The Changing World Of Fashion

Fashion 2

The Changing World Of Fashion

The Twenties and the Impact It Had

By Hiren Ajudia

Lucy Hale, A.k.a. Aria is enjoying her Halloween Party in a beautiful Flapper Dress. Look at that stunning head piece!

            At almost every costume party, we see at least one person in a very shinny and sparkly dress. We always think, where did they pick up their head piece? The dress accompanied with a matching head piece, long dangly jewelry and unusual patterns have been able to impress the critics with ease since they first appeared on the market dating back to the twenties. These dresses have been so popular that we recently saw popular actress Lucy Hale sporting a similar fashioned garment in the Pretty Little Liars Halloween special last October. 

            Back in the day, when the Jazz Age had just begun, women had taken a look at their wardrobes and demanded a change. Tired of the Victorian era clothing and old-fashioned clothing, women welcomed this new apparel and life style with open arms.. The Jazz Era had brought with it defiance to regulation, and that was clearly reflecting in the personalities of the women. Gone were the days of shame and corsets, and the true birth of the female known today was born—one with make-up, smoking habits and party goers. The aftermath of the war had caused society to relook their roles and responsibilities. As a result of the war, the social customs and morals were more relaxed then they had been in the past. As women began to pick up new jobs in society, their clothing changed as well. Previous to the war, women were limited to clothes that were more conservative in nature. Today, wearing a skirt may seem like a norm, but during that time it was an entirely different situation. As the war progressed, women had to often pick up after males in the work force, but the ending was an immediate reminder that women were not like men at all. They had a wooing figure, and other enticing features which had been covered for way too long.

            During the 1920s, clothing styles transitioned to show the real figures of women. Women freed themselves from the constricting clothing and began to wear clothing based on comfort. Men had been given the opportunity to freely wear pants, and they seemed rather comfortable as well, so now it was time for the women to give that a try.  Dresses were made with a close fit and with less material to reveal the youthful body that women had. Flapper styles of short skirts, low waistlines, and bobber hair lasted throughout the 1920s. The Victorian locks in the previous time period found themselves on the saloon floors as women began to cut their hair to fit under fashionable hats and other accessories.

            The need for recognition and the women’s rights movements also played a part in the fashion trends of the day. To create awareness and equality between both the male and female sex to add momentum to their rights movement, many women opted for the boyish look. People got to witness devices to help flatten chests, and hips, short hair styles became a popular thing, and so did shorts and trousers. This was all done to show the world how difficult it must have been to cope with sexual discrimination, but at the same time it opened new doors for the women in that time period and their wardrobes. Sure it must have been different at first, but eventually these changes have set the standard for fashion.

Different styles of flapper dresses were ready for different personalities. Different accessories were a part of each dress to make it seem unique. Here we see three different types of flappers.

            In the modern day, we see a boy cut on countless females with pride. Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway, and many more.  All inspired by this wonderful time period.