Every occasion in the 1920’s did not require women to wear dresses. Separates (skirt and blouse) had been popular for a few decades before the 20s. They were a comfortable and fashionable option for daywear as well as economical since they could be mixed and matched creating several outfits from only a few items. The low waistline that was so popular in dresses that it began to show up in blouses, which were often worn loose and untucked to hide women’s natural curves.
Blouses were pullovers that buttoned down the front and had a another set of buttons on either side of the waist band. Shirtwaists or just ‘waists’ were loose pullover tops with a single button at the back of the neck. Ties on the side or a bow on the back waist pulled in at the hips just a little.
Sleeves came in mostly long sleeves with wide cuffs at the wrist. Some were bell shaped and 3/4 length and still others were shorter summer sleeves. Eventually blouses, shirts and waists became interchangeable terms for any women’s top.
1924 Women’s Blouses- Middy Blouse on the Left, Peter Pan collars in the center, pointed collar on the right.
Decorative 1920s Blouses
A crisp white or tan broadcloth blouse was a staple of many wardrobes. These lightweight, long-sleeved tops featured either rounded large Peter Pan collars or the over-sized pointed collar, perhaps with cute thin bows that either tied at the neck or hung down over the neckline. At the turn of the century, blouses were rather plain coming in white and black but in the 1920s there was an explosion of color. Interesting patterns and geometric shapes were embroidered into the designs too. Remember, this was the beginning of the art deco era and the modern styling showed up in more than furniture and buildings. Clothing designers took advantage of the trend with blouse designs inspired by geometry, folk art, Egyptian art and the far east. Peasant tops based on the Puerto Rican peasant dress, were also popular.
1920 Sheer Embroidered Blouses
The soft styling of sheer blouses made from crepe-de-chine was in vogue and they ranged in colors from cream to pale green or bold blue. The delicate fabrics were adorned with intricate beadwork, embroidery, or lace collars and trim to add to both the femininity and the visual interest. Short sleeve summer shirts called pixie blouses were made of cotton, broderie anglais, or crocheted and they typically had a scooped neckline with an opening at the back. Blouses were worn with separate skirts. Mixing colorful blouses and skirts was more common in the early to mid 1920’s. In the later years blouses lost their favor for a few years but returned again in the 1930’s when personal economy was required.
1922 Fall Winter Blouses- Folk Art Inspired Designs
Masculine 1920s Shirts
With so many other rules being tossed aside, there was no time like the Roaring 20s to dig into the man’s closet and see what could be adapted for women. There was a shift toward more masculine design for blouses in the middle of the decade. The midshipman’s white and navy top led to the creation of the “middy,” which is really just a sailor’s shirt that has been given a feminine touch. Middies were more popular with girls 14 and under, although women could find sizes that fit, too. Adults tended to favor the middy for sportswear, wearing it with wool skirts or knickers. Many women’s sports team adopted the middy as part of their uniform. The fabric was typically heavy twill cloth or wool flannel with the standard 1920s hip band and a single shirt pocket. Blue cuffs matched the sailor flap and neck tie. Navy middy tops were equally common as their white sisters.
1921 Middy Blouse Top
1924 Chicago Women’s Bowling Team in Middy Tops
Buying 1920s Style Blouses
Oh how I would love for 20s style blouses to come back in fashion.The amount of hand embroidery that went into each top would make them extremely expensive if remade today. While It is unlikely we can find fully embroidered blouses we do have some other options that will give us the right look. Shop here for new 1920s style blouses.
Peasant Blouse
Peasant Blouses – Are in fashion again. The style tends to lean towards the peasant tops of the 1960’s and 1970’s with a drawstring tied neck and elastic waistband. If you find a good sheer peasant top with a slit and neck tie simple remove the tie and sew up the slit- presto back to the 1920’s. I prefer the look of long sleeve peasant blouses with even a little embroidery. I have had good luck with some tops that button up the back at Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and Asian import stores like YesStyle (a hidden goldmine of vintage style anything.). Blouses with pin tucks or lace insets are very teens/1920’s. I have to restrain myself from buying every one of them that I come across. Blouses like these work well when matched with a 1920s style skirt.
Middy Style Top
Sailor Tops- Another in style item is the sailor top. Sailor blouses remained popular till the late 1950’s so they are still easily found among retro or vintage style clothing. Sailor neck ties over white blouses are also in style in the mainstream fashion world. Pretty much any sleeved sailor inspired top will work for a 20’s middy look. Match these with a skirt or pair of tweed knickers for a very sporty 20’s style.
