the 1920's: Detail In the Dress

Prior to the twenties women's clothing had extravagant detail only on evening clothing and on the rare occasion of every day clothes if one was rich enough to afford it. When the twenties came clothing was being masses produced, and for the first time being sold in select stored around the world.

Store wide clothing sales allowed companies to spend more money on better quality fabrics and detailing on the dresses. By 1924 almost all of women's clothing contained hours of hand beading and layering of fabrics. Women around the world flocked to the small clothing store hours away to get the newest dress on the market. It had now become a custom to them to wear only the popular printed dresses during the day and the extravagant beaded and detailed dresses to parties.

It had become the new fade to take several different weights and types of fabrics and layer them within one dress. This layering technique created stunning dresses that moved differently depending on how it was layered. Such dresses were companies ways of saving money because the layered dresses required no extra detail as the dresses stood out on their own. 

Companies would often seek similar ways to save money on even the beaded or silk dresses by adding buckles and belts to their garments. These garments would stand alone in a crowd and were often meant for the women who could afford a more unique dress. 

 

The Change that Swept the World

Prior the 1920's women had been constrained as tightly as they could into corsets as a means to give them what they believed to be the perfect body. During the 1880's and early 90's women were forced as far as they could go and as a result a slow revolution broke out throughout the world. By the turn of the century women began to live far more active lives and their clothes had changed to accommodate such active lifestyles.The hems of their skirts were raised from the customary length of the floor to above the knees and their dresses were being constructed from fabric that was light and was able to move with whoever wore it. Then a women's right activist named Amelia Jenks Bloomer created the bloomers; long wide pants that tucked into boots that allowed women around the world to finally be able to be free from the dreaded skirt that had restricted them for so long.

By the time the 1920's rolled around the only thing still restraining women the corset that had been a part of their basic clothes for more then three centuries. By 1923 corsets had been completely abandoned and women, for the first time, wore an dress that had no shape. This shapeless shroud would later be known as the flapper dress, worn by any young well-to-do lady. This style would become the fashion statement of the twenties that we all know and love today.

This Week: The 1920's

This Week: A walk through the 1920's

A decade that changed the fate of women's fashion forever