Movies were extremely popular. Several studios in Hollywood dominated them. In 1927, the first talkie¨ came out. Radio also became a large form of entertainment. Jazz developed as a new form of music. Louis Armstrong, a trumpeter from New Orleans among others, led Jazz. . The Harlem Renaissance gained recognition. Led by Langston Hughes, it produced great accomplishments in poetry and jazz. Overall, culture of the 1920s reflected the good economic time and showed a noticeable separation between the classes. Although the 1920s and 1930s are often lumped together as the period “between the wars,” the two decades were quite different in character and styles of dress varied greatly. The 1920s were the Jazz Age, a period of escapism after the horrors of World War I. The younger generation, especially, turned their backs on the formality and dark, buttoned-up clothing of the previous century. On both sides of the Atlantic, life was now fun, one seemingly endless party. With Europe still recovering from the war and repaying debts, the United States took the lead in new technology. Mass manufacturing made consumer goods cheaper and more accessible. New fabrics seemed to be invented every week— rayon, known as “art silk,” nylon, and many …show more content…
It was characterized by a relaxation of moral attitudes. The desire to shock, especially among young women, took the form of ultra-short clothing, bare legs, short hair, and obvious makeup. There was optimism, a sense of the world on the move, with air travel, ocean liners, sports cars, and the new, affordable Model-T Ford automobile opening up travel to more people than ever before. Even the dresses moved, with fringes and beads that flapped as their wearers walked or danced. It was in vogue to be “modern.” This was also the machine age, a time of obsession with speed and pared-down efficiency. Fashion reflected this by abandoning fussiness and unnecessary detail. Clothes reflected the new mood of liberation in looser, lighter garments and with a simpler shape. Most dresses were tube-shaped and cut on the straight grain of the fabric, so they hung loosely and didn’t cling or follow the contours of the body. The typical 1920s silhouette was straight, boyish, flat-chested, and drop-waisted. It’s a great look but hard to live up to for anyone over the age of 25 and weighing more than 110 pounds, so costuming can be