By: Emily Altobelli, Kaitlyn Brown and Katie Pecorelli

T HE BEGINNING The nineteen-twenties was the decade when fashion really kicked off. Before then fashion was very strict. Everyone dressed similarly and usually very formally. In the twenties, women took a stand for themselves and started to dress more comfortably, in short skirts or trousers. The new fashion trend did not come about right away. It took time to convince people that change was acceptable. It was not until about 1925 when the change of fashion really started to hit an all time high. Even men started to dress less formally.

E CONOMIC E FFECTS ON F ASHION After World War I the United States was in a very good place economically. The stock market was booming and many women were even taking jobs. This new atmosphere was sending sparks everywhere and fashion was one of the things that caught fire.

M ATERIAL After the war, the most abundant materials were cotton and wool. Most clothing was made from one of these two materials. Silk, on the other hand, was elegant and expensive because of its limited supply. Eventually, because of its high demand, an artificial silk was manufactured in France.

W OMEN S C LOTHING The dresses of the 1920s were lighter, brighter and shorter than those that came before them. More colors, textures and patterns were introduced to make completely different dress styles. Hemlines rose until the late end of the decade, when they were dropped only slightly. Accessories, like shoes and stockings, were taken into more consideration, now that they could be seen. They also began wearing pantsuits and hats and using canes because it produced a sleeker look. Looking boyish was also very in style.

T YPICAL W OMEN S C LOTHING Noticeable in this picture are the hats and shoes worn by each woman. The dresses are all loose fitting and shapeless.

F LAPPERS Flappers emerged in They wore a shorter than average dress with no shape, had short hair, wore make-up, and exposed their arms. This was rebellious behavior at the time, but the whole reason for wearing this kind of outfit, was so the girls would be able to dance without the constriction of bulkier dresses.

F LAPPER The flapper in this picture is wearing traditional flapper makeup: dark lips, and heavy eye makeup. She has a typical boyish haircut, and her dress exposes her arms.

F LAPPERS

S HOES The shoes of the 1920s often had T straps, buckles, buttons, bows or sequins and were usually over two inches tall. Shoes became an essential item and were chosen with more care, because they would be seen now that the hemlines had risen.

H AIR It was all about short hair in the 20s. Several styles emerged throughout the decade including the bob, shingled, and Eton cropped. Older, more reserved women avoided the short hair look. Hats were also very popular throughout the decade.

H ATS

O THER A CCESSORIES Women often wore many layers of clothing and accessories such as jackets, furs, boas, and long necklaces.

M EN S F ASHION In the early 20s, a mens suit was tightly fitted. It was known as the conservative suit. By 1924, a new suit emerged. This suit was much different from the earlier ones. They were much looser but still quite fancy compared to today. A suit consisted of pants, a shirt, a nice tie, a jacket, and cufflinks, which were worn everyday.

M EN S F ASHION All of the men shown here are wearing typical fitted suits complete with ties and hats.

T HE E ND