1920's Time Period example essay topic

The 1920's in America were times of great change. Coming out of the horror of the First World War, society exploded in a million different directions. The Twenties saw women voting, the Harlem Renaissance, and an incredible burst of affluence for the middle class. With automobiles and appliances made people's lives easier and gave them more leisure time. The incredible, rapid change that struck the country is clearly illustrated by women's fashions of the decade.

Woman in the 1900's went from cover-up to showing parts of their body, in only a short period of twenty years. Women's fashions in pre WWI and in the 1920's have many differences and similarities. There are many differences in women's fashions in pre WWI and 1920's. In the first half of this century, every conceivable possibility in millinery design was explored: from the extravagant hats of the early 1900's, to the elegant cloche hats of the 1920's. Both day and night, hemlines were to the floor; evening wear (and some daywear) was even longer, in the 1900's. In the 1920's, the salient features of women's day wear clothing are short skirts and dropped waistlines.

Then evening wear became straighter and shorter, after which daytime wear copied it. It was in evening wear that the innovations of twenties style first appeared. By 1926, women who grew up in a world that barely acknowledged knees were nearly wearing their dresses above them. In the 1900's, women covered up their necks, but women in the 1920's showed their necks.

The style of hair in the 1900's was an? up? hair do. The 1920's time period was "bobbed' hair. First introduced during and just after World War I and popularized by Irene Castle (amongst others), bobbed hair created a sensation. The impact of bobbed hair and all it was felt to represent was enormous. In the 1900's, women wore tallies. The taille is only waist-length with the hem made to look like a satin belt.

The top fabric defines a V neckline supposed to look as though a lace waistcoat and undergarment showed in the opening. In fact, the all of it is sewn into the front parts and closed with patent buttons. The sleeves are tight and wrist- length. Black fabric is about the worst to get a good look at To the right of the opening is the edge of the base bodice, marked by the interchanging hooks and eyes that close it. Immediately left from it protrudes the middle lace flap that covers the d? collet age, onto which the collar is sewn. In the 1920's, women wore silhouettes.

The silhouettes of the earlier part of the decade are long and cylindrical, with the skirt falling 7" to 10" below the knee. Despite the relatively simple silhouette, the wide variety of detail was astonishing. Even inexpensive, ready-made clothing from catalog and chain stores such as Sears portrayed an imaginative range of cuts and trims. The silhouette of the early twenties was still rooted in the shirtwaist and skirt mode of the teens. It was in high fashion that the long straight silhouette started to get a toe-hold.

In the 1900's, women?'s? clothes were light colors and in the 1920's, they were darker and more outstanding. There are similarities in women's fashions in pre WWI and the 1920's. Women wore hats, hats were always worn, even today. Women wore dresses all day.

Their day wear clothing was always more casual than the evening wear. Women wore long silhouettes. Fashion was very important to women in both periods. In conclusion, postwar disillusionment lead to many social changes during the 1920's. Women's fashions is one social change that occurred in 1920's with pre WWI culture. There are many differences and similarities between women's fashions in pre WWI and 1920's.

The flapper plays a great role in the changing of women's fashion. The flapper challenged the past social roles of women by enjoying the same freedom as men and dressed in a way their mother and grandmother wouldn? t believe possible.