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The 1920s fashion decade, known as the ‘Roaring Twenties,’ was one of the most extravagant stylistic moments ever.

Inspired by the Edwardian period, fashion designers granted the 1920s fashion looks for special occasions rather than everyday wear.

With opulent evening dresses, button-down shirts with detachable collars, and shorter skirts in collegiate style, the Roaring 20s has a special place in the books of fashion history.

Whether attending a 1920s-themed party or wanting to achieve the iconic ‘Great Gatsby’ glamourous look, these are the 15 most representative looks of the 1920s fashion decade.

1. ‘La Garçonne’ Style Flapper Dress

Named after flapper girls – the jazz-loving, unapologetic young Western women – the 1920s fashion flapper dress is one of the most recognizable silhouettes of that era.

Also known as garçonne (“boy” in French), the flapper dress features a straight and loose pattern, a dropped waist that ends right below the knee, and creeping hemlines.

A super popular look for women in the 1920s fashion catalogs, this evening staple was crafted from chiffon, velvet, and taffeta adorned with rhinestones, fringes, and intricate embroideries.

Through collections centered around mixing feminine and masculine elements, prominent fashion designers like Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret gave the flapper dress a new level of style and acceptance.

The ideal 1920 women’s look included makeup of chic rouge and dark mascara and lots of accessories like bangles, bracelets, drop earrings, and necklaces in rows of pearls.

Flappers wore crystal beaded headbands, relevant to the iconic Great Gatsby 1920s fashion looks.

2. Robe de Style

While the 1920s fashion flapper dress is synonymous with the twenties fashion decade, Jeanne Lanvin’s introduction of Robe de Style Dresses took the couture world of those days by storm.

The dress had a drop waist and a slim and close-fitting top, representative of the 1920 silhouettes women used to covet so much.

It also featured a full, ankle-grazing skirt supported with petticoats, panniers, or hoops.

Inspired by eighteenth-century elegance, this feminine and romantic 1920s women’s fashion look was a great alternative to the straight-cut chemise dress.

The opulence and richness of the embellished fabrics, styled with silver hairpins and Cloche hats with eye-shading brims, were a match made in heaven.

Like many other 1920 fashion women’s styles, the dress was made from silk taffeta, velvet, satin, and sheer, lightweight fabric.

Overall, ruffles and pleats were added to the hips to create the illusion of a fuller silhouette.

3. Brimless Cloche Hat

Designed in 1908 by milliner Caroline Reboux, the Brimless Choche hat style became a big part of the 1920s fashion flapper ensemble.

Combined with a boyish hairstyle, the cloche hat in a tight-fitting bell-shaped chapeau was the ideal accessory to enhance and complete one’s looks.

Most 1920s Cloche hats were crafted from felt, but straw variations that ended right above the eyes were also trendy.

A key 1920s women’s fashion accessory, the Cloche hat was all about glamour, especially when sparkly brooches were added to augment the charm.

4. Knee-length Tennis Dress With Bandeau

With tennis being the most popular sport of the 1920s, knee-length tennis dresses in traditional Preppy style were the main choice for high society women as daywear apparel.

White sleeveless vests and knee-grazing pleated skirts in geometric patterns were at the top of 1920 fashion looks for women.

Famous 1920s athletes like Suzanne Lenglen were wearing Jean Patou’s creations – the first fashion designer to create a tennis skirt – in bolder colors, off and on the court.

This 1920s popular style ensemble included a white slip-over dress styled with cardigan sweaters, canvas shoes, and stockings.

Thanks to Lenglen’s approach of wearing scarves tied bandeau-style during tennis matches, the look became popular with American women.

5. Bob Cut Hairstyle

In the twenties, the hairstyle of choice for most women was the “Shingles,” a v-shaped bob haircut that covered the ears and ended at the nape of the neck.

The look became popular when ballroom dancer Irene Castle cut her hair in that style for convenience.

Shortly after, the bob cut became a 1920s symbol of independence for free-spirited women.

Many examples of the 1920s Western fashion looks showcase women wearing cocktail dresses and flaunting finger waves with pride.

Bobby pins were also used to keep the chin-length bob in place, while some women would pin their long hair up to mimic a bob-cut style.

4. Silk Chemise Undergarments

Inspired by the loose silhouettes worn by wealthy women of those times, 1920s fashion designers began creating comfortable day dresses previously classed as casual alternative undergarments.

In the 20s, silk chemise undergarments in popular colors featuring laces, floral embroidery, tulle, and ribbons replaced pleated skirts, corsets, and petticoats.

Also called “teddy,” the silk chemise lingerie featured a drawstring at the top and delicate crotch lace-edged hems that added to the chic vibe.

7. Wool Cardigan and Sweaters

Thanks to Coco Chanel’s unique styling ideas, wool cardigans and sweaters became, in the 20s, part of women’s daywear fashion.

Inspired by the knitted waistcoat of the Preppy subculture, the designer introduced relaxed-vibe knitwear named after James Thomas.

On the other hand, men’s 1920s fashion looks included sporty tennis sweaters, colorful fair isle sweaters, and stiff and sturdy cardigans.

Featuring a double-knit shawl collar and buttoned-up bust-high, wool sweaters were key garments women loved to wear in the 20s.

Cardigans and sweaters came in a vast range of colors, and by the second half of the decade, the V-neck style gained popularity.

Pleated skirts, sweaters, and cardigans with intricate embroidery were the outfit of choice for most high-society women.

