Fashion in the 1920s

Following the end of World War I, fashion drastically changed in the 1920s. Designers were favoring expensive fabrics, such as silk and velvet. These products were all produced through improved production methods, and they were affordable by working families. Most people looked more sophisticated with a new sense of luxurious style. Although they were restrained from the war, they still found new ways to look polished and clean. Women wore more geometric forms of clothing, such as form fitting dresses with flowers and expensive hats, beads, and rhinestones as luxuries. As a result, they looked more sophisticated and wealthy. For the first time in centuries, they began wearing brighter dresses, and their legs were seen with hemlines rising to their knees. Also, a more masculine look, flattened breasts and hips, make-up, and short hairstyles became popular. One of the first women who cut her hair and rejected the corset for trousers was Coco Chanel. Her style was influential and she pushed the freedom of women’s fashion. Extremely high-waisted suits and jackets characterized menswear during this time. They wore narrow and short trousers, which made their socks show, and their waistlines were higher than usual. They put handkerchieves or flowers in their breast pockets. The types of hats they wore resembled their class. High class men wore top hats, middle class men wore trilby hats, and lower class men wore flat hats.

            The twist in fashion during the 1920s is presented in The Great Gatsby through the characters’ appearances. When Gatsby was having a party at his house, numerous amounts of ladies came in short, high quality dresses with luxurious jewelry topping it off. People came in Rolls Royces and other luxurious cars, and every one looked wealthy. They all drank as if alcohol was not prohibited and had a boisterous party. All of these factors resemble the lifestyle of a typical person during the 1920s.