Ladies and Gents,
I was recently asked by a friend to help make them a 1920s costume for a one-time event. I agreed – this could be a fun challenge!
It’s not an era I know much about, so I threw myself headlong into research.
One of the notable things I found out is that skirts were not as short as I would have thought! Towards the beginning of the 20s they were quite long – midcalf or longer, sometimes – and only got shorter (though still below the knee usually) by the end of the decade.
The costume I made is not a reproduction. It is in the style of or inspired by and is intended to give the observer the impression of the 20s – but I make no claims to absolute accuracy!
Garment Data:
– Type: Dress, 1920s style, slightly flapper-esque and possibly less-fancy evening wear
– Date made: December 2013
– Pattern: None.
– Fabric/Materials: I used a dress found at Goodwill that had approximately the right shape, including a lace overlay, and went from there.
– Trim: Fringe, ribbon, feathers
– Time to finish: 2 days or so
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| The original, slightly mother-of-the-bride (or something) dress. Very poly. Has a lace overlay and ghastly puffed sleeves. |
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| So I took the sleeves off! This also gives it a more 20s line. |
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| Started to pin on some fringe I got. |
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| Various trims and accessories draped on the dress prior to assembling it all. Note that the fringe is partly pinned. There is also a band of ribbon, some green trim (that I did not end up using) and a green hat. |
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I went for two rounds of trim. This is for two reasons:
1: From the pictures I looked at, trim, flounces, or lace was often layered in at least 2 or 3 tiers
2: That’s how much fringe I had! 🙂 |
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| Close up of the two-layer fringe. It is hand whipped onto the lace overlay, using the lace design as a guide to keep it level. |
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| Some other props/accessories I gathered. Layers of pearls were sometimes worn, feathers and plumes seemed to be popular, and all the fancy pictures have furs in them! |
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| I’ve now added some trim right above the fringe. |
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| I thought about adding a pleated sash, but decided it would be a) too heavy, b) too much for the dress as it now looks! |
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| Full outfit, including headband. |
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| Close up of the finished trim! |
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| Headband (early 20s, but too cool to pass up!) |
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| Hat, for the cloche look, for the more “outside” look. |
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| Completed outfit, with hat and fur coat! Really the coat should be as long as the dress or longer, but this one is what I had! I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. 🙂 |
And I just found out that there will be a 2nd opportunity for the dress to be worn! Hurrah!
Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah
