1920's Fashion

Fashion of the Jazz Age
In the 1920’s, fashion for all ages saw a dramatic change and began an evolution towards fashion today. Throughout history, evolution in fashion has corresponded with changes in culture and values. After WWI, a large cultural shift was seen in America. The new ideas and values that emerged were reflected in the new fashion trends of the era. In the 1920’s, women’s fashion reflected a growth in their independence, men’s fashion evolved to reflect the new aspects of a more casual society, and changing views of childhood led to more practical clothes for children.
Women’s fashion in the 1920’s transitioned from more conservative to practical style. Introduction to sportswear and workwear became evident as a part of
In the 19th century, childhood was seen merely as a precursor to adult hood and not a separate stage of life. However, in the 1900’s, a progressive movement to end child labor emerged. This movement argued that childhood is a necessary time of development and growth, and that kids should be allowed to be kids. With this movement, children’s clothes began to emerge that were separate in appearance and function than the adult clothes of the time (Child Vo, Labor in America, 1920). they usually wore loose, feminine dresses embellished with lace, ruffles, or artificial flowers and tied with a sash. Another popular outfit was a long skirt worn with a sailor style middy blouse made of wool flannel, jean cloth, or serge. These shirts featured a shawl collar, contrasting necktie, and sometimes a “nautical insignia on the sleeves¨ (Children's Clothing). Girls also wore thigh length cardigan sweaters that buttoned in the front and were belted around the middle (Frocks and Frills: Children's Fashion at the Turn of the 20th Century). In the late 1920’s, girl’s fashion saw influences from the flapper trend, and for adolescents, dresses became shorter and higher waisted. Girls, mimicking the women of the time, began to wear their hair bobbed accompanied with a simplified version of the cloche hat. Matching big-and-little sister or mother-and-daughter dresses became popular as well (Children's Clothing). For boys, a significant difference in the fashion of school boy's and men’s clothing was evident. Before the 1920’s and to the early 1920’s, breeching has decreased, the occasion when young boys are dressed in breeches and trousers. However, boys transitioned from breeching to wearing long trousers. A popular attire for the both younger and older boys was knickerbocker outfits. Knickerbockers were a knee-length pants for boys at age seven and fourteen. Before ages four