Flappers Clothing Fashion of the 1920s

Flapper fashion reached its peak of popularity in 1926, but was found on American women between 1925 and 1928. Despite only being in vogue for four years, the flapper look is iconic and is usually what comes to mind when people think of the "Roaring Twenties" or the jazz era.

Dresses

·         Flapper dresses had a shorter hemline than had ever before been seen on ladies, typically sitting just above the knee. The dresses tended to be loose and shapeless, rebelling against the restrictive women's clothing and tight corsets of previous decades. The waistline was often dropped to the hips, creating a boyish silhouette. Flappers wore a huge variety of colors and fabrics. Many flapper dresses featured intricate beadwork or tassels as decoration.

Coats

·         Wrapover coats became extremely popular in the flapper era of the 1920s. The wrapover portion closed on one side and was fixed with a buckle or a large button. Three-quarter length coats were common, but they could be seen in a variety of other lengths as well, and in different fabrics and colors. Coats were often designed with fur-trimmed collars. For parties or evening events, flappers wore raccoon fur coats or short stoles.

Undergarments

·         Up until the 1920s, corsets had been the standard underwear for ladies. However, corsets were restrictive and uncomfortable. Those who followed flapper fashion rejected the stiff, binding corset. Instead, they wore camisoles and knickers (panties) or shorts, or simply knickers and a petticoat. Those who needed help getting a boyish figure would wear lightweight, elastic webbing girdles or long corsets, which flattened their stomachs, but were not restrictive in the same way as a boned corset.

Accessories

·         Accessories were minimal in the flapper era, but there were a few important signature pieces that many women enjoyed. The cloche hat --- a tight fitting hat, worn pulled down slightly over the eyes --- was an notable flapper accessory. Another "must have" was a single string of pearls, in homage to flapper icon Coco Chanel. It was popular practice to wear skin-colored stockings and go out with bare arms.