Boardwalk Empire is back! Season three kicked off a few weeks ago with plenty of booze, blood, and dresses. Unlike the previous two seasons, the dresses on season three showcase the best of 1920s “flapper” style gowns. Elaborately beaded with rich hues of gold, Boardwalk Empire opens on New Year’s Eve 1922 with an Egyptian themed party. Themed parties were the “in” thing to attend during the 1920s, and the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb put Ancient Egypt on the map and everything Egyptian became the latest fad. From clothing to jewelry to household decor, Tut-imania hit the western world by storm.
Boardwalk Empire Fashion
Boardwalk Empire writers, producers, and costumers did a nice job setting the scene, but it is a little premature. King Tut’s tomb wasn’t discovered until November 26, 1922 – one month before the big celebration. It was a little too soon for dresses to be inspired by the latest discoveries. It look several months to even begin categorizing and photographing all that was part of king Tut’s tomb. That and the delays in sharing the photographs around the world meant most people were not seeing the discoveries until at least 6 months later. The wave of Egyptian themed parties and clothing would not have been so abundant until at least 1924.
In any case, the clothing is gorgeousness and just like in 1922 the mania for gold, beads, and drop waist dresses is ever present today. Last year, I could barely find a 1920s style dress to include in my 1920s shopping resources page – now I am overwhelmed with choices, and more and more are being added daily. Boardwalk Empire, The Great Gatsby, and Downton Abbey are certainly helping to push the 1920s style dress revival.
For those who want a Boardwalk Empire inspired dress, your choices are plentiful if you want a fully beaded, fringed, or feather trimmed dress. Both long and short dresses are popular right now. There is a great selection of plus size Boardwalk Empire style dresses here too.
1920s Boardwalk Empire Dresses
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
