1920s

Hi time-travellers! We arrived in the roaring twenties, also known as the Jazz Age! The world was in shock after the Great war. It was all about starting again, having fun and living fast. It was also the time of the Great Gatsby (make sure you watch that movie with Leonardo Dicaprio!) and women won the right to vote! Fashion was so exciting, new and different.

Art deco was the dominant aesthetic of the twenties! It was recognized by geometry, straight lines, industry and modernity - the opposite of Art Nouveau, which was all about organic forms. Twenties fashion was influenced by this Art Deco aesthetic and embraced modernity with clean lines and geometric common sense. Female fashion also spoke directly to the 'New Woman', a woman who could vote, work and have fun in the 20th Century!

The ideal female body was short, squared and not skinny.

Downsloping eyebrows, very dark eye makeup, tiny lips and a bob hairdo were the perfect beauty ideals. (Read more about their make up on Margo's website!)

General fashion for woman:

• Cloche hat to minimize their head size

• Shift dress

• fully bare arms (the first time since Ancient Greece)

• drop waist

• hemline to knees or mid-calf, depending on how daring ons was

• Visible legs! (for the first time EVER)

Cloche hats and accessories - like a long string of pearls or boa's, helped streamlining the elongated silhouette. Sequins or shimmering metallics were exciting new fabrics or color palettes.

The designer of the decade was Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, also known for her 'Little Black Dress'.

If you think about the 20s you probably also think about 'Flappers'.

The term 'Flapper' dates back to the 1890, when they compared modern young women to baby birds, flapping their wings as they learned to fly. Most women of the 20s were certainly not Flappers. True flappers were out fooling around with guys, getting wasted, taking drugs,,.. they were outrageous! They also smoked in public (which was not publicly acceptable for woman!).

Also have a look at Margo's beautiful drawings! She'll show more details about their makeup and beauty rituals.

Interested in an other time period? Go here

In two weeks we'll illustrate the 30s, stay tuned!

sources:

Amanda Hallay video

Book : fashion design 1800-1940 (The Pepin Press)

Book : Fashion - Volume I + II (Taschen)

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