1920s - fashion with fun, whimsy and chic

[retrogirl1941]

Can anyone advise me on what type of jewelry to wear for a day 20's outfit? My outfit is a black velvet skirt with a sheer white blouse and mathcing scarf(I will post picks when I wear it). The scarf is for my neck so, would a necklace be worn? Any suggestions would be great!

Samantha

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

I think they wore a lot of long necklaces, well into the 30s. When I do something reminiscent of of the eras, I, a lot of the time, will get a long stran of beads and knot them 2/3s of the way down. Beads and metal seemed to be a huge thing. A lot of them almost ethnic/egyptian looking. Necklaces with a tassel on the end, was another look.
The store Icing(in America), actually has a lot of this type of stuff, all the time. The quality isn't the greatest, but you have really have examine, before purchase. JC Penny has been known to have some nice and somewhat inexpensive stuff, as well.
EVen something as simple as a locket, would be cute, with your outfit. One of those long pocket watches worn around the kneck would look awesome too.

 

[Mojito]

Sounds like a lovely outfit, Retrogirl1941! Lareesie Ladavi is correct that they wore many long beaded necklaces, but short ones were worn as well. It was also the era in which Chanel made obviously faux jewellery fashionable.

Crystal beads in many colours in many colours, woven bands of seed beads, lampwork beads, pearls (both real and faux), filigree work, camphor glass - all were popular.

Here's one of the sort that Lareesie Ladavi mentions:

Here's a popular sautoir (also called "rope" or "lariat" necklace) - it is knotted in one of the styles that was worn, but I've shown another way in an earlier photo in this thread, and there's also another doubled over way (back, cross over, then the two front ends dangling at the front over either side of the neck). They were quite versatile:

Woven bead sautoir necklaces, fashioned after Native American jewellery, were also very popular. You could buy kits to weave them at home. Reproductions are available today - this one is an original:

Here's some camphor work:

These also adorned bracelets, earrings and rings.

With short hair fashionable, long drop earrings came into their own. Similarly, bare arms were often loaded with piles of bangles (although this would probably tend more towards an evening than a day look).

Art Deco jewellery styles - those very geometric, stylised forms - were becomming popular. You might find some diamantes worn during the day - hatpins, adorning afternoon dresses as mirror buckles on belts etc. Ethnic and historical pieces - e.g. Asian jewellery, Egyptian revival - were also worn.

This is a very broad and generalised overview - I think some of the other ladies might have some of their own knowledge and lovely pieces to share!

 

[Mojito]

We've started sorting out clothes for packing for the Napier Art Deco Weekend (hey, it's only a month away!), so I had a lot of dresses out of the conservation boxes for people to try on and look over for any work that needs to be done. One of the dresses that came out was this gown, which I mentioned earlier in the thread. It comes from the wedding trousseau of Mrs J Wise, a Boston physician's wife. I've never worn it because there are some marks on the bodice that I wouldn't want to try to remove (the chiffon is just a touch dry), but my friends - having now seen it - are very keen for it to have an outing, with a necklace to cover the marks. The matching metallic lace/chiffon/velvet ribbon bandeau is original as well. I suspect the whole ensemble might be a tea gown for that relaxing afternoon period before one changed for dinner.

 

[Paul]

A beautiful dress Mojito I just love the sleeves, you have to wear it .. marks and all only you will be aware of them I sure.

 

[laurakitty]

What a gorgeous dress!

 

[Mojito]

Thanks for those comments, Paul and Laurakitty - Green is my favourite colour, and I do love metallic lace! I have another dress seen earlier in this thread - a lovely green organza - that I'm lending to a very blonde friend...the colour combination is sensation on her. Can't wait to photograph it!

I've been stocking up on so much for the Napier Art deco festival recently that I hardly know where to begin - my Gatsby dress arrived just today, and I'm planning on wearing it with a broad brimmed panama cloche that is late 20s deadstock - an amazing hat! Also some lovely beaded bags, and several Egyptian revival items...so much so I'm tempted to start a thread on Egyptian revival, as I've seen other ladies post some beautiful items along that theme.

Here are a couple of the recent beaded/sequined at purchases. The first one reminds me of a Lanvin cloche I recently missed out in a live auction (it went for more than four times the estimate). This one was made by "Real Hats" of Paris and NY, and has the lining still intact:

This one reminds me of ancient Asian helmets. It has a Made in Paris tag:

 

[PADDY]

(Short Video) Fashion of the 1920's...

A friend of mine sent me this short film piece on "Fashion of the 20's" & I thought 'it might' just feel at home in here for your reference & your enjoyment ladies.

