1920s Mature Women Fashion, Mrs. Clothing

Harmony in Dress ; The Charm of Beautiful Clothes, 1924. Women’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

The 1920s was a decade that admired youth. Fashions after 1924 were near-replicas of little girls’ clothing from the prior decade. Waifishly thin, flat chested, short haired, and full of energy was the ideal image of the flapper girl.  For the mature woman, the matron, the Mrs, and the middle to late aged wife, fashions diverted to more appropriate designs for her age and changing body shape.

1925 Sheer Slip Dresses with Jackets

What did Mature Women Wear in the 1920s?

While I dislike giving an age, let’s assume we are talking about women who are over 40 (this includes myself) up through their elderly years. 1920s commentary referred to women of this age as matrons. By the end of the 1920s, however, the matronly image was replaced by the idea of Conservative fashion – which could apply to young, modest women as well. Fashions for the mature were usually joined in with fashion for stout figures (plus sizes) since age and body shape often go hand in hand.

1927 Stout and Mature Fashions

Mature women tended not to change their wardrobes as quickly as the young. Mothers frequently spent extra income on their daughters’ wardrobes instead of their own. As women grew wiser, the spending on new clothes diminished. This is why you will often see photos of mother and daughters, the older with older fashions and the younger with the current trends such as these:

Not following youthful fashion trends didn’t mean the Mrs. were unfashionable, however.  A good designer would work with the client to choose fabrics, colors, and trim that complemented her age, complexion, social status, and body type. A designer would take elements from the current trends and apply them to dresses that the wearer felt comfortable in. For many, this meant long sleeves, high necklines, no waistbands, long hemlines, dark colors, and minimal decoration. It sounds boring, but in fact 1920s mature women’s fashion were quite elegant, refined, and timeless.

1924 Mrs. Coolidge & Mrs. Dawes Slip Dresses

I turned to a few sources to figure out exactly what older women wore. The first are style and etiquette books, which usually have a small chapter on dressing the matronly woman. The second are clothing catalogs and fashion ads that offer only a few options for the matron/conservative dresser. And finally, photographs. Most of the photos on this page were found at Loc.gov, where I searched for “Mrs.” and “Wife” to get a good selection of  portraits and snapshots, mostly of well-to-do wives of presidents, politicians, and business leaders.

1925 Mr. & Mrs. F.W. Pethick-Lawrence of Great Britain

Early 1920s Mrs. Clothing

The early 1920s and the late 1920s had very different fashions. Mature women at the start of 1920s were still dressing in their WWI frocks, furs, and wide hats.  These full-length dresses had a wide draping panels or a matching long jacket, an empire or slightly lower waistband, wide loose 3/4 sleeves, and elaborate trimming. Lace was a popular fabric as well as velvets,  embroidered sheers, and textured damask types. The silhouette worked well for the mature woman without sacrificing style.

Mid 1920s Mature Dresses

The mid 1920s (1922 to 1925) saw the tunic dress or slip-over dress without a waistband become fashionable. These extremely comfortable dresses were minimally decorated with embroidery, beading, and soutache trim. They could have had a faux waistband dropped low around the hips but tunic layers, vertical pleats, and side gathers were also common.  Elegant fabrics and well-placed trim made these simple clothes very chic!

These mid 1920s long waist-free dresses and evening gowns remained the most popular style for mature and plus size women for the entire decade.

Late 1920s Mature Fashion

After 1925, ladies’ fashions became what we imagine the 1920s drop waisted dresses with short hemlines look like. For the mature woman, hemlines were rarely above mid-calf and drop waistbands and belts were thin and very loose. Long sleeves were worn year-round, or a light sheer cape or jacket was donned to top a sleeveless dress.

Solid dark colors were preferred, except in summer, where there was plenty of pastel and white dresses.  Prints were also becoming more popular outside of housedresses, giving women the option to express their Modern personality.

House and Day Dresses

Most for the above images are for elegant daytime events and early evenings, where women dressed up in their best frocks, nicest hats, and all the necessary accessories. For housewear or casual daytime tasks, women made cotton dresses in stripes, checks, and plaids.

Evening Gowns

While I was unable to find many good photos of evening dresses for mature women, I did see a definite trend.  Long slip dresses with either long full sleeves, sleeveless with a sheer cape, sheer sleeves to cover the arms. Beading was found on some very elegant gowns, but for the most part no one looked like a flapper.

“In evening clothes she disregards any inclination toward the mode which declares a sleeveless bodice; tho her sleeve may be somewhat open and of trans-parent gauzy lace, it should, however, still be long and graceful. She may safely wear for evening a V neck-line softened by net or tulle. A square décolletage may be softened in the same way. Her tea-gown should suggest the very qualities of tenderness and queenliness which we associate with the woman over fifty. This gown is very becoming to one who may do much informal entertaining in her own home. ” – How to Dress Well, 1924, by Margaret Story

1920s Style Dress Brands for the Mrs.

