September 2011
10 posts
Fashion History of the Month: The Roaring Twenties
The first woman to roar at the current fashion trends of the early 20th century was Coco Chanel. She was the first woman to cut her hair, throw off her corset, and wear trousers. Yes, trousers. Only men wore the pants back then. Chanel parted the red sea for women to follow, and they did.
Not only did Chanel provide a radical example for women, but coupled with World War I the timing was just right. While the men were away at war many women had to take over in the work force. Women couldn’t wear big frilly hats and dresses; they needed to move freely and breathe easily (exit the corset) in order to wor
Liberation in women’s fashion was just one of the many new liberation’s in society at the time. Many women and men were letting their hair down, dancing, drinking (even though it was illegal at the time), and wearing what they wanted. Women’s dresses and skirts were at the knee (which was scandalous back then), tight fitting with low waistlines, and they wore tighter smaller hats with short bobbed hair underneath. The boyish figure was also a trend; women wanted to hide their breasts and hips.
As the 20’s rolled forward these trends and liberties became less radical and more apart of everyday life. What was once taboo became a must.
