1920s - fashion with fun, whimsy and chic

[Miss Hattie]

Boudoir cap

I thought I would post my little boudoir cap, as I don’t think one has been shown yet.
Unfortunately the very fine silk crepe is a little delicate now and has started to shred but was like that when I bought it several years ago. Having said that the lace and posies are still in brilliant condition (touch wood it stays like that!)
I couldn’t resist it’s charms at the time and I’ll think you will all agree how terribly cute it is. I just wish I could wear still, but I suppose making a new one wouldn’t be too difficult (she says casually!).

 

[Lillemor]

I agree! It's cute, adorable, lovely...I like these sort of things more the older I get.

 

[Rachael]

Mojito, thank you ever so much for the photo of Natacha Rambova; that is definately a style I can do! And I will be sure to post pictures of my dress --once it's more than a stack of fabric and a sketch.

 

[Mojito]

I was just thinking if a beaded dress is with us today then it cannot have been worn so much back in the 20's . There must have been a point when a lady looked at a dress and said to herself " I cannot wear that agin as there are some dare patches of beads... just my odd thinking I know.

Here is the link to my 20's collection page... it only has about 60% of it up at the moment, I will have to find time to add the rest.

http://www.inspiration-from-vintage.info/1920.html

For me part of the attraction to the 20's is because the ladies back then did things which we do not even notice today apart from just the fashions.

Thanks for posting that, Paul - I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your collection!

I think it's entirely possible that some of these dresses were retired when their 20s owners decided that taking them out for one more night of enthusiastic Charlestoning, Foxtrotting and Blackbottoming could lead to disaster. Some of them seem to have been well-worn, or at least worn through more than one season - you often see early, hasty alterations where the hem has been brought up on a dress dating from the first half of the decade to meet the shorter hemlines of the first.

They weren't meant to last forever, of course - hence the heavy beading and embroidery on ephemeral materials. I think their owners, even if they packed them carefully away in memory of good times, would be amazed at some of the survivors.

 

[Mojito]

Miss Hattie, I love your boudoir cap! These lighty, frothy, lacy bits of nothing are just so gorgeous...I have a bandeau style version that I'll photograph that actually went well with a pink evening dress (yes, a big cheat, but I don't suppose many people noticed).

Looking forward to seeing your whole outfit, Rachael - it's funny, after I wrote that post, I seemed to be seeing that hairstyle everywhere!

 

[Mrs. Merl]

It is something to consider - going on with the post Paul made - some clothing that is in excellent condition today is the direct result of not having been worn much during the period. That is why I am thankful for fashion plates, museum pieces from famous wardrobes (many items retired after a single use), etc. These items let us know what really was fashionable and worn regularly! Because if all we had to go on were the existing pieces - it is quite likely that we would be recreating and wearing clothing that was not at all popular at the time. All the things people really wore on a daily basis and loved would have gone all to tatters by now.

 

[Mojito]

I'd say that's certainly a factor, Mrs. Merl - it's far easier to find evening wear than day wear, and my collection is weighted in that direction (although there is a bit of selection going on as well). And with day wear, it is far, far easier to find a floating afternoon dress than a house or even a porch dress - those were worn until they fell apart, or were completely reworked. I recently bought that lovely big lot of 20s dresses on eBay, largely because it had quite a few day dresses and even a piece of sports wear (of which I previously had nothing) - but none of them would have been casual working-in-the-house outfits.

The catalogues are good because they balance out the high-end fashion from, say Paris and New York. My bias is towards the top end designers, but I'm also interested in what every day people wore, and how the designs of Chanel et al were "translated" for your average person on the street. Stella Blum made an interesting comment in the intro to one of her books - she suggested that the quality of costume was better earlier in the decade as a greater cross section of the population used them as their main source of ready-to-wear fashion, but with increased mobility due to the rise of the automobile and the ability of people to walk into stores to actually see what they were buying, the catalogue fashions began to be restricted to the more economical and conservative designs and consumers tended to be the more isolated.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

The point about catalogs is an interesting one. One I will have to ponder. As a self taught student of history and particularly fashion as it pertains to history - I find it all very fascinating. I want to say that the information you have put into this thread is, in fact, some of the best I have encountered here. And I have appreciated the in depth in-sights you and many of the ladies have provided.

 

[Paul]

Here is another thing about catalogs , I noticed with some drawing of 20 dressed/ fashions , the shoes style is completly different for what was worn in the 20's they are more like 50's /60's with a pointed toe and slender heel.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

It is good to point that out, Paul! That is something that I have always considered to be simply a stylization. I believe that accessories in catalogs and some fashion plates even - are simply representations of objects and do not, in fact, reflect on the fashion of the time. One must view all source documents in their context - often these ephemera were intended solely for the purpose of showing the clothing fashions and not the accouterments. They typically were not selling, say, shoes, but it would be funny to see a well dressed lady sans these items - so in the interest of time the artist stylized them. That has always been my theory on this - perhaps I am way off. This comes from prior experience with trying to recreate medieval clothing from period pictures (a great deal of expertise in this area.) Often the truth of the matter is that pictures are stylized - or are simply limited by the ability of the artist (when speaking of earlier times.)

