1920s - fashion with fun, whimsy and chic

Mojito said:

Speaking of which, I'd love to see your Nana's wedding cap, Miss Sis. The note that came with the one I posted here was lovely - I wish every item of vintage clothing came with comments from the original owner. I'll look up one of the vintage wedding threads and post it.

Click to expand...

It's in NZ. If I can find it when I'm home next year, I'll photograph it so I can share with everyone. I could also try to scan a pic of my Nana wearing it.

Sewing Patterns

Here are my only two sewing patterns from the twenties. I bought them along with 7 other early thirties patterns and paid a small fortune for them. Unfortunately they are too big for me (story of my life), but I just had to have them! All the patterns are the free patterns given with the “Paris Modes”- I guess that the illustrations on the envelopes were cut out from the original magazine- what I would do for those!

The First is described as a summer frock from June 1925


And the second is from April 1926

Mojito, the wedding dress was a find! It’s in a rich heavy silk satin and the lace is indeed metal thread. (I’ll fish it out and take a close up) It falls so beautifully, like all dresses from that era. Looks great on but I would say it would look better on someone with a bust- I really do have the boyish figure so fashionable then!

Vintage Betty that white beaded dress is adorable

Ooohhhh! this thread just keeps getting better and better! Thank you for the kind words, Miss Hattie! I hope no one minds that I didn't press it...

Small note to Mojito: Have you considered copying the photos and hosting them yourself? Since you linked directly to various sites, they might take the photos down.

I don't think I've posted this before, so I thought you might find this interesting:

1920's Cloche with Trapunto

Even though it's missing its liner and has some wear, it's still an amazing study piece. The last two images are from a scanner and show the actual color and wear better than the other photos. I lightened many of the photos to show the details.

*wipes away drule* it's all so beautiful and shiny! *sigh* the dresses are absolutely stunning and the hats...THE HATS!!!! I love hats, especially cloche hats, and those are sooooooooooooo amazing, but nothing beats the flapper garters. Those were absolutely adorable! >.< So CUTE!!!

1920's Leather and Steel Shoe Covers

This is something I picked up back East, but when I didn't use them, I ended up selling them to a shoe museum on ebay a couple years ago.

First the pictures:





Than the auction description:

You are bidding on a pair of 1920's Leather and Steel Shoe Covers for 1920's shoes. The leather covers the heel so that the shoes are protected while walking through ice, mud, etc. I've collected vintage for 25 years, and this is the only pair of 1920 leather shoe covers I have ever seen.
I purchased these a few years ago. I have never worn these, or displayed the 1920's Shoe Covers. They have remained in storage all this time. There is no strap to tie onto the shoe, that was removed by someone. The covers are strong, and can easily be worn. They are in Excellent condition.
Item: One pair of Vintage 1926 Shoe Covers. Steel reinforcement on back with the words "Patent 2-2-26"
Measurements: 4" high x 4.25" at widest part.
This shipment weighs approximately 8 ounces.
Flaws: I don't think these were ever used, as the leather looks unused. The patina of the steel banding around the back of the cover has oxidized, and the straps were removed. There is a green stain on the inside of one of the covers, and I believe this is from the oxidized steel touching the leather. It should be able to be sanded off with the proper leather stone cleaner. The heel bottoms are unused.

1920's Daniel Green Slippers

I thought these would fit me, but they didn't :rage: ...cost too much to ship back, so again, off to ebay they went. Luckily, I broke even.

wow, they are all lovely

My first interest in 1920s apparel was in evening styles and it's only recently I've been falling in love with various day styles because of their diverse appeal to me.

This may be a stupid question but could one get an acceptably flatter chest with a modern minimizer or controlling sports bra?

The cloche hat shape suits my face but I've not found a bob cut that flatters me so I ditched that plan at the end of Spring this year. In the past I had much long hair but as long as I gathered it in a low bun, the cloches I had at the time still looked good and sat comfortably.

I love the pink dress on the first page at the bottom. Actually, I couldn't choose one dress shown here.

At 4'10"ft I wonder if most of the hemlines of the daydresses would fall too low on me or if I'd indeed be stepping on the hemline? I've lost my inches measuring tape so I've no idea what my shoulder to floor or ankle length is. Roghly 122cm from shoulders to right above my foot.

If I were serious (and rich) enough, I think custom reproduction would be the ideal choice for me to make sure that the hip of the dress really fell

tuppence said:

Mojito, The rose colour of the first dress looks incredible on you. Your skin looks like Ivory. Definitely your colour.
I am fascinated by all the beading on these dresses.
I wonder whose job it was to sew them on?

