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Mackenzie Mitchell
Mrs. ODonnell
English II
2 June 2015
Womens Fashion in the 1920s
The 1920s in America saw major societal changes, especially for women, who gained
new freedoms and rights, and began to present themselves in a different manner. A major means
of doing this was through changes in fashion. During this time period, women dressed more
rebelliously and tested the ideals of the traditional woman, with their new styles that drifted
away from femininity.
From 1880 to 1910, women dressed in a way that emphasized their femininity because
that was what was expected of them. They dressed to achieve a silhouette similar to that of the
letter S, with tight corsets that pushed their chests forward and their hips backward (1920s).
The goal of dressing this way was to appear older, and more shapely (1920s). Their dresses
tended to reach the floor, because even the sight of ankles was seen as inappropriate (1920s).
Throughout the 1910s, the tight corsets became less popular, and women wore looser clothing
often with a belt at the hip, still preserving their feminine figures, but it would be in the 1920s
where these figures would be totally lost.
Womens clothes in the twenties were much less feminine than the previously had been.
Dresses now had straight, loose silhouettes (Scott) with no emphasis on a womans breasts or
hips (Mihailoff and Knowles), because the new goal of women was to look younger and more
boyish. This was known as the garconne look (Womens), and represents a major shift in
womens ideas. Another aspect of the garconne look was short hair, which was not what women

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were traditionally expected to have, as it was not feminine. The garconne look was made famous
by flappers, young rebellious women who epitomised the changes in womens fashion in the
twenties. Women also began to wear pants for the first time. For example, Gabrielle Coco
Chanel, a French fashion designer of the time period, introduced the two-piece beach pajamas,
which were a form of comfortable sportswear with very wide hems (Did).
Although women wanted to look boyish by not emphasizing their curves, they did reveal
their arms, and especially their legs. Hemlines fluctuated throughout the decade, but in 1926,
they were at their shortest length of just above the knee (1920s). Now that legs were actually
being seen, stockings became more popular and prominent, and were made to match the rest of a
womans outfit (1920s).
The new styles of the 1920s reflect the new freedoms gained by women because they
symbolize the new social norm of that decade. With the enactment of the Nineteenth Amendment
in 1920, women could now vote. They also had increasing numbers in white-collar occupations
such as stenography (The Roaring). The seeds of equality of men and women were sprouting
in government and in the workplace, and were also sprouting by women being able to wear
pants, a clothing item previously designated for males. The more revealing dresses represent the
new sexuality and sexual freedom embraced by flappers, who also smoke, drank, and used
unladylike language in public (The Roaring). The increasing popularity of sportswear and
casual wear was due to the increasing participation in sports by women (How). Traditional
gender roles were being lost.
Many of the fashion trends of the 1920s have survived. They can be seen throughout the
rest of the twentieth century and are still commonly worn today. For example, women still wear

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short and revealing dresses, cut their hair short, and wear pants. These styles have actually
become more common over time.
Womens fashion changed greatly in the 1920s by becoming less based on conservatism
and femininity. It represented the new freedoms gained by women, the loss of traditional gender
roles, and the beginning of gender equality. The trends of the decade would continue to be added
onto and the societal advancements would continue to develop. In a sense, the fashion of the
1920s set a precedent for decades to come.

Works Cited
"1920s Women's Fashion." 1920s Fashion for Women. Web. 31 May 2015.
Scott, Robert. "1920s Womens Fashions." 1920's Womens Fashions. Web. 31 May 2015.
Mihailoff, Laura and Elizabeth Knowles. "Flappers." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research,
2004. Web. 2 June 2015.

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"Women's Clothing." - 1920s. Web. 1 June 2015.
"Did Women Wear Pants in the 1920s? Yes! Sort Of..." Vintage Dancer. 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 2
June 2015.
"Fashion in the 1920s." Fashion in the 1920s. Web. 4 June 2015.
"The Roaring Twenties." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 3 June 2015.
"How Did the Way Women Dress Change in the 1920s?" Education. Web. 2 June 2015.