skirts nine inches off the ground in 1920, and up to the knee by 1927—dropped waist to hipline, sleeveless, usually v-shaped neckline front and back but keeping the torso covered, flattened bust, all in all, much looser and lighter to facilitate movement. To the same purpose,
Flappers abandoned petticoats, corsets and pantaloons in favor of "step-in" panties. Without the old restrictive corsets, Flappers wore simple bust bodices to restrain their chest,
or new,
softer, suppler corsets that reached to their hips, straightening the appearance up and down. One of the first women to wear trousers and reject the corset was Coco Chanel, who still remains the most iconic woman in fashion, ever. Registered as a couturière and her maison de couture established in 1919, she made the look “à la garçonne” (boyish-like) identifiable with clothes more comfortable and more masculine. Her chemise set a fashion trend along with her short skirts. She introduced, in 1925, her signature cardigan jacket, and in 1926, her signature "little black dress,” which still is a staple of today’s fashion.
Although the most common defining features of 1920's Flapper dresses remained the beads, rhinestones, sequins, lace, fringe, shimmery fabric, and uneven hemlines. The technological development of new fabrics also affected the dresses of the era. Cotton and wool were abundant. Silk was more limited and pricey, but still highly desired for its luxurious qualities. In the late 19th century, "artificial silk,” known as rayon, was manufactured from a solution of cellulose in France, and patented in the United States in 1910. Rayon stockings, which Flappers often wore rolled over a garter belt, appeared around 1923, and became a favorite as a substitute for silk stockings. However, high-end designers preferred silk, velvet, and satin, while department stores carried less expensive variations of their designs made of synthetic fabrics. The dress waistline also evolved over the years. In 1925, dresses with no waistline emerged. At the end of the decade, they were worn with straight bodices, often with tucks at the bottom, and collars. Then, came the knife-pleated skirts with a hem of one inch below the knee. Eventually, with time, those dresses and skirts would become socially acceptable, and the straight-line chemise topped by the cloche hat graduated as the daywear for everyone, black and white women alike.
Cutting their hair was another provocative way the Flapper used to reduce gender gap. Though it was a big fashion statement, it also brought some apprehension to women at first for it was very drastic. Hairstyles such as the Bob Cut, made fashionable by silent film actress Louise Brooks, or even the slicked-back Eton Crop (with or without curls) sported by Josephine Baker, were the rage along with the Marcel Wave. Sparkling headbands with feathers or other adornments were preferred for evenings and parties over the daytime bell-shaped cloche hat.
Coco Chanel wearing a cloche hat.
The Hair, Hats
& Headbands
African American woman by Black History Album on Flickr.
17 | Ceres Magazine | Oct/Nov 2015