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1920s Fashion - Research Paper

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1920s Fashion - Research Paper
The 1920’s fashion was a period of liberation, change, and even more importantly a movement towards the modern era. Fashion in the 1920’s varied throughout the decade but one could see the noticeable change from the previous fashion statements and eras. At the start of the decade, women began emancipating themselves from the constricting fashions by wearing more comfortable apparel. As women gained more rights and World War I forced them to become more independent, flappers came to be, mass-produced garments became available, and artistic movements increased in popularity, one can see how the fashions from the roaring twenties characterized the time and redefined womanhood. (1920s clothing 1)
In the early 1920s, change advanced gradually as many women were reluctant to adopt the new styles and changes coming with the new era. From 1925 on however, the styles associated with the roaring twenties were excitedly accepted by the public and continued to characterize fashion into the late 1930s. Numerous years had passed since the end of World War I. After the burden of the war, and the female liberation movement, women now felt free-spirited and just simply wanted to have a little fun again. (1920’s Fashion 1) Having won the right to vote in the 1920s, women were able to break free of the traditional feminine image and behaviors previously associated with them. (The American Vision 378) Specifically, women were experiencing a greater sense of individuality and even more importantly a greater sense of independence. As new opportunities arose, women began to shed the confining clothing of the previous centuries. Corsets were forgotten and replaced with looser fitting camisoles. (1920’s Fashion 1) Designers had much more freedom of expression with the new dresses and tops of the twenties. Colorful, loud fabrics showed the joy the women felt about the end of the war and their new freedom and independence. (1920’s women fashions 1) As the 1920s came to a close, one



Cited: 1920s Clothing – Fashion of the Twenties. 2000-2008. Buzzle.com. 16 April 2009 < http://www.buzzle.com/articles/1920s-clothing-fashion-of-the-twenties.html>. 1920s Fashion. 9 March 2009. Love to know corporation. 16 April 2009 < http://womens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/1920’s_Fashion>. 1920’s Women Fashions and the Changing Role of Women. 2005. Fashion – Copyright. 16 April 2009 < http://www.1920-30.com/fashion/>. Appleby Joyce, Alan Brinkley, Albert Broussard, James McPherson, and Donald Richie. The American Vision. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2008. Women’s Fashion Of the 1920s

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