, silk,
crepes and twills. They wore them with overcoats or especially as they watched and
participated in sports such as golf and skiing.
Gloves also became a status symbol depicting the casual elegance of the wearer.
The wrist-length gloves were made of pigskin, goatskin and kid in both light and
dark shades.
Most men wore jewelry, especially a collar pin attached to the collar under the
tie to hold the points of the collar in place. Cuff links were often used for day wear
in cuffs of shirts. With formal wear, cuff links and matching shirt studs were
required and often were gold and set with precious stones. Other jewelry was limited
to a gold bracelet, signet ring and the new wristwatch.
Although most men were clean shaven, some completed their look with a pencil
line mustache, the only acceptable facial hair. Hair on the head was long on the top,
short on the sides and back and parted in the middle or on the side. Pomade gave
men’s hair the shiny patent leather look of Rudolph Valentino of Hollywood fame.
For women in the 1920s, the fashion for matching shoes and purses in color and
material became an ideal. The shoes and purses also matched the garment with
which they were worn to form an ensemble. This new concept of matching shoes,
purses and garments vastly increased the number of shoes and purses in a woman’s
wardrobe.
The shoes, as with the hose, became more visible and elaborate as the skirts
shortened. All shoes worn by the modern woman were low-quartered. Many shoes
closed over the instep or around the ankle with one or more straps or in a T-shape
and some had eyelets and ties. There were also shoes, called pumps, which had no
closure. Heel shapes included the spool, stack and block and ranged in height from 2
to 3 inches.
The woman’s afternoon shoe at top is a kid leather T-strap. The middle shoe
is an afternoon shoe of lizard in the Oxford style with ribbon laces. The
bottom is a two-tone sport shoe with leather laces and tassels.
Leathers used in shoes included kid, calf, lizard and alligator and some shoes
were made of fabric like velvet, silk, linen, and lamé. Shoe decorations of stitching,
appliques, rosettes, studs, tassels, jewels, buckles and bows were used lavishly.
Many colors and textures were used singly or in combinations.
An Oxford day shoe had either a rounded or pointed toe that tied with laces or
ribbons over the instep through metal eyelets. Others had straps, as many as three,
that buttoned or buckled on the side or front. The pump shoe was also worn during
the day.
The sports shoes had a low block or stack heel at 1½ inches. The two-tone, called
a spectator, was made with white buckskin and brown or black calf and closed with
laces or straps. Some of the sports shoes had rubber rather than leather soles.
The evening shoe was a pump style that had the same shape and heel as the day
shoe. Use of fabrics like satin and velvet and decoration of jewels and shiny buckles
made the shoes suitable for evening wear. At home lounging pajamas required
evening shoes.
This woman’s high-heeled shoe, 1925–29, has a split T-strap which forms an
inverted V from vamp to strap. The shoes are covered in a metallic
copper/bronze silk-textured weave and edged in gold metallic finished
leather. The boulevard set-under heels are lacquered with a metallic gold
finish and set with rhinestones.
This 1920 black silk velvet handbag is attached to a rectangular silver Art
Deco frame set with tiny marcasites and circular black stones (onyx?), lined
with dusty pink ribbed silk, and contains a small rectangular mirror.
Purses were carried throughout the day and evening and began to match the shoe
and coordinate with the dress. Both purses, clutch and bag, were made of fabric or
leather which was highly decorated with stitching, appliques or embroidery. The
clutch purse was carried in the hand or against the body under the arm. The bag
purse was mounted on a metal frame and had a short handle which sometimes
matched the material of the bag. Purses for evening were the bag style mounted on a
silver or gold frame with a handle that was made of chain. The evening bag was
usually beaded.
In addition, the short cropped hair required a new hat style, and small hats came
into fashion. The French cloche became the most popular hat. It was a mushroom
shape that fit tightly to the head and flared around the face with various brim
treatments, including the turned-up brim and short brim that angled down toward the
face. It was made of lightweight felt, straw or fabric and was stabilized with
grosgrain ribbon on the inside or outside of the hat. Fashion details were
accomplished by manipulating the material used into folds, pleats and tucks and
decorating the hat with ribbons, feathers, flowers, fur or jewels.
This high-crown cloche hat is made of felt and painted in colors. The brim
turns up or down to suit the wearer. The lips appear in the fashionable bow
style.
Other small hats worn were the turban, tam and beret. The turban was worn both
for day and evening events, while the tam and beret were day hats. Hats were worn
with all manner of dress, but there were a few occasions during the 1920s when
women went hatless with only a decoration in the hair.