VIDEO - FASHION OF THE 1920's

This is 'another' enjoyable 'taste' of this 'radical' decade that emerged out of the trauma of the GREAT WAR, the emergence of feminism as a movement and rebelled in many ways against the 'formality and starch' of the Edwardian Era. ENJOY...!!

VIDEO - THE ROARING TWENTIES

 

[BeBopBaby]

Here's one of the sort that Lareesie Ladavi mentions:

I have a necklace almost exactly like this but the beads are red and black. It needs to be re-strung. I'm afraid to wear it because I'm afraid it will break and I'll loose all the lovely beads. I don't know how to re-string it myself, so it sits in my jewelry box. One of these days, I need to take a few pictures of the 1920s jewelry and purses that I have to share.

 

[Foofoogal]

Scandalous Paddy. Worth watching just to see the lady wrap her "hose" around her legs in first film. :eusa_clap

 

[Mojito]

I *love* Aaron1912's YouTube movies, Paddy! He's my favourite for twenties film footage and original recordings, and he updates fairly regularly.

Did you see his tribute to Anita Page? Originally created while she was still alive, I rewatched it the night I learned Anita had died.

BeBobBaby, I also tend to put off the restringing...I once put on a *long* 1920s string of crystal beads, debating whether to wear that or a shorter necklace...and to my horror it broke and I watched them all roll off and scatter over the hotel carpet. I gathered them up and had them all restrung - and individually knotted. I'd learned my lesson! Sounds like a lovely lesson, though - I love the B&W colour scheme in Deco jewellery.

 

[Lily Powers]

I hesitate evening opening this thread. I swear, my heart races a bit, I get all excited and dream of what it would be like to wear one of the beautiful frocks that Mojito has posted, or to be a fabulous seamstress and make something like that. Great pics, Mojito!

 

[HadleyH]

1920s Best Decade Ever!

Great videos Paddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Thankyou for posting!



Mojito! gorgeous pictures as always!!! :eusa_clap

VIDEO - FASHION OF THE 1920's


VIDEO - THE ROARING TWENTIES

 

[Mojito]

Thank you, Lily and Hadley! I really appreciate your comments - I get a bit swept up in the aesthetics of it all, and am always glad that others love them too.

Here are the two new purses - this red one is missing one of the glass bead closures, but is still lovely...the colour is a particularly nice, deep red:

And then there's the purse already affectionately dubbed "big goldie", as it's quite a large size for a bag of this style:

Has anyone noticed that the bottom seams to have gone out of the 20s bag market lately? Prices even for collectable Mandalian and Whiting & Davis are considerably less than they would have been a year or two ago, and you can get a leather Jemco purse for around $60.

 

[Tomasso]

Great stuff, Mojito!

But then, who would expect anything less.

 

[Mojito]

Thank you, Tomasso - what a lovely compliment!

Here's my dress for the Napier Gatsby Picnic. It's actually a bit of a cheat, as it's not really day wear...but there is some overlap in style from this early part of the decade, and I'll wear it with the panama cloche to - erm - "dress it down". I love metallic lace and the fur trim popular during this period, and have wanted a dress like this for an age:

 

[laurakitty]

Thank you, Tomasso - what a lovely compliment!

Here's my dress for the Napier Gatsby Picnic. It's actually a bit of a cheat, as it's not really day wear...but there is some overlap in style from this early part of the decade, and I'll wear it with the panama cloche to - erm - "dress it down". I love metallic lace and the fur trim popular during this period, and have wanted a dress like this for an age:

That is insanely gorgeous! I'm so jealous!

I need to photograph my pieces for this thread when I have the time.

 

[DecoDahlia]

Brown Velvet Dress As Worn

These are some photos of what the brown velvet dress I posted before looks like when being worn, they're not the greatest photos, and my camera shut down after they were taken, as I just have one of those faces!

Front; it's much lower in the front than the back because I'm "Flapper Flat."

With a cape I made.

Back; it's not as scandalously low in the back as Paul imagined.

A side view.

Detail of the lace.

 

[Lily Powers]

DecoDahlia, I tip my cloche to you; you look like you stepped out of the 1920's! Love that the background appears to be of that era, too. And nonsense about the camera breaking down because you "have one of those faces" - your face is beautiful!

 

[clubwitsend]

This one reminds me of ancient Asian helmets. It has a Made in Paris tag:

Hello Mojito!

I'm new to the forum, but have been peeking into this thread...I have a gold sequinned evening turban, and the sequins look the same as yours here in every aspect! Just a different hat silhouette. What a lovely thread...

I'm going to be shopping LA this coming week for some new dresses to wear to the 20s/30s party I'm hosting/coordinating in NYC (called Wit's End- hence the username)...I hope to find some winners that won't break the bank completely! The current 20s dress I have is just in tatters...