Makeup

A pale face

The typical 1920s look starts out with a very pale face. This illusion is created with pancake or cream foundation that covers the face. This is to even out skin tone and give a livid appearance.

 

Blush, applied too heavily

The next step is to apply blush. Popular colours in blush include rose, raspberry, and orange. Blush is put on to create a flushed appearance, which typically looks more natural if not applied too heavily.

Cupid's bow lips

 Following the cheeks are the lips. Many women wanted their lips to look puckered all the time, so they were covered with foundation and then given a new shape with lipstick; this was called the cupid's bow.

1920s eyebrows

Subsequent to the lips are the eyebrows. They are either covered with makeup and redrawn or plucked to be long and thin.

Typical 1920s eyes

1920s eyes were very dramatic. The eye is generally outlined with a black eyeliner. Then, the lid is covered in grey or an otherwise dark colour.

Women's Headwear

Angelina Jolie wearing a cloche on a 1920s film set

A cloche, a popular hat in the 1920s, is a fitted bell-shaped hat. "Cloche" means bell in French. The hat, invented in 1908, even influenced hairstyles.



The bob

Women in the West traditionally wore their hair long, so it was a shock when the bob cut became popular in the 1920s. As was mentioned before, the cloche might have influenced this hairstyle since it couldn't be worn well with long hair. The bob became more popular when women with long hair were inconvenienced when doing war work.

Women's Dresses and Pantsuits

In the early 1920s, dresses had a natural waist line but were loose, sometimes even baggy. The waist line continued to drop to the hips so that women could kick up their legs while doing dances like the Charleston. In 1925, "shift" dresses had no waist at all. In fact, most flapper's dresses were of the "shift" style. These dresses, which were made to de-emphasize women's curves, were typically made for dancing and were very poplular in the 1920s. 

A flapper's shift dress

A wedding dress by Jean Patou

 

 

 

Likewise, pantsuits were worn loosely in the early 20s. Pantsuits were actually part of adopting a more masculine style. Some women adopted them along with hats, canes, and monocles.

French designer Jean Patou created two-piece sweater and skirt outfits in wool jersey. American women loved them for being natural and comfortable.

Welcome!

Hello! And welcome to the 1920s fashion blog.
Today I will be giving an overview of 1920s women's fashion, and in later blogs I will talk about specific pieces.

After World War I, there was the prosperous period of the 20s. This was certainly reflected in women's fashion of the time. Many clothes were brighter, more comfortable, and sportier. People, women especially, were finding a new identity and were becoming more certain of who they were. Women were adopting a boyish style, which included taping their breasts flat.