The “Roaring 20′s” are generally known for their elegant, daring style.
This was the Jazz Age, the time of flappers, of shorter skirts and the beginnings of the modern look in fashion. Even today, 1920′s style parties are popular and often the guests will all dress up in their version of 20′s attire and do their best to dance to vintage music like the Charleston. Some of the biggest selling items in my own store, in fact, are 1920′s party invitations and the matching stamps and accessories. So I think it’s safe to say that the lure of our version of the 1920′s continues to draw us in.
Well, to me what is even more exciting is finding an actual, authentic, vintage version of true 1920′s style. And that’s just what I found in the December 1926 issue of McCall’s magazine. This issue is full of gorgeous fashion illustrations, but better yet, the article also explains what the exact details of the current fashion trends were.
So if you would like to come along on a fashion journey back to 1926, just read on!
1. Girdled Hiplines Much in Evidence
“Slim skirts with pleated fullness, hips tightly girdled and a loose blouse that droops over the girdle are the leading features of a variable mode. Sleeves loose at the wrist are featured.”
2. The New Turbans Smartly Draped
“There are few brims. Crowns are higher with much fullness softly draped, the tilt exaggerated toward the back as in the African turbans.”
3. The Formality of Modes
“It is well to take these new street frocks with serious consideration. They represent the new movement away from simplicity, from the chemise type that has prevailed for years. They stick to the straight and narrow, but they flaunt a sophistication, a more formal air that has crept into the mode. They are different.”
4. Daytime Sports Frocks
“There is no doubt that the increasing outdoor activities of women are a dominant influence on all frocks to be worn in the daytime. A certain elegance, as the French term it, appears in house frocks. Take the costumes on this page, each correct in detail and accessories. They are worn from morn to night no matter what the hour or occasion. The fabric makes the only difference. Lame kasha and silk velvet are often used for such models as these. Embroidery and flowers are utilized to provide the necessary brilliant color. Hats and shoes match.”
As far as skirts with fullness in the front,
“It is the present day posture of the young girl that induces fashion makers to marshal fullness to the front. The new generation of slender, supple girls can wear with grace these frocks with flat backs and front decoration.”
I found this to be a fascinating article, both for the stylish illustrations and for the very detailed explanation of the fashion trends of the day. And hopefully if you have a 1920′s party to attend, you’ll now have the advantage of knowing exactly what to wear!
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