1920’s Fashion

By the 1920s, the automobile was becoming more integrated into American life, and lower priced, more reliable models put driving within reach of the middle class…. just about anyone who could afford one opted for the independence and fun that motoring offered. However, high-end luxury fashions and cars of the period became more and more outlandish as the 20’s carried on. 

In women’s fashion, modernity also manifested in new linear and rather boxy silhouettes with shorter hemlines. These styles replaced the tightly corseted S-curved silhouettes of the previous Edwardian period.  

Diaphanous dusters, googles, and wide-brimmed veiled hats gave way to sleek coats and fitted hats called cloches that were more in keeping with short bobbed hairstyles and suitable for closed top automobiles. The examples shown here are emblematic of these new trends

Cornflower blue silk brocade with silver evening dress, Mollie O’Hara, c. 1920. NHS L.2017.002.004, Loan from Private Collection.

Sienna silk velvet caftan with metallic lace and fur trim, attributed to Bonwit Teller, c. 1925. NHS L.2017.002.115, Loan from Private Collection.