 

[Paul]

It is good to point that out, Paul! That is something that I have always considered to be simply a stylization. I believe that accessories in catalogs and some fashion plates even - are simply representations of objects and do not, in fact, reflect on the fashion of the time. One must view all source documents in their context - often these ephemera were intended solely for the purpose of showing the clothing fashions and not the accouterments. They typically were not selling, say, shoes, but it would be funny to see a well dressed lady sans these items - so in the interest of time the artist stylized them. That has always been my theory on this - perhaps I am way off. This comes from prior experience with trying to recreate medieval clothing from period pictures (a great deal of expertise in this area.) Often the truth of the matter is that pictures are stylized - or are simply limited by the ability of the artist (when speaking of earlier times.)

That the way I think also ,they had a standard drwaing which they used .
in my mind it begs the question is a 20's artist plucking the stylization out of his mind or on something he seen years ago . or did say a 50's shoe designer see those 20's illustations and think that's a great stlye we make shoes like that.
it's sort of off topfftopic: in a way proves that you have to look at all the different resorces to get an idea of what was worn.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Well, it might be a little off topic but I think your points are good and I think that in the interest of learning and for those interested in being highly accurate it is good to point out potential pitfalls in research. Especially as it pertains to specific instances of 20's fashion advertising.

 

[Mojito]

Thanks for those comments, Ms Merle - I haven't really looked at enough pre-and post- 20s catalogues to fully assess what Blum asserts (I wonder if, for example, there was a resurgance of catalogue style and quality in costume during the Depression?).

The point about shoes is an interesting one - I think there is a degree of stylisation going on. Some of those pointed toes in the illustrations remind me of "witchy poo" toes that were popular in the early 2000s! There were differences in toe shape and heel style throughout the decade, however - in addition to the almond shaped toe we associate with the 20s, some designers also used a much more pronounced point in their toes. And while the Louis and Cuban heels are strongly associated with the 20s, the "spike" - which was high and comparatively thin, but by no means a stilletto - was also popular in the second half of the decade.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

It all comes down to context. I think that if you are researching clothing look at clothing adds - if you are researching shoes look at shoe adds. It is just a point of accuracy, for anyone who might be interested in such details. I am sure there are many exceptions, there always are. I would be interested to look at a large sample of catalogs to really assess the theory - but like I said it is just a theory I have!

 

[Mojito]

Good point, Mrs Merle - I think illustrations can give you an overall impression, but not the specific details of certain accessories if the main focus is the dress. High end fashion magazines can be even more impressionistic of the overall look - some of the cubist illustrations of 20s fashions are certainly not literal representations of even the gowns they are based on. I've been looking at feather fans lately, looking to buy a few more, and they are a common feature in fashion magazines. They provide an impression rather than an accurate, detailed look at these items - the overall styles (single or multiple plume), the dimensions, the way they were carried - but nothing on the construction, the handles and frames etc. For those, we need to look to the catalogues. I have the general impression that there seems to be a preponderance of opera style pumps in the catalogues and magazines of the time, whereas we know that there were some very ornate shoes available, with t-bars, cut work, embroidery etc. We see them illustrated occasionally, but not as often as the simpler styles. Opera pumps are the simplest evening shoes, and they complement the dresses without drawing attention away from them.

Haven't posted any pics in a while! Here are a few:

I love the way Gloria Swanson always refers to these in her bio as "teddy bares", as they were known in her circle in the 20s. You won't see me posing in it here, though! The silk feels lovely, though.

Cloche I gave to a friend last Christmas...

And the dress I bought her to go with it. She's thinking of wearing the outfit to a Gatsby picnic.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

These are particularly fascinating to me for some reason. I really like the "teddy bare" - it is something that I would be interested in recreating. Very pretty!

 

[texasgirl]

This one went for $78.77 on ebay recently. I thought it was just lovely. I know nothing about it, Mojito? anyone?

From the seller:
I am offering this ultra feminine 1920's flapper party dress in green silk crepe. It is covered in ivory net needlelace appliques in both the front and back that dominate the dress. The collar, arm openings and hem are finished in Valenciennes lace. At the waist are pink and green velvet ribbons which intertwine and culminate in a large bow and long streamers. The side closure is a placket with snaps, all present. The dress is very clean, with a repaired hole at the back side hem, photographed, it is where the folds in the skirt are the fullest and you or anyone else will ever notice it. Otherwise the dress is quite whole, the lace and ribbons are strong, no damage to the lace, maybe one or two pinholes at most to the silk, nothing you will ever find....

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Wow - I am really amazed that the lace looks that good!

 

[Mojito]

I saw that one up for auction - It is very pretty, Texasgirl! I thought the treatment of the arms into the collar (what would one call that?) slightly unusual and very attractive...don't think I've seen that on many other, if any, twenties dresses.

I thought it might be a tea or hostess gown, but it doesn't have the long, often sweeping sleeves and is a bit shorter than what I'd usually associate with that look. I have a dress with very similar velvet ribbons to dress of a similar green dating to 1926 - in that case, they're two different shades of pink, and are used with a silver lame flower as a belt, as streamers from one of the shoulders, and as trim on the matching bandeau. I haven't photographed it as there is a small stain on the front so it's not one of the wearable pieces, but next time it's out of the box I might get a shot or two as it's so gorgeous.

 

[Mojito]

Okay...with the beadwork, tabbed hem and cutaway detail on the back, this goes in the category of quintessential 20ishness. It looks like the very embodiment of a design cliche, but green is my favourite colour, and I didn't have any remotely like this dress in green!

Plus, I needed some consolation. I bid on - and missed out on - that beaded Lanvin evening cloche. As I knew I would. But dash it, I had to try! I went rather over the high end estimate (which I thought was too low), but it went for three and a half times the high estimate...and I'm not too surprised.