Women's Fashion of the 1920's

The fashion of the 1920's was a good indicator of women's incredible, rapid change that pushed women into a more prominent position during the 1920's. Women began to get wilder, more rebellious and were dubbed "Flappers" by Scott Fitzgerald, coincidentally, the writer of The Great Gatsby.

Women's hemlines went daringly lower and lower, from ankle length to above the knee. In the 20's, women that wore skirts or dresses above the knee were considered "fast". If only they knew how short the hemlines are now! Long, straight dress styles were also popular fashion styles. Another obvious feature that gave the flapper fashion more attention was the bobbed hair. Women's hair had forever been long enough so that it could be braided or put into a bun for social functions. Louise Brooks, a 1920's film star, epitomized the flapper look, and she also gathered many teenage followers who idolized her. The fabrics that were widespread in the 20's were silk, cotton, linen and wool. The first man-made fabrics (such as rayon) were also first introduced. The colors of the 1920's ranged from bright greens, reds and blues, to subdued pastels. On the whole, the colors and patterns were meant to have a "assertive" connotation. In my opinion, the 1920's were the time that outward appearance was found to be more appealing than personality. The flapper look of the 1920's only lasted three years, but yet the Flapper gave women the confidence that women needed to find their place in society.