1920s Evening Dress Accessories

The roaring 20s flapper look was an eveningwear style. Beaded dresses paired with strapped closed toes heels, long gloves, long pearl necklace, and a headband. It is an iconic look yet not exactly how most formal gowns looked. For a very elegant evening party the formal dress and accessories might look a little more like these:

As you can see the headband was an option but was not the most common. A long necklace was popular but so were arm bagels, drop earrings, and big feather fans. Accessories didn’t need to match the dress although they usually color coordinated with at least one other accessory. Here are some more authentic evening accessories to consider:

Hairstyles: Short rolls on the sides, a chignon (bun) in the back with the front waved, all over marcel waves or slicked back and very short cropped hair.

Hair Accessories: A headband across the forehead, tiara, hair comb or feather in a chignon. Shop hair accessories. 

Gloves: Long, over the elbow in white, matching the dress, or black for dark dresses. Notice the women in the pictures above were not wearing gloves. Gloves were removed at a party because eating would take place. Shop gloves. 

Shoes: Mary Jane, T-strap, and simple no-strap pumps with a 2-3 inch height. If you can’t wear heels a strappy flat or pointy toe ballet slipper is acceptable. Choose black for dark colors and silver, gold or matching pastels for light color dresses. Shop shoes. 

Stockings: Colored stockings to match the dress or white for lighter colors and black for dark dresses with back seams. Sheer nude was also an option in the later years. Never fishnets! Shop stockings. 

Wraps: A fluffy feather boa was one flirty accessory. So were fur shawls draped around the back and arms. Velvet and fringe trimmed scarf coats and wraps were the most elegant way to cover up arms for the evening. Shops wraps. 

How to Accessorize a 1920s Evening Dress

Bags: 1920s evening bags were beaded pouches with a long drawstring handle. Beaded, metal mesh or embroidered frame top bags were other options. They were small, only big enough to hold some makeup and coins. For your bag be sure to pick something big enough to hold your keys, ID, lipstick and cell phone. Shop bags. 

Jewelry: Necklace: A long bead necklace in a contrasting color to the dress, long bead or gold tassel necklace, or short chunky bead or pearl necklace. Bracelet: Arm bangles around the mid-arm or a gold snake cuff around the bicep is a unique 20s style inspired by Egyptian queens. Bangels were thick cuffs- they did not jingle around the wrist- push them up! Earrings: Short hair exposed long drop earrings in rich jewel tones or black gems set in silver, bronze or gold.  Shop jewelry. 

Other Accessories: Fan – Large ostrich feather fans were dramatic accessories. A small feather fan will be easier to find and still give the same 20s look. Cigarette holder– Jewel studded or long black cigarette holders were a fashionable way to do an un-ladylike thing- smoke cigarettes. A flask was another taboo accessory.  Shop accessories.

Learn more about 1920s formalwear for women and men here. 

1920s accessories: Mary Jane shoes, black stockings, gold fringe shawl, long white gloves, cigarette holder, drop earrings, gold and green bead necklace, green bead and pearl bracelet.

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