Click to expand...

Thank you, Tuppence!

Embroidery, including beadwork, was often contracted out by couturiers to Ateliers/Workshops that specialised in these crafts - Chanel, for example, had a contract with the Kitmir House of Embroidery in the 1920s, and Kitmir provided some spectacular work in both thread embroidery, beadwork, appliques etc, developed in collaboration with Chanel herself. Kitmir was founded by the exiled Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Romanova, who employed many Russian emigres, some of aristocratic background, who had learned needlework as an accomplishment before being forced to leave their homeland as a result of the Russian Revolution.

Another great embroidery house was La Maison Lallement, which provided both original hand and machine embroideries from 1898 - 1950. Among those who commissioned work were the houses of Worth, Callot Souers, Doucet and Poiret.

Techniques included the use of the electric Cornely embroidery machine for beading, and tambour work which was done by hand with a small hook. Specialist shops provided the embroidery materials - "A Fashion for Extravagence", written about Art Deco textiles, mentions that there were 150 different widths and qualities of gold and silver thread alone available, many imported from Japan. A workshop like Lallement would produce two collections each year, featuring some 200 designs, which woul dbe shown to the couture houses for their design and fabric selection.

Lallement opened an embroidery school training young girls in the skills required. Provincial homeworkers were also contracted to work on the gowns. A hand embroidered dress, worked on wooden frames by several women, might take three weeks to complete.

Vintage Betty said:

I thought these would fit me, but they didn't :rage: ...cost too much to ship back, so again, off to ebay they went. Luckily, I broke even.

Click to expand...

Are you sure they're 20s? I have some similar Daniel Greens but I just assumed they were from the 40s or later. Would love to know what I have! How do you date 'em?

Miss Hattie, I love those pattern graphics - they illustrate another thing I love about the age...the graphic design!

A good note on linking to those images, Vintage Betty - I'll keep that in mind. That cloche is wonderful - both the shape and the fabric. And the shoe covers are fantastic - I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. Excellent that they've gone to a museum. Shoes break my heart, because I'll never find any that would fit me, but I love the 1920s styles. Here's a couple I bought through Circa Vintage because they're just so gorgeous - a friend with more petite feet is modelling them for me! They're stunning, all the way down to the glass buttons on the strap fastening:



Lillemor, I find that modern sports compression bras have a better minimising effect than those specifically labelled minimisers. My reservation would be that they often have thick straps and a racer back that might show through the gown, but if you can find one that suits the outfit I see no reason why they won't work. I use a Bella Bodies body shaper that can be pulled up over the bust. I also have a cami top with a built compression top. There are some specific bust flatteners available, used for example by women who have had breast surgery, women playing male characters, the transgendered etc. It should be remembered that very tight breast binding for long periods of time can cause breast cysts - and, of course, who wants to disguise their womanly curves to the nth degree? There was an interesting comment from my grandmother to one of my aunt - she said they all bound their breasts so tightly in the 20s, it was remarkable that they didn't all develop breast cancer!

Miss Sis, look forward to seeing your grandmother's wedding cap - and the photos! I'll have to scan some of my grandmother's 30s wedding...I can't recall off-hand what she was wearing on her head.

Thanks to everyone who is enjoying the thread - and to those who have posted fantastic images. Spaugs, I think that flapper garters would make a fantastic collecting area in and of themselves!

I think the shoes are from the 1920's due to the font on the interior stamping and the heel.

Vintage Betty, those beaded/sequined dresses you posted earlier were beautiful - the delicate transclusence on the sequins in the pink dress is one of the things about 20s gowns that make my breath catch in my throat. They also highlight why I often mutter that 20s gowns will break your heart...they just weren't meant to last for 80 odd years. So many were light, ephemeral, and of the moment. I've bought ones that are beyond use for anything other than the beading and as a pattern - I have a pink chiffon with heavy beaded fringe that just makes me want to cry, as you can imagine what it must have looked like when someone swirled around a dance floor in it. I call these my "glorious ruins", and am still looking for someone who I can commission to transfer the beadwork to new gowns. I've tentatively explored the possibility of having it done in India, where there is still intensive beadwork made. Malaysia may be another possibility. Or I may just have to learn how to do it myself!

