• Sign up for our weekly vintage fashion newsletter
  • search
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Vintage Dancer

  • Ask the Vintage Dancer!
  • Victorian
    • Women
      • Dresses
      • Skirts
      • Blouses
      • Nightgowns
      • Boots & Shoes
      • Hats
      • Sewing Patterns
      • Makeup & Beauty
      • More clothing….
    • Men
      • Suits & Coats
      • Boots & Shoes
      • Hats
      • Pants
      • Shirts
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • Victorian Outfit Guides
      • Easy Victorian Costume Guide
      • Civil War Costume Guide
      • Bustle Dress Costume Guide
      • Men’s Victorian Clothing Guide
    • Victorian Fashion History
    • Steampunk
      • Women
        • Dresses and Costumes
        • Plus Size Clothing
        • Jackets
        • Skirts
        • Boots & Shoes
        • Hats
        • Sewing Patterns
        • More clothing….
      • Men
        • Shirts
        • Vests
        • Pants
        • Jackets
        • Hats
        • Boots and Shoes
        • Goggles, guns
        • More clothing…
      • Steampunk Costume Guides
        • Women’s Steampunk Essentials
        • Men’s Steampunk Essentials
        • More Steampunk Ideas
  • 1910s
    • Women
      • Shoes & Boots
      • Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Evening Gowns
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Blouses
      • Skirts
      • Hats
      • Makeup & Beauty
      • Costumes
      • Sewing Patterns
    • Men
      • Suits and Coats
      • Formal Wear
      • Shirts
      • Pants
      • Hats
      • Shoes
      • Costumes
      • Men’s Sewing Patterns
    • 1900-1910s Outfit Guides
      • DIY 1910-1915 Dresses
      • Tea Dress Guide
      • Mens Formal Suit Guide
      • Men’s 1910s Fashion
    • 1900s-1910s Fashion History
  • 1920s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Daytime Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Shoes
      • Hats
      • Hair / Headbands
      • Costumes
      • Sewing Patterns
      • More clothing…
    • Men
      • Shoes & Boots
      • Hats
      • Shirts
      • Pants
      • Suits
      • Vests
      • Men’s Patterns
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • 1920s Outfit Guides
      • Flapper Costume Guide
      • Women’s Outfit Ideas
      • Casual Women’s Outfits
      • Men’s Outfit Ideas
    • 1920s Fashion History
  • 1930s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Tops
      • Skirts
      • Pants
      • Shoes
      • Sewing Patterns
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • Men
      • Suits
      • Shirts
      • Pants
      • Shoes
      • Hats
      • Men’s Patterns
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • 1930s Oufit Ideas
      • 1930s Women’s Fashion
      • 1930s Outfit Ideas
      • Men’s Fashion Guide
      • Men’s Outfit Ideas
      • 1930s Men’s Workwear
    • 1930s Fashion History
  • 1940s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Tops
      • Pants
      • Skirts
      • Shoes
      • Sewing Patterns
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • Men
      • Costumes
      • Suits
      • Pants
      • Shirts
      • Shoes
      • Hats
      • Men’s Patterns
      • More clothing…
    • 1940s Outfit Ideas
      • Women’s 1940s Fashion
      • Women’s Outfit Ideas
      • 1940s Fall Winter Outfits
      • Men’s 1940s Fashion
      • Men’s Outfit Ideas
    • 1940s Fashion History
  • 1950s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • House/Day Dresses
        • Cocktail Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Skirts
      • Pants
      • Tops
      • Shoes
      • Makeup Guide
      • Costumes
      • Sewing Patterns
      • More clothing…
    • Men
      • Suits, Coats
      • Pants, Jeans
      • Shirts
      • Jackets
      • Shoes
      • Hats
      • Men’s Patterns
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • 1950s Outfit Ideas
      • Women’s 1950s Fashion
      • Women’s Outfit Ideas
      • Men’s Fashion: Suits
      • Men’s Fashion: Casual
    • 1950s Fashion History
  • 1960s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Pants
      • Skirts
      • Tops
      • Jackets
      • Shoes
      • Makeup & Beauty
      • Costumes
      • Sewing Patterns
    • Men
      • Suits
      • Pants
      • Shirts
      • Jackets, Sweaters
      • Hats
      • Shoes
      • Costumes
    • 1960s Fashion Guides / History
      • 1960s Women’s Fashion
      • 1960s Outfit Ideas (Women)
      • 1960s Mens Outfits
      • 1960s Men’s Fashion, 60s Fashion for Men
  • 1970s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Plus Size Dresses
        • Evening Dresses
        • Wedding Dresses
      • Shirts
      • Pants, Jeans
      • Jumpsuits
      • Workout Clothes
      • Shorts
      • Skirts
      • Jackets
      • Shoes
      • Costumes
      • More clothing…
    • Men
      • Suits
      • Pants, Jeans
      • Shirts
      • Jackets & Sweaters
      • Shoes, Boots
      • Costumes
    • 1970s Outfit Ideas
      • Disco Fashion (Women & Men)
      • Women’s Fashion
      • Women’s Outfit Ideas
      • 1970s Fashion History
  • 1980s
    • Women
      • Dresses
        • Prom Dresses
      • Jeans/Leggings
      • Tops
      • Jackets
      • Sweatshirts, Sweaters
      • Workout Clothes
      • Shoes
      • Hats
      • Costumes
    • Men’s Clothing
  • Fashion History
    • Men’s Fashion
    • Victorian Fashion
    • 19100-1910s Fashion
    • 1920s Fashion
    • 1930s Fashion
    • 1940s Fashion
    • 1950s Fashion
    • 1960s Fashion
    • 1970s Fashion
    • Vintage Inspired Fashion
Vintage Dancer | 1920s Style Guide | Roaring 20s Fashion: The Jazz Age

