Calm Under Tension by Gwen Gyldenege
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Art
    • Artwork
  • Sewing

Art of the 20's Dress: Researching 1920's Fashion

6/18/2014

Comments

 
When I start a challenge that involves an era, a story, a movie or a show, heck anything that is new to me, I do research. I worked at a lab once and thought that research was boring. But, I do believe that if your cause is driven by purpose then your research is motivating, inspiring, and can lead you on wild adventures to either dead ends or to the elixer of life.  My true scientific research job did not present a clear, tangible purpose, so I found myself disinterested and unable to motivate.
 
Researching the 1920's is fascinating. Consider, this is the latter half of the suffragette period and women's clothing changed drastically.  When my modern eye sees these straight boxy dresses, I think, "bleah, it's not form fitting or even skimming. I'll look like a box. I must find a suitable and still true alternative."  However, the more I look and read, the more I realize that these boxy outfits are the beginnings of freedom and sports for all women, not just the ones who chose to dress daringly in men's attire to play their beloved athletic pursuit. You'll also see women in fashion plates playing tennis and running! Prior decades found women fully corseted and unable to breathe. So these outfits actually symbolize freedom for women in many, many ways.  

I've read in a few places how much fashion changed at this time and that large a change in a short period of time has not recurred yet. Don't you find that interesting?  It inspires me to study further (research fire stoked!)

Now, on to some of my findings.  Below are some inspiring & appealing styles from Midvale Cottage.  Look at how many different options there are?!  All images directly below are sourced from http://midvalevintagepost.blogspot.com/
Picture
Midvale Cottage
Midvale Cottage
Midvale Cottage
Midvale Cottage
Doesn't the velvet rose applique (above, bottom left) look like what Alabama Channin is doing today with knits?  And the bustle back with roses (above, bottom right) is a neat way to use a piece of fabric without cutting it.  I didn't know that scallops were so envogue (above top).  The jabot I dismissed until I saw how they had Phryne Fisher wear it.
Channel suits via Glamour Daze
Channel Suits in Paris 1926. Source: Glamour Daze
Fashion illustrations are interesting to a point, but things get real when you see these fashions on real bodies in motion.  I do like the woman's outfit on the far left in the photo of the 2 ladies above. The geometric lines are interesting. So are the cardigans with long belts.  Oh how lovely to allow your belly to breathe and move after being corseted, yes?

Below the top 4 images are likely the closest to what I may end up making. They feel not only true to the era, but also like a dress I would wear in 2014.  Wow, can you believe that we'd still wear garments like what our grandmother's wore 100 years ago? If we were looking at WWI and Edwardian era fashions, the likelihood of wearing their fashions again in 2014, except for costume is much lower.  Unless you're a maxi dress gal, you likely don't choose long dresses.  Me? I gotta move & be free.  I trip on long dresses. So I usually opt for calf length.
Picture
Source: Etsy Seller seraphimgrace
Picture
Source: Past Patterns. #4990: Ladies’ and Misses’ Slip-On Dress: Autumn 1927
Picture
Source: Past Patterns. #8721: Girl's Sleeveless Dress: Circa 1929-1930
Picture
Source: Past Patterns. #3055: Misses' Tucked Slip-over Dress: Circa 1925-1926
This magazine cover, Peerless Patterns (buy it on Etsy!) shows women's bridal fashions. I love the roses at the drop waist. That's really pretty. Maybe I could include that on my dress in a flat, to-the-body, style. MacKensie style?
Pattern Vault
Source: Etsy Seller Pattern Vault
Oldpatterns.com McCall 1920's
Source: OldPatterns.com McCall 6015
I like how these McCalls styles have design lines through the body. We're starting to see the transition between 1910's and 1930's in this.  
Picture
Source: Glamour Daze
Picture
Source: Glamour Daze
A bit of History: 1920's Fabrics, Styles, and Trends
  • Vintage Fashion Guild
  • Fabrics.net
  • 1920-30.com 
  • Vintage Dancer
  • Dressmaking research 1920
  • Dressmaking research 1929
  • Glamour Daze
Inspiring Posts about 1920's Fashions: 

  • Jane Austin's World, 1920's fashions on Downton Abbey 
  • Revival, What to Wear to a Prohibition Party
  • The Aesthetic Eclectic, Chiffon & Lace plus a Green 20's dress.
  • Gjeometry, 1920's drop waist dress
  • American Dutchess, 1920's jersey dress
  • Collector's Weekly, Did Hollywood Give the 1920's a Boob Job
  • Flashback Summer, 1920's Photo Shoot
Comments
    Gwen Gyldenege

    Author: 
    Gwen Gyldenege

    I'm a one woman circus.  
    I'm curvy and athletic.
    ​I am a dancer.
    My last name translates 
    to "Golden Oak". 

    I'm an artist, intuitive, engineer, seamstress 
    and performer.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Sewing in Seattle

    Archives

    December 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    April 2009
    December 2008

    Categories

    All
    Activewear
    Adventures
    Art
    Artists
    ArtOfThe20sDress
    Calligraphy
    Cartoons
    Clown
    Comedy
    Costumes
    Creativity
    Crochet
    Dance
    Dancewear
    Dingleballs
    DIY
    Fabric
    Fashion
    Fiber
    Fitting
    Food
    Funkifabrics
    Garden
    Handwriting
    Hiking Gear
    Holiday
    Humor
    Inspiration
    Interviews
    Jalie 2795
    Jalie 2795 Hoodie Sew Along
    Jalie Patterns
    Jewelry
    KiddieAdultsUnite
    Kitchen
    Kits
    Knits
    Knitting Patterns
    Lifted Gifted Higher
    Lingerie
    Littlealters2013
    Mad Men Dress Challenge III
    Marketing
    MMMay14
    Moulage
    Muslin
    Needle & Thread
    Nwcreativespirits
    Outdoor Gear
    Paint
    Paper
    Passthepaper2012
    Pattern Drafting
    Photoaday
    Photography
    Pmc
    Prayer
    Projects
    Sculpt
    Sew
    Sewforvictory
    Sewing Workout Wear
    Sew News
    Shows
    Shrinky Dink
    Sing
    Skillshare
    Social Media
    Spring
    Spring Race Challenge
    Stories
    Tutorials
    Video
    Vintage
    Voiceover
    Wardrobe Architect
    Watercolor
    Yarn

Except for sources otherwise stated beneath images or bottom of the page (Creative Commons), all images and works are copyright Gwen Gyldenege, all rights reserved.  Contact Gwen to request permission.
Photos used under Creative Commons from I Robertson, DoNotLick, Gustty, Jayson Emery, Nbepko, Gamma Man, I Robertson, Lars Plougmann, RowdyKittens, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, The Wandering Angel, VasenkaPhotography, quinn.anya, Léa Chvrl, Lost Albatross, Guttorm Flatabø, BEST PHOTO, RowdyKittens, allistair, BozDoz, tanakawho, Navicore, Bilal Kamoon, D-Stanley, Kris Krug, glasseyes view, essers, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, Alex Pepperhill, Found Animals, adactio, Office Now