Sometimes when the damage is small and localised (and doesn't involve something irreperable like shattering silk) it is possible to reinforce the dress. Often it's around the shoulders or armcycles. This dress I bought recently had a bit of work done on the middle of the back and on the shoulders, and is now quite sturdy and able to be worn with care. I'm looking forward to matching it up with red accessories, as I love that black/white/red combination so popular in the era:



My friend modelling a dress I bought for her as a Christmas present - again, it's comparatively heavy beadwork on chiffon, but the base has held up very well and is wearable. Presumably it was stored flat - these dresses should never go on a hanger! The hem was taken up at some point - something which happened a lot in the mid-decade with hemlines became considerably shorter. The combination of cobalt blue on a black base seems to have been very popular:



This dress was originally sold through the Kerry Taylor auction house - I bought it later from a dealer. The original description reads as follows:

A black chiffon flapper dress, circa 1928, entirely covered with crystal bugle and pearl beads in poppy and other floral patterns, attractive tabbed hemline.

Click to expand...

In this case the chiffon base is fairly sturdy, but the many of the beads are loose. Once they're secured, I'm going to try a few different slip covers. I'll probably stick with something dark to emphasise the white beads, and may stick with black. I did try it with red, and it was quite attractive.

Mohito, we are very lucky to have you posting here, you are quite the expert! Tell me, how do you reinforce the shoulders on a shattering dress?

1920's Egyptian Revival Leather Belt

Here's a seal skin 20's Alaskan sealskin hat and marabou scarf I picked up while on my honeymoon.

I just have to chime in on the 20's dresses that VB has shown - how I adore that white one with the multicolor beading! And the other one that needs work, have you considered making a lining for it and couching it down to the lining everywhere possible? I have seen this done to beaded dresses and it gets a few more wearings out of them.
But I agree, that white crochet one is not 20s to my eye. The puffy shouldered sleeves are wrong to be early or late 20s, and the waistline is wrong to be late 20s. Just because the dealer thought it was doesn't make it so - unless she had a dated vintage photo of someone in the dress in the 20s, I would be very skeptical.
It could be a teens dress with the sleeves shortened?
The blue dress with the multi stripes is also 30s (Probably 33 to 36sih), no possible way could that neckline, that waistline and that shoulder treatment be 20s. But it is SO perfect for the Queen Mary! Just the thing to wear on deck!
I am just making the point as we have so many people viewing here who are new to all this, we shouldn't lead them astray.

Thanks for the feedback! I went ahead and deleted the non-1920's items; it didn't feel correct to leave them in this thread.

Miss 1929, when do we get to see all your goodies? And could you explain this phrase? "couching it down to the lining everywhere possible".

Thank you-

Vintage Betty

I'll leave discussion on the correct method to reinforce dresses showing some damage to Miss 1929 - I'm not at all confident I'd get even the basic terminology correct! Next time I have one of the dresses with this treatment out of it's box I'll see if I can get some shots. I don't think there's much that can be done if the dress is really silk and is really shattering...but if there are a few small holes, the method seems to work. With care - I've heard tragic stories of people taking a beaded 20s chiffon dress that seemed quite strong onto the dance floor, with disastrous results.

Miss 1929, I'll second the request for some images of 20s pieces you own or have worn! Your Deco Belle outfits alone are fantastic - I'd love to see more of the photos, as you had the look so perfect when you were wearing that era.

You know I *love* that hat and boa, Lauren - the boa demonstrates that *yes*, they did exist, particularly in the teens and 20s...but not the garishly coloured chook feathers we see in costume wear today. That lovely, soft maribou (??) is indicative of how pretty they could be. That would be lovely around the neck.

The Egyptian revival pieces are one another great collecting area, and Vintage Betty's belt is one of those great items. Here's another variation on the theme - a chiffon dress with velvet trim from the second half of the decade. The gypsy girdle (very popular in the 20s) has rhinestone-on-brass mesh clasp that hearkens back to the winged scarab:

1920s velvet!

One of my devore velvets appeared earlier in this thread, as well as the beaded Adair dress. There were some spectacular velvet pieces in the 1920s - many of them not very heavy, buttery soft silk velvets. These pieces have often held up better than the silks.

These first two are from Doyles Auctions in NY:

Embroidered Chestnut Brown Velvet Dress
French, 1920s
Sleeveless, with dropped waist defined by gathered self belt, the dress embroidered allover with triangular motifs worked in peach, coral and white silk floss and gold and pewter bugle beads, labeled: Adair/4 Cite Paradise/Paris/Made In France.

Click to expand...

Tangerine Silk Velvet Chemise Dress
French, early 1920s
Sleeveless, ankle length, with dropped waist defined by wide self belt, the bodice front and skirt sewn with bands and rectangular areas of silver beads in floral pattern, the center front band dipping below waist and ending in circular form, labeled: Adair/The House of France/4.Cite Paradis/Paris/Made In France.

Click to expand...