I love the interwar years... from 1920-1939 the social history is fascinating, architecture amazing, music sublime... and the clothes a feast for the eyes!
You can really see the mood of an age through all these factors, so I've decided to do a couple of posts about these two decades sandwiched between two, massive world changing events. (And if you enjoy it, I may even do a follow up on wartime and post war fashions!)
So, without further ado, I bring you a brief delve into the 1920s...
So, without further ado, I bring you a brief delve into the 1920s...
The '20s saw a sudden release from what was before WW1. Women had won the vote, worked through the war and experienced an emancipation never known to them. For all, after the experiences of war, there was a general need to let ones hair down... the 1920s was like a huge sigh of relief and a general abandon away from war. Thus the jazz age was born.
In fashion the highly coiffed hair, tight laced corsets creating S shaped curves, hobble skirts and high necked blouses were abandoned in favour of shingled hair, short skirts and boyish figures.
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I always find it hard to believe that there's only ten years between these two women. Not only has the body shape changed but the general attitude has shifted from prim and proper to laid back and louche. Ankles on show, smoking and make up... all unheard of in Edwardian society... unless you were an actress or a lady of loose morals! |
It wasn't only fashion that moved away from the old ways, evolving from ragtime hot jazz became mainstream... echoing in peoples ears and offering a suitable soundtrack of momentum to this fast paced decade.
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The main picture is an early Edwardian Ragtime music sheet cover, the smaller insert is a 1920s jazz sheet music cover, to me the differences in the art work help to sum up the mood of the music and era. |
And architecture looked upwards and onwards, breaking away from convention and creating a feeling of movement and modernism, thus the first skyscrapers were born. In the UK 55 Broadway is a prime example, . You can also see new discoveries of the age inspiring design, when King Tutankhamen’s tomb was excavated in 1922, Egyptomania exploded into popular culture.
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| 55 Broadway, modern, brutal and so much bigger than everything else around it! |
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| Even Palmolive embraced the '20s fascination for Egypt, how else does one appeal to a flapper?! |
Are you tingling with emancipation? Fancy liberating you inner flapper? You should be able to with ease this Autumn and Winter with 1920s and '30s fashions set to appear on the high street. I've had a little hunt to find some '20s fashions for you to Charleston in...
On the High Street...
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| Oooo this makes me drool, find it at Miss Selfridge for £70! |
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| Double drool, twinkly heels... I want! £65 from Schuh |
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| Pretty hair? Done at Treasure Box for £24.95 |
On Etsy...
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| Oh I wish I'd won the Euro millions or had £566.25. From Gold Mine Trash |
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| GOLD! ... always believe in your... shoes! Oh how I wish I had detachable toes to squeeze myself into these pretties. £62.92 from Bad Girl Vintage |
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| Need something to twirl whilst you Charleston? This tassel necklace should help. £33.98 from Gypsy Road Studio |
Next up... the 1930s
G x
6 comments:
Great little comparison of the 20's then and now! Lizzie
There's a lot of 20s-influenced stuff due to come into the shops this autumn, especially for evenings. I'm planning to embrace it as I have no waist, so might as well wear styles that don't have one either :)
30s style slinky satin should also be turning up in the shops more this winter.
Wonderful post! It really is astonishing to see the huge change in one decade from the corseted delicate femmes of the early century to the la garconne look of the 20s!
I look forward to the rest of the series!
- Emily
Ooo ahhhh 20’s pretties- I started collecting stuff from the 20’s and 30’s but I found/find it too expensive! Luckily I was given two flapper dresses- my prized pieces… and looking at your finds on etsy, I hate to think what they would set me back if I had to buy them- eek and squeak! Lovely post, Tups x
Fabulous post! The interwar years are my favourite too!
Hi Gemma!
I really enjoyed this post. It's quite shocking to realize that fashions and attitudes changed so quickly. It's like a 180 degree turn from the direction everything was going in. Can you imagine being a lady at this time and having to buy a whole new wardrobe? I often wonder if some of the older fashions were repurposed as flapper fashions.
I look forward to more in this series!
-Casey, aka NoirGirl
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