Fashion has seen a lot of changes in the last one hundred years and this revolution really had it’s roots in the 1920’s. There is always a decade that starts a revolution for an industry and this was basically the starting point of a whole new way of looking at clothing styles. The conservative look remained for many decades after the 20’s but plenty of drastic changes occurred in this year that are still influential to modern designers around the world.
Back in the 20’s the sporty look was very popular and golfing knickers, sweater vests over a collar shirt and white trousers became quite a normal style worn by a lot of men in those days. The knickerbockers started to become the preferred casual wear of men who liked to look good even on casual occasions. Jackets with high waists were worn often and the wide legged trousers that had been given the popular name “Oxford Bags” also became quite popular during this time.
The jazz suit had a jacket with a tight fit and it was common for it to be tailor-made in order to meet the correct specifications of the wearer. The suspenders lost popularity during the 20’s and the use of waist belts became the norm. This was a time when men’s fashion really started to take shape into something different. Movies like The Great Gatsby have brought back attention to the style of this particular decade too.
One thing that was very common during the 1920’s was the use of hats. It was very rare for men to go out without one on. The Panama style was the most popular and it would be a strange sight to see men without them in the summer months. During winter, they would switch to felt Fedora hats.
The formal look was usually the tail coat with a top hat. White starched shirts would be the usual kind of complementary item for this kind of coat. Tweed clothes also became extremely popular in the 20’s. This wool fabric was hand-woven and this particular type of clothing sold very well during the entire decade.
It would be fair to say that the 1920’s had an impact that was quite significant in the fashion industry. The political and social changes that were pioneered in those days really made it possible for a lot of new ideas to be introduced into the fashion world in the decades that followed.
photo credit: Ian D. Keating cc
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