Fashion of the Jazz Age. The costumes in both Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and its film adaptations, including the 2013 version, capture the essence of the era’s style. Here are the major elements of the fashion seen within the Roaring Twenties.
Women’s fashion in the Roaring Twenties underwent a radical change, and the flapper dress became an iconic symbol of the era. These dresses were characterized by their loose and straight silhouette, shorter hemlines, and intricate embellishments. The flapper denounced the restrictive nature of the previous decades.
Flapper dresses often had tons of beadwork, sequins, and fringe(I had never heard of any of these until doing research), creating a sense of movement and capturing the lively spirit of the Jazz Age. These details added a touch of glamour to the dresses, especially during the extravagant parties depicted in the novel at Gatsby’s mansion.
Women paired their flapper dresses with cloche hats, which were close-fitting with a low, bell-shaped crown. They remind me of the hats worn to a brunch in this decade. These hats were often adorned with ribbons, feathers, or other decorative elements and complemented the hairstyles of the time.
On the other spectrum of fashion, men’s fashion in the Roaring Twenties was marked by taking a side step from traditional styles. There were the men of the era who wore tailored suits with wide-leg trousers, high-waisted vests, and jackets. Bow ties or long ties, along with a fedora hat, completed the look. This gives a very sophisticated feeling as compared to men nowadays.
The materials used only matched the luxurious and excessive style of the Roaring Twenties. While the women of the Roaring Twenties dawned luxurious fabrics such as silk and velvet, often featuring intricate embroidery or lace. The men dawned tuxedos, which contributed to the overall sense of sophistication and excess within the novel itself.
Leave a Reply