This decade is going to be an epicenter for an explosion of incredible fashion, art, and dance. The possibilities are endless for the future. But, before we get too caught up in our visions for 2020, let’s take a trip back in time, 100 years ago, to revisit another decade that in many ways set the tone for iconic fashion that stands out even now.
The Roaring 20s had their own unique tempo for fashion. To set the scene, people “let the good times roll,” and Hollywood glamour was at its height. Jazz music filled the air and the Charleston, a dance in a fast 4/4 rhythm, grew popular around the world. New fabrics, hems, and hairstyles took center stage. Even 100 years later, it’s hard to imagine these looks ever becoming passé. The fashion trends of the 20s are purely iconic and still give us inspiration today.
An LBD Because It’s NBD
Hello, Little Black Dress (or, as some like to call this fashion staple, “LBD”). The 1920s brought the little black dress look came into the fashion world! A dress, designed to be versatile and neutral, the LBD gives you a fashion base to dress up or down. The possibilities are endless! Thank you, Coco Chanel and Jean Patou.
The popular squared neckline of the 20s was inspired by a growing passion for geometric shapes in fashion (Hello, art deco!). This fierce neckline is still in and is actually a regular feature in modern clothing. To keep it super 20s, I paired this neckline with another classic, a pearl beaded necklace.
New never-before-worn styles of hats, shoes, and makeup also became popular in the 20s. One specific accessory that was very common was a hat! Wide-brimmed picture hats; close-fit toques, turbans, and berets; and musketeer hats were some of the types of headwear you were certain to see walking down a street in the 20s. I paired my LBD with a 2020s trend, the bucket hat, as a nod to the musketeer hat with the brim classically folded up.
Since we want to keep our looks fierce and fresh, I finished off this ensemble with a red lip, a popular shade 100 years ago, that remains iconic today.
The Look:
- “Classic Luxe” Royal Couture Leo in Black Velvet “Little Black Dress”
- Square Cut Neckline
- Black Hat
- Pearls and Jewels
- Red Lipstick
- Black Boots
- Wavy Hair
Movie Star Glam
There’s nothing more glam than old Hollywood. 1920s Hollywood adored fur, silk, satin, sequins, and fringe. Basically, everything sparkled. Fur and velvet outerwear was in, and jewelry, real or fake (That’s right. Costume jewelry is a classic glam accessory.), were 100% on-trend. For this look, I replaced 20s drop earrings with equally bold over-sized earrings and, again, included plenty of pearls.
But what about hair? In 1926, Vogue announced “The bob rules,” making this chic and short new hairstyle, well, vogue. Doing a big chop was a moment in the 1920s, but in 2020 all hair lengths can be fashionable! Apply those flapper-famous “finger waves” to your hair, no matter the length, to achieve that 1920s glam look!
Instead of a bold red lip for this look, I chose to use a more modern staple, colorless lipgloss for a dazzling shine instead of the pouty red popular with 20s movie stars.
The Look:
- Feathers and Fur
- Costume Jewelry
- Oversized Earrings
- Pearls
- Finger Waves-Inspired Hairstyle
The Classic Girl Boss
No, Cher Horowitz didn’t wear it first. We can thank Mademoiselle Coco Chanel for creating the skirt suit in the 20s! Matching skirt and jacket sets were worn for everything from everyday business to travel and leisure. Women even played sports in wool tweed sets. When they first become popular, the jackets and skirts would have been longer and less form-fitting to achieve the “boyish” silhouette that was fashionable.
This girl boss look was inspired by those early days of Chanel in the 20s – mixed with current 2020s fashion trends. I love this matching tweed set and its dressy vibes. To dress it down a little bit and give it some street style, I paired this look with white chunky sneakers.
This look, complete with pearls, also goes well with lipgloss or natural/nude lip color for a more sporty, casual look.
The Look:
- “Queens” Royal Couture Leo in White Velvet
- Tweed Square-Cut Jacket
- Tweed Skirt Set
- Pearl Accent Earrings
- Pearl Necklace
- Gold Choker
- White Fila Sneakers
In the 1920s, fashion began being promoted as art by fashion designers like Georges Lepape, Charles Marin, Paul Iribe, and Pierre Brisssud. That passion for clothing as a form of expression is still a powerful element of fashion today! Of course, on the runway, everything has to be on-trend, but the way you dress yourself every day is an art, too. It’s how you show off who you are!
So whether you’re throwing it back to the “drop waist look” that was very in during the 20s or not, trying new styles from previous decades, especially one as lively and fashion-motivated as the 1920s, and giving them your personal, modern touch can be a fun fashion challenge. Push your fashion boundaries! You might just find your new favorite element for making every look slay.
