What was a woman to do in the 1920s if she did not want the boxy chemise silhouette of a flapper? Chances are she went for the softer, more classic robes de style look that was ushered in by French designer Jeanne Lanvin. A robe de style dress featured a close fit on top and … Read More about 1920s Robe de Style Dress

Last Friday, I organized my little costume society to dress up and attend The 2013 The Great Gatsby movie premiere. While we were not the only ones dressed up, I do believe we were the best dressed. We received many compliments from other movie goers, the theater staff and waitresses at our before and after … Read More about Great Gatsby Costumes for a Couple

The iconic image of a woman in the 1920s is the flapper. A photo of a tall thin woman in a drop-waist shift dress and a cloche hat instantly identifies the era. However, just as fashion of the 1970s covered far more territory than bell bottom jeans and tie-dye T-shirts, fashion in the Jazz Age … Read More about 1920s Plus Size Fashion in the Jazz Age

  Where the name 1920s flapper comes from is not exactly clear. Some claim it has to do with the “flap flap” sound young girls’ open galoshes made when they walked. Another theory is that flapper dates back from before World War I, when it originally meant prostitute but came to refer to any woman … Read More about 1920s Flapper | History of Flappers in the 1920s

Getting ready for a full year of 1920s Gatsby themed events means turning my sewing room into a 1920s fashion house. Flapper dresses, day dresses, house frocks, aprons, coats, and simple slips are all in the plans for this year. I might even make 1920s clothes for my husband. The first step to making a … Read More about 1920s Patterns – Vintage, Reproduction Sewing Patterns

“It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, Echoes of the Jazz Age Women’s fashion history in the 1920s took a dramatic shift along with the rest of society. Looking at the 100 years or … Read More about 1920s Women’s Fashion History- Part 1

  Do you want to learn about 1920s fashion history for both women’s and men’s fashion? I’m not just talking about flappers and bootleggers and high end designers, but real everyday clothing worn in the 1920s? For the past 2 years I have been researching 1920s fashion, gathering vintage photos and catalogs, and buying and … Read More about 1920s Style Guide eMail Series

A few weeks ago, I wrote about High School Boys’/Young men’s fashion in the 1920s. Now I want to take a quick look an teen girls clothing from the 1920s. It is a tricky subject to research, because the term teenager wasn’t used until the 1940s. In terms of buying clothing, high school age kids … Read More about 1920s Teenage Girls’ Fashion and Clothing Trends

T-straps was the most popular shoe style of the roaring twenties, but it was not the only shoe style available.  Women just loved to show off their feet in the 1920s. Having been hidden in boots and under long dresses for centuries, the foot was now something to be seen.  Lace up boots were still being … Read More about Vintage 1920s Footwear, Shoes for Women

One of my new little vintage treasures is a pocket size book called “Simple Beauty Hints” by Gloria Goddard, published in 1926. This little book is full of hints and tips for women from what colors to wear, what makeup to buy (or avoid), how to walk with poise, and how to lose those extra … Read More about Funny 1920s Beauty Tips for Hair and Makeup