The Flapper in 1922

August 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

THE BATTLE OF THE SKIRTS

HALF humorist, half philosopher, a good friend of ours wrote in his commonplace book a few weeks ago: “To-day, at high noon, saw two young women wearing skirts that reached down, down, down to their very heels. Experienced a sensation not only of bewilderment but of shock. Stared. Then averted my face. Was in the same mood, precisely, as the London fishwife who, on first seeing a girl in bicycle costume, cried, ‘Garn! you shameless ‘ussy! You’ll never get an ‘usband!’ . . . Something tells me that all this is laughable.”

Two weeks later our friend wrote: “Several more young women have ventured out in long skirts, and wonderful is the effect on wearers of short skirts. A look of icy hate overspreads their countenances. I suppose it was with some such hate that Mr. Harold Hendee, having starred in ‘The Very Idea’ and arrived in New York with that play, beheld the posters thereof inscribed, not with the name of Hendee, but with that of Mr. Ernest Truex.”

Meanwhile others besides the laughing philosopher had their say-especially our feminists. With great solemnity they predicted that the attempt to reintroduce long skirts would fail. “Women will never again submit,” they told us. Yet long skirts have multiplied; uptown they already outnumber short skirts six to one, while philosophers remind us that masculine dictation from overseas directs these matters and quote George Fitch’s remark, “Ever since the world began men have tried to invent something that women would refuse to wear. Thus far they have not succeeded.”

But women have had short skirts ere this, and reverted to long skirts ere this-not always in obedience to masculine dictation, either. In 1898 students at Smith College adopted exactly the costume of the present-day “flappers.” By their own choice they abandoned it. Who shall say but that women are now acting as freely? The reversion to long skirts set in just when we had come to sanction short skirts and a shrewd paragrapher had written: “To bring the flapper to terms, approve of her. Then she’ll stop it.”

But she has only half stopped it. The battle of the skirts still rages-short ones versus long ones, with long ones predominating among women of the prosperous class and short ones predominating among women of the wage-earning class. How will this end? In Buffalo during the “bicycle summer” of 1895 bicycle girls on the prosperous West Side adopted short skirts. Immediately East Side girls did likewise. Whereupon the West Side went back to long skirts. So the East Side went back to long skirts also. Once let the short skirt imply a weekly envelope, and its day in America is done, for in America our wage-earning women are without caste pride. It takes Frenchwomen to develop that. How airily the little midinette trips forth, hatless and in attire jauntily proclaiming that she wins her bread by making artificial flowers or by delicately embroidering fine linen!

Less than a year ago a noted criminologist solemnly attributed the “crime wave” to the “scandalous dress of our women,” and no one laughed. It has since dawned upon us that such utterances bespeak great folly. Perhaps we risk folly as great by suggesting that-conceivably, at least-the return of long skirts indicates a reinstatement of temporarily demoded standards in other realms besides those of fashion. But it is not fashion alone that shows change. From many sources come testimonies that “flapperism” has “passed the peak.” Moreover, a change in fashion reflects a change in mood. Not all new fashions succeed; the trouser skirt of 1911 failed ignoniiniously; when a fashion succeeds, it is because it finds an honest welcome, and the mood that welcomes a return to long skirts would seem to be a reaction against what a popular novelist has termed “this freedom.”

Doubtless the world will never again behold the “elegant female” of our grandmothers’ day, but the tendency at present is toward a recovery of discarded dignities and refinements. If women have learned that they are free to dress as they choose and behave as they choose, they have also learned that an element quite apart from a more or less obscure morality (or psuedo-morality) enters in-the element, that is to say, of good taste. Half our principles, when you come to think of it, rest, not upon moral considerations, but upon aesthetic considerations.

Source: The Outlook, 18 October 1922

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , ,

Womens Fashions in 1925

November 2, 2009 By

IT is said that thoughtfulness in little things marks the quality of a lady or a gentleman. Surely, one’s sense of style and the corlect adaptation of the new in accessories are points of consideration if one would appear smart, for the accessory is more quickly evident than the dress itself.

To express smartness, one must study with deliberation the “whimsies” of fashion and be constantly on the alert for the “becoming best.”
One may wear a tie bow, but its length, width, and texture Fashion decrees. And when she orders chiffon, one dare not substitute; only chiffon will do.

The quaint youthful type may tie nearly a full width around the neck and fashion it into a large soft bow in the front. The ultra smart ties a narrow width on one shoulder and lets the ends fly away as they will. Or, a graceful bow in less pretentious size may soften a front neck of rather severe style.

Rolled chiffon with large bow and long streamers at the side makes a very new and smart form of neck wear, as do also the new patterned and bordered silks when made in a sectional bertha collar that follows a fashionable neck line.

The jabot tie has come in the springtime, soft, fluffy, and becoming. Its appearance at this time means that by fall it will be the dominating keynote. So why wait? Have it now and gain a little art in wearing it so that as the vogue increases the adaptation will be more perfect.

In choosing your jabot, you may have just what you want or need for your type and your dress, for they are to be had in such alluring variety. There’s the graceful one of the dress material, when this is soft and drapes well, and there’s the lace one of similar kind, which may be worn by young and old alike and so often joins with one of the new high collars in smart ensemble. Or, lace may be plaited and used to edge a band of insertion and back trim a velvet collar band, provided, of course, the lace is dainty and soft.

One may wear a necklace, for necklaces are the vogue, but weight, length, and color must all be right for the mode, if one appears modishly smart, and the necklace must enhance the frock.

In necklaces, pearls, cream and colors, are very much the vogue. Link neck chains resembling the love-link bracelets also are popular. But when in doubt, wear pearls. They are most often safe.

Garish jewelry is being left at home. Rings with large sets in color are much worn; bracelets are fewer in number but beautifully and artistically designed.

If it is a severe bob you wear, then your neck-line trim must be severe to enhance rather than to subdue. If your hair is long, a softer neck line will often become its fluffiness. And you must remember that it is your own fault if your hairdress makes you appear out of fashion. There are just as many attractive-looking, full-coiffured heads as there are smartly bobbed ones. Hair bands and combs for evening wear are to be had for both hair styles.

Dresses are fuller than yesterday, but only at the bottom. In fact, the waist and hip lines are fitted a little closer, which means that a perfect-fitting corset foundation must be worn. The corselettes are growing more and more popular, as is also the snuggle band, which is a long, close-fitting girdle with practically no bones. The tight brassiere is giving way to a bust band in combination with the snuggle band, which need but a perfect-fitting slip over them to give an excellent foundation.

Shoes are more voguish, of all colors and textures. Some are most simple, but many are very elaborate in cut and trimming.

Purses are more precise than ever in size and shape, neat leather and silk ones in envelope style, daintily trimmed, proving most popular.

All in all, daintiness is a factor in expressing the charm of little things this season, stockings being sheer and of many delicate tints and tones, and handkerchiefs being fragile, lacy, and delicate.

Ruffles and lace are fast gaining in popularity. Skirts are shorter, averaging 12 inches from the floor; sleeves are fuller, even puffed, and some of them have a shoulder piece, called the epaulet shoulder because they resemble in shape the military badge of honor by that name.

So be alert for that which is lovely, and remember that the daintier you are in your use of the new, the more exquisite and therefore the more fashionable you will be in your interpretation of the 1925 mode.

Source: Fashion Service, Spring 1925

Filed Under: 1925 Tagged With: , ,