While there is a plethora of fringed flapper dresses for sale online, the selection for the mature or modest woman takes a bit more work to find. Here are my favorite brands and websites for 1920s inspired dresses with sleeves, jackets, long hems, simple silhouettes, etc

• VintageDancer- Start here with my handpicked selection of non-flapper dresses.
• RM Richards at Macys – Jacket dresses, short and long
• SL Fashions– Sheer, tiered, jacket dresses. Plus sizes included.
• Alex Evenings at Macys or Nordstrom– Lace dresses with jackets
• Komarov at Nordstrom – Floral and evening dresses with sleeves $400+
• JD Williams  (UK) has brands Nightingales and Joann Hope with lace, beaded and jacket dresses
• Papell at Nordstrom – Elegant long beaded, sequin or lace gowns
• Soulmates at CoutureCandy – Unique long dresses, some with jackets

Fashion Advice for the Mature and Elderly

Fabric Selection

“Aside from all these considerations, fabrics should be selected from the point of view of the wearer’s age. Brocades, moiré, and heavily embroidered designs are appropriate for mature, medium-large, or large figures; plain-surface fabrics, plaids, and checks are more suitable for girls and young women; and soft, richly elegant materials usually prove lovely for the elderly person. Hard-surface materials, such as cheviots and tweeds, are rarely becoming to a mature woman, the softer, smooth-surface materials, such as broadcloth and duvetyn, lending themselves much better to her requirements.” – Harmony in Dress,  1926

1920s Patterns-  Vintage, Reproduction Sewing Patterns

Colors

“White and delicate pink and all the pink and silver grays are lovely, as well as the lavenders, deep purples, and sometimes deep burgundy, brown, or blue. And black itself can be so used as to give dignity and charm without being lifeless and ordinary.” – Harmony in Dress,  1926

Good Colors for Mature Women

Hats

“Hats are to be seriously considered. Never should she wear the drooping-brimmed big hats, but always the medium-sized hat or small toque. ” – How to Dress Well, 1924, by Margaret Story

1921, Smaller Hats with Small to Medium Brims (R) or a Toque (L)

“A head of lovely soft hair requires a soft, friendly hat, not a severe, tailored one; scant heads of hair, also, need friendly hats. Habit, as a rule, makes every woman reasonably neat by the time she has reached the age of 60, and if her pride has survived she usually is definitely alert to the needs of cleanliness. So the selection of dress that is fitting to her station in life and her social needs and purposes is what should receive most of her consideration.” – Harmony in Dress,  1926

1928 cloche hats for matrons

Shoes
“All elaborate patterns or combinations of leather are to be avoided in shoes. Black suède or leather are suitable for the morning. For formal occasions, her slippers may have buckles of rhinestones, of cut steel, or of cut jet. For sports, her clothes and shoes should be very conservative. Hosiery should always match the shoes.” – How to Dress Well, 1924, by Margaret Story

Flowers

“To this age of woman belongs the purple charm of orchids or violets. Her perfumes are the faintest essence of flowers, and their fragrance is like a delicate aura about her personality.” – How to Dress Well, 1924, by Margaret Story

Tips for Today

While the above advice is fun to read, it’s not always applicable to our modern day challenges.  Here are some common question and answers about dressing 1920s for the mature body.

Where can I buy a dress with sleeves?

The choices for long sleeve daytime dresses are fewer than fringe and beaded flapper dress. This page will help find you some options. In some cases, brands that handmake clothing to order can add long sleeves, a longer hemline, or other simple alterations, so don’t ignore anything that looks too short or has short sleeves. A too-short dress can be lengthened by wearing a longer skirt underneath. For plus size dresses, look here.

For evening attire I look for long slip dresses with or without sleeves. Beaded or lightly sequined long dresses are in style now, so they will be fairly easy to buy.  If a dress you like is sleeveless, you can add a sheer jacket, scarf coat, kimono coat, capelet, or fur stole. Shop coats and wraps here.

I don’t look good in the drop waist dress style. What do I wear?

I understand. The loose fit of 1920s clothes does make women of all ages and sizes look wider. I wouldn’t size down in clothes or try to add much of an hourglass waist but instead accept that the 1920s silhouette is what it is. Once you add accessories, the entire outfit will come together beautifully. You may not look as thin as you desire but you will be historically accurate, and magically it just works!

Another option is to chose an early 1920s look which has a natural waistline. These are more flattering on women who have curves or pear shaped bodies. The no-waistline slip dress looks well on apple shaped bodies. Going later into the 1930s can also be an option for “Art Deco” events that have a broader time frame.

I hate wearing dresses. Can I wear pants?

Women wearing pants didn’t come into style until the 1930s. There are a few exceptions in the late 1920s. A modern wide leg pantsuit with a light sheer jacket is a decent compromise between 1920s and 2020s.  See more history of 1920s women wearing pants here and these casual outfit ideas.

I can’t wear heels. Can I wear flats?

Yes you can. While 1920s women were very accustomed to wearing heeled boots and Oxford shoes, the heel heights were lower for mature women. Maybe an inch or two.  If you can’t have any heel, then choose a flat with a T strap or Mary Jane single strap.  Here are some flat shoes and heeled shoes.  And if  you need wide sizes, we have those listed here.

What about the fashions for the Elderly?

Ladies lucky enough to live to very old age often still dressed like they were Victorians and Edwardians (20-plus years older fashions in a loose fit). Simple black or white dresses with a white lace collar seemed to be  a favorite look. Boots instead of low shoes were a must! Long hair was pulled back into a low bun. Glasses may have been worn.

1921 Wearing White and Black

1922 Mrs. Guinelly

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