The 1920s was a big year for fashion. The year before had been a bad one for women’s clothing. Loose garments were really unpopular with suffragettes who felt uncomfortable walking around with their shirts unbuttoned, buttons undone, or even with their cuffs open. Things were very different for women in the 1920s. They were more fashionable, with silk stockings, corset tops, and velvet or satin dresses.
The 1920s also saw many changes in men’s clothing. Men’s fashion had always been more adventurous than women’s, but the 1920s was a big step forward when designers started to work with fuller figures in more flattering ways. The low necklines of early 1920s look somewhat like they still are, although they are less extreme. Much of the work of designers during this era focused on making the middle age man (which by this time had come along way) feel more masculine.
One fashion trend that didn’t quite reach its full potential was the flapper. The term “flapper” referred mostly to the Cocktail party girl, but the style she exuded were definitely not feminine. Flappers wore men’s suits and flapper jewelry. Some even wore men’s ties. By putting together an outfit that was more akin to a woman’s fashions, the flapper was born. She helped define the attitude that characterized the 1920s fashion era.