Roaring 20s Fashion: The Jazz Age

1920's Style Guide Series- Learn 1920s Fashion History· 1920s Fashion History· Mens Fashions History

24 Apr 2013
1912 picture hat evening wear

Giant Edwardian hats and formality are a thing of the past.

It may have only been a year or two on the calendar, but the lifestyle of the Roaring 20s was lightyears away from the World War I era. Along with the change in culture, customs, and entertainment came a time of unbridled optimism. Money was spent freely thanks to the new concept of buying on credit. In America, women had been granted the right to vote in 1920 and could be seen heading off to jobs or college campuses in record numbers. Jazz music swept the nation and sparked new dance crazes like the Charleston and the Shimmy. And Prohibition? Forget about it! Alcohol flowed more freely than before the federal ban as men and women alike packed into speakeasies or made their own moonshine in homemade stills. The 1920s was a time of tremendous change and in the midst of it all was the change in fashion.

womens right to vote

1914- Silent no more. Women won the right to vote in 1920

Before the 1920s, women were confined to floor-length dresses with cinched waists pulled tight by corsets. Long sleeves kept bare skin hidden from sight. Hair was long and hats were often so ornate large that it is a wonder that any woman could keep her head from tilting to one side. For men, pants were creased and ties were not optional. A gentleman walking through the streets with short sleeves or without a coat and a vest may as well have been walking through the streets in his underwear.

1920 men suits and caps hats

The Roaring 20s brought an end to all of that, at least for the younger crowd. Inspired both by the modern art of the era as well as new roles for women in society, women embraced clothing that allowed them to move. Two-piece sweater and skirt outfits reflected the needs of the active modern woman. Skirts were shorter and featured slits or pleats. Dresses had low waists and were full at the hemline. After all, who could do the Charleston in a full-length gown and corset? And, just as scandalous as it was to show bare arms and legs, the short bobbed haircuts that women sported were equally shocking.

1927 men's wide suits, dramatic colors

1927 wide suits, dramatic colors

Men’s fashion underwent a shift, too. Gone was the stuffy formal attire and in came suits with more color. Patterned socks served as accents. Casual and laid-back was the rule as even ties were no longer a given. Close-cropped, slicked-back hair was all the rage. A hot summer day might find a man wearing a Panama hat or a straw Boater with a linen suit or sweater vest for a game of tennis.

One of the most iconic writers of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald, said, “There are no second acts in American lives” and the era certainly reflected that belief. The Great Depression may have been looming up ahead, but nobody knew about that in the 1920s. It was time to have fun and break old boundaries and for the people of the 1920s, they were ready to dress the part.

Continue reading 1920s fashion history for women and men.

___________________________________________________________________________

Recommended Reading:

The Modern Temper: American Culture and Society in the 1920s

debbie
We are Debbie and Oscar, your guides to dressing up like decades past. We are here to help you find clothing online and learn about vintage fashions as worn by everyday people, just like you. Need help with your outfit? Ask us anytime.
« 1920s Style Guide eMail Series-
1920s Women’s Fashion History- Part 1 »

Comments

  1. Erik Radock says

    April 26, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    This was great, looking forward to more of this series.

    • Debbie Sessions says

      April 26, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      Thank you. I am glad it is off to a good start.

  • Home
  • About The Vintage Dancer
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Disclosure:

This website is supported by advertising in the form of product links, banners, and sponsored articles. We may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking a link.  As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Read: Privacy Policy, Disclosure, Terms and Conditions

About Us

  • About VintageDancer.com
  • Newsletter eMail Sign Up
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Site Map
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Google +
  • Twitter
  • Tumbler
  • Blog Lovin
  • RSS Reader

How to Buy:

Click on the picture or title of the product and you will be redirected to the online merchant selling that item. Questions about sizing and shipping are answered on the merchants website.

VintageDancer.com links to clothing for sale online to make finding vintage inspired clothing easier.

Our Story

Dressing in vintage style clothing for a themed event or personal fashion is our passion. We turned a hobby into this website to make it easy to find vintage inspired clothing for women and men online spanning 1900-1960s. Our fashion history blog helps you create the look from decades past using vintage, vintage inspired and thrifty clothing, Need help? Ask us anytime.

Copyright © 2021 ·