The Beginning

By 1919, America was unrecognizable. The Great War had done more than shatter empires: It had demolished faith in the Victorian ideals that had governed society for generations. Men who had witnessed industrial-scale death returned home with a simple philosophy: live for today, because tomorrow is promised to no one.

This created America's first real generation gap. Older generations who preached restraint, propriety, and delayed gratification were shocked as their daughters cut their hair, shortened their skirts, and danced until dawn in illegal speakeasies. The war had given them a taste of independence they had never known. Women had built airplanes, driven ambulances, and managed offices while men fought overseas, and weren't willing to fully retreat to domestic roles. Women gained the vote in 1920, entered universities, worked in offices, and claimed public space, while the widespread emergence of the automobile gave young people mobility and privacy away from parental supervision.

Mass production and the post-war economic boom made stylish clothing affordable to the middle class for the first time. Department stores and mail-order catalogs spread trends from coast to coast. Jazz music, born in Black communities and spreading through Harlem's clubs, brought new rhythms and new attitudes about pleasure and rule-breaking. All these forces converged to create a perfect storm, where fashion became the expression of a new independent youth.

Jump To:

Women's Fashion Men's Fashion Evolution through the Decade

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Women's Fashion

The Silhouette Shift: The most dramatic change was the complete rejection of the Edwardian "S-bend" corset and hourglass figure. The 1920s celebrated a straight, boyish silhouette: flat chest, dropped waist (often at the hips), and a loose, tubular shape. This was revolutionary after centuries of cinched waists and emphasized curves.

Key Distinctions from the Pre-War Era:

• Hemlines: Rose from ankle-length to knee-length by mid-decade (shocking at the time!)
• Hair: The bob haircut replaced long, pinned-up Victorian hair
• Undergarments: Confining corsets gave way to light brassieres and step-in chemises
• Fabric & Movement: Heavy, structured fabrics replaced by lighter silks, rayons, and chiffons that allowed dancing
• Ornamentation: Geometric Art Deco beading, fringe, and sequins replaced the romantic lace and ruffles of the Edwardian era
• Makeup: Women openly wore cosmetics (previously associated with "loose women"). Dark lipstick, kohl-rimmed eyes, and rouge became fashionable

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Men's Fashion

While less dramatic than women's changes, men's fashion also modernized significantly.

Key Distinctions from the Pre-War Era:

• Emergence of Casualwear: Sweaters, sports jackets, and knickerbockers for golf became acceptable day wear
• The "Collegiate Look": Younger men adopted raccoon coats, bow ties, and straw boater hats
• Colors & Patterns: Moving away from somber Victorian blacks and grays to lighter fabrics, pinstripes, and checkered patterns
• Accessories: Two-tone spectator shoes, pocket squares, and fedoras replaced top hats

Men's Hair

One of the most distinctive parts of 1920s Men's Fashion was the Slick Back. In contrast with the previous era was stark, when Edwardian gentlemen had favored a gentle part and waxed mustaches, post-war men rejected this in exchange for something sleeker and more modern: hair plastered flat against the skull with a razor-sharp side part, often combed straight back from the forehead.

Pomades, gels, and carrying combs were a constant part of life. Photographs show men pausing to check their reflections in shop windows, adjusting their hair before entering a restaurant. Walk into any barbershop in 1925 and you'd be hit by the unmistakable scent of pomade, that waxy, petroleum-based brilliantine that transformed millions of American men into glossy-headed replicas of Rudolph Valentino. The morning routine involved working Murray's Superior Pomade or Brylcreem through damp hair, combing it into submission, and maintaining that glossy armor throughout the day.

Silent Movies: Rudolph Valentino's gleaming hair in his 1921 appearance in The Sheik only fueled this style. Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, and Clark Gable all sported the look, and grooming companies promised average men they could achieve the same screen-idol shine.

Decline: The slicked style began fading in the early 1930s. Depression-era men gradually allowed more natural texture back into their hair, though pomade remained popular. By mid-decade, softer styles with more volume were emerging, ending the reign of the patent-leather look.

Evolution through the Decade

Coming soon.