Because hats were an integral part of women’s attire, they were sold in
department stores and in Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co.
catalogs. Clara Bow, an American movie star, modeled cloche hats in the 1927
Sears, Roebuck catalog. There were many millinery shops in many towns and cities
in the US which produced custom hats designed or copied from Paris fashion.
The deep, domed crown of this cloche hat is peach, probably satin, overlaid
with a silver metallic lace. Leaf shapes of dark pink velvet form a fan-motif at
the front, with the lowest leaves on each side extending to form a shallow
brim. The leaves and brim are quilted with metallic silver stitching. The hat is
lined in pink satin. The label reads “Pittsburgh/Character Hats/New
York/Trade Mark Reg./US Pat. Office.”
Clara Bow, a Hollywood actress, is featured in this catalog advertisement for
cloche hats.
In all seasons, scarves were worn around the neck hanging down loose, tied close
to the neck, or wrapped around the neck with the ends ending in tassels or secured
with a brooch. They were made of various decorative materials including fur,
feathers, silk with fringe and velvet.
The cover of a 1929 Delineator magazine featuring an artist’s rendering of a
woman wearing a cloche hat, makeup and painted fingernails. She is wearing
an Art Deco-style ring.
Cloth gloves were always worn in the summer and leather gloves in fall and
winter. They came to about 2 inches above the wrist and were decorated with
buttons, punched holes, stitching, embroidery and shaped edges.
This lady wears a fur animal stole with a three-piece crêpe de Chine outfit.
The front pleated skirt matches the long-sleeved jacket that has pockets,
buttons and a belt. The blouse has long sleeves and a square neckline.
Women of means wore jewelry created with precious jewels, including pearls,
onyx, emeralds, diamonds and rubies, which were used singly or in combinations.
Many of the jeweled pieces were designed in the Art Deco style. Necklaces, often
multiple strands that hung to the hip line, were worn with long dangling earrings,
brooches, bracelets and rings. When Coco Chanel introduced fake precious stones
and plastic in her jewelry, it made the use of costume jewelry not only acceptable,
but desired.
A fad of hanging complete small animals around the neck and shoulders or
draped over an arm began in the 1920s. Women wore fox or mink, complete with
legs, tails and heads with glass eyes. It could be a large single animal or several
smaller animals attached together side by side or end to end. These animals were
worn over day dresses, suits and coats in all seasons, certainly not for warmth, but as
a decoration.
Another accessory also defined the period: women who smoked in public carried
long cigarette holders. They were made in various showy materials ranging from
enamel, onyx, and bone to tortoiseshell and silver. The art and non-verbal
communication of smoking cigarettes became a new cultural signal of women’s
place in society.
The 1920s clothing fashions and accessories showcased the dapper American
man and woman flapper as they embraced the new lifestyle of the Jazz Age.
PLACES TO VISIT
Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Website: www.cincinnatiartmuseum.com
Founded in 1880s, this museum showcases American art, furniture and clothing.
The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores,
Michigan 48236. Website: www.fordhouse.org
Built in the late 1920s for the president and automotive designer of Ford Motor
Company and his wife, who were both prominent American philanthropists, it
houses a diverse collection of furniture, art, antiques and textiles.
The Henry Ford Museum, 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, Michigan 481244088. Website: www.thehenryford.org
Museum exhibits based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s
traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation from the early twentieth
century; displays include photography, clothing, jewelry, automobiles and
artifacts.
This evening coat is made from gold metallic brocade in a floral motif with
multicolored rectangles. It is trimmed in white fox fur, and closed with a
single button and lined with pink silk satin. The label reads “Hattie Moss,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
Miss Suzette Dewey, snapped beside her roadster in December 1927.
Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW Washington, DC
20008. Website: www.hillwoodmuseum.org
Marjorie Merriweather Post’s home, which contains decorative arts including
her clothing.
Kent State University Museum, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent, Ohio 4424-0001. Website:
www.kent.edu/museum/ Within the collection of twentieth-century fashion, most
major American and European designers are represented.
Meadow Brook Hall (Matilda Dodge Wilson Estate), 480 South Adams Road,
Rochester, Michigan 48309-4401. www.meadowbrookhall.org
One of the greatest American estate homes, built 1926–29 by Matilda Dodge
(widow of auto pioneer John Dodge), and her husband Alfred Wilson. Showcases
original art, furnishings, jewelry, and costumes and textiles.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, NewYork 10028.
Website: www.metmuseum.org
Houses extensive American clothing collection and the Irene Lewisohn Costume
Reference Library.
Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
Website www.phxart.org
The collection includes fashion from the eighteenth to the late twentieth century
and major American and European designers including Coco Chanel.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, 2250 Reynolda Road, Winston Salem,
North Carolina 27106. Website: www.reynoldahouse.org
Costumes on display include clothing from the Reynolda family from the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
This evening dress of georgette illustrates three fashion notes—the bolero,
soft girdle snugly held with a decorative buckle and bias flying panels in the
skirt.
Texas Fashion Collection, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.
Website: www.tfc.unt.edu
Dedicated to the preservation and documentation of historical fashion, the
collection is a resource for students, researchers and the general public.
FURTHER READING
This Fabulous Century: 1920–1930 Volume III. Time-Life Books, NewYork, 1985.
Clark Smith, Barbara and Peiss, Kathy. Men and Women: A History of Costume,
Gender and Power. Smithsonian Museum, National Museum of American
History, Washington, DC, 1990.
Laver, James. Costume and Fashion: A Concise History. Thames and Hudson Inc.,
NewYork, 1982.
Madsen, Axel. Chanel: A Woman of Her Own. Henry Holt and Company, NewYork,
1991.
Martin, Richard. Jocks and Nerds, Men’s Style in the Twentieth Century. Harold
Koda, Rizzoli, NewYork, 1989.
Mizener, Arthur. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Thames and Hudson Inc., NewYork, 1987.
Mulvey, Kate and Richards, Melissa. Decades of Beauty: The Changing Image of
Women 1890s–1990s. Hamlyn, London, 1998.
Peacock, John. Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook.
Thames and Hudson Inc., NewYork, 2000.
Russell, Douglas. Costume History and Style. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1982.
Schoeffler, O. E. and Gale, William. Esquire’s Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men’s
Fashions. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, NewYork, 1973.
Torrens, Deborah. Fashion Illustrated: A Review of Women’s Dress 1920–1950.
Hawthorn Books, Inc. Publishers, NewYork, 1975.
Warren, Geoffrey. Fashions and Accessories 1840–1980. Schiffer Publishing Ltd,
Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1997.
Published in Great Britain in 2013 by Shire Publications
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© 2013 LaLonnie Lehman.
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as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be
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ISBN-13: 978 0 74781 299 9
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COVER IMAGE
‘Where’s there’s smoke there’s fire’, by Russell Patterson, 1920s.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
PVH, NY, W Diamond Group, New York, NY and Commercial Pattern Archive, University of Rhode Island
were especially generous in providing images as was Meadow Brook Hall, Michigan and Hillwood Estates and
Garden, Washington, D.C.
My heartfelt thanks to Debra Krajec, Linda Peckham, Jim Rogers, Maggie Thomas and Heather Carr for their
input on this project. Thanks also to my supporters Margaret Summy and Sara Smith. Gratitude goes to my
family, WayneWetsel, Gregg, Meg, Kendall and Marshall Lehman and Scott and Harley Lehman for their
encouragement and patience. Ruth Sheppard, my editor at Shire Publications, provided excellent guidance,
help and support for which I am so appreciative.
PHOTOGRAPH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Advertising Archive, pages 16, 32, 33; Bridgeman Art Library/Cincinnati Art Museum page 14; Chandler
Smith, page 10 (top); Commercial Pattern Archive, University of Rhode Island (Joy Emery), pages 18, 19, 25,
27 (bottom), 38; W. Diamond Group, NewYork, NY, pages 42, 43 (left, top and bottom right), 44, 45 (top and
bottom), 48, 49 (bottom), 52 (bottom), 53 (left and right), 54 (left and right); Hillwood Estates and Garden,
Washington, DC, page 26; Library of Congress, pages 7 (top right), 10 (bottom), 50, 61; Mary Evans Picture
Library, pages 13, 30, 46; Mary Evans Picture Library/Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo, page 11; Mary Evans
Picture Library/Interfoto, page 8; Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection, pages 1, 6 (bottom), 37, 58
(top); Mary Evans/Peter & Dawn Cope Collection, pages 7 (top left), 22, 23, 35, 58 (bottom); Mary
Evans/TAH Collection, page 28 (top); The Granger Collection/Topfoto, pages 4, 21; Collection of Meadow
Brook Hall, page 27 (top); Texas Fashion Collection, University of North Texas, Denton, pages 55 (bottom),
56, 57 (bottom), 60 (left and right); PVH, NY, pages 3, 40, 47 (bottom), 49 (top), 52 (top). All other images
from author’s collection.
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