8. Long Pearl Necklaces

It is hard to imagine a Great Gatsby 1920s fashion look without multiple pearl necklaces in many lengths, from 60 inches up.

In the 20s, rare and precious pearl necklaces were expensive and available to the rich ones only.

As an alternative, the fashion designers of those days began creating artificial pearls to satisfy consumers on a budget.

Coco Chanel was spotted wearing artificial pearl necklaces (made of glass) on several occasions.

Taking an example from the 1920s, aristocrats and royals wore pearls as a sign of high class and nobility, and every woman started wearing them.

From High society to flapper girls, everybody adored and paired necklaces with pearl bracelets and drop earrings for their formal looks.

9. Wrap Fur Coats

Wrap fur coats in tan, brown, blue, black, and hue variations dominated the 1920s women’s fashion decade.

Powerful symbols of class and opulence, fur coats were long and opulent, reaching well below the knee.

However, there were shorter versions available as well but in the same cocoon-like, cozy, and embracing long hair.

Some 1920s fur coats had large and broad shoulders, while others had no shape or defined silhouette.

The most popular fur coats of the 20s (also the most expensive) were crafted from sable, mink, caracal, beaver, and seal.

In comparison, the middle class had to stick with weasel, squirrel, skunk, and chinchilla fur.

10. Oxford Shoes and Newsboy Hats

A characteristic fashion element of the 1920s (for men’s fashion) was the sturdy but comfortable Oxford shoes.

The most popular footwear was the classic Oxfords and Wingtip Oxfords, sported as smart casual attire at collegiate Ivy League-style occasions.

The ‘newsboy cap’ was another staple of 1920 in men’s fashion but for the working class.

The most common daywear look for men comprised trousers, a blazer layered under a waistcoat, a classic black tie, and a matching newsboy cap.

The gangster fashion style, popularized by Al Capone – a famous American mafioso – was another popular 1920s look for men.

The look was characterized by matching suits with Oxford shoes in different colors and caps in different patterns and fabrics.

11. Mary Jane Pumps

While the closed-toe leather shoe was initially designed for kids, it became an iconic piece of 1920 fashion for women.

The classic kid’s version got a revamp with a higher heel and a few more straps required for dancing.

Some Great Gatsby 1920s fashion-style evening shoes featured a rhinestone buckle in statement silver.

On the other hand, Mary Jane’s pumps were made from plain black patent leather, making them perfect for dancing and city strolls – an activity characteristic of the 1920s fashion flapper girls.

12. Oxford Bag Pants

Made from flannel or similar lightweight fabrics, Oxford bag pants took over the men’s Preppy fashion sphere in the 1920s.

The style became popular when Oxford University undergraduates wore 22-inch wide-leg trousers pleated at the waist for functional reasons, as in Ivy League schools, knickers were banned in the classrooms.

As such, students constantly looked for comfortable styles and new dressing ways in line with academic rigor.

Paired with turtlenecks, cardigans, and sweaters, the wide-cut trousers became a beloved fashion staple amongst English aristocrats and Preppy fashionistas.

In time, different color variations (and plaid patterns) started to appear, such as pale pink, light blue, gray, and black.

13. Felt Hats and Bonnets

Along with the brimless cloche hats, felt hats and bonnets were key accessories of 1920 fashion for women.

In the 20s, wide-brimmed hats had round crowns and drooped downsides decorated with ribbons.

Broad straw hats trimmed with a sash of silk were the accessory of choice for yard work and casual strolls in the city on sunny days.

The hat was secured around the head, featuring a brim extending over the face.

14. Plus-fours Pants With High Socks

Plus-fours pants with high socks that extend 10cm (4 inches) below the knee were a huge part of men’s fashion in the 1920s.

The relaxed, baggy look caught the attention of the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, who brought the trend to the US during his travels.

Loved by golfers and sportsmen, this 1920s men’s fashion staple allowed for more freedom of movement than the traditional knee pants called knickers.

Plus-fours with pullover sweaters and high-knee argyle socks inspired by the aesthetic of the country club attire became part of the 20s golfer look.

15. Ostentatious Jewelry

The 1920s decade is synonymous with ostentatious jewelry of faux pearls and long beaded necklaces.

Art Deco-style geometric jewelry was the new craze, with Jacques Cartier and Alfred Van Cleef leading the sartorial movement.

The flapper girls of the 20s and high-society women loved wearing gold and platinum settings adorned with diamonds and precious stones.

Ornate gem brooches, filigree rings, and earrings with long sparkling drops were present in every Great Gatsby 1920s fashion outfit.

Equally, flapper dancers showcase exotic fashion tastes by wearing motifs of Egyptian jewelry like ringed bib necklaces featuring bells and snake bracelets.

Headbands and hair clips with rhinestones enhanced the bob cuts, giving women a fashionable, trendy vibe.

FAQs

Key Takeaways

1920s women’s fashion was about freedom of expression, glamour, and confidence.

Flapper dresses, bobbed hairstyles, pearls, and Art Deco jewelry were key to the 1920s fashion style for women.

After years of restrictive dressing, lower necklines and higher skirts were the new norms of the Great Gatsby 1920s fashion trend.

1920s fashion for men was about three-piece suits with wide lapels, Oxford shoes, and Newsboy hats for a gangster look.

Men’s 1920s fashion style was centered around comfort, evident by the choice of Oxford bag pants and plus-four pants.