How to Style 1920s Mens Fashion?
We are in 2020s and often we still remember how the fashion industry has changed since old times. Today. I am going to take you a long back to 1920s mens fashion. Ofcourse I didn’t see those times, but I have researched quite a bit to know more.
Ofcourse 1920s fashion men was at the level at today is but different times have different ways to fashion, like times 90s fashion men, more more people started to follow musician fashion dress and similarly in 80s fashion men was, also one of a kind. So, we shouldn’t bother which is best, rather appreciated they existed. So, in this article I will show how in 1920s mens fashion paved the way for use to great gentlemen business casual attires.
A lot of cocktail attires appears to originate from this time. Men moved away from starched collars and formal three-piece suits during the day. Instead, they adopted soft collars and one- or two-button suit jackets often worn without a waistcoat as seen in the different styles shown on the fashion plate.
Pinstripes were popular, as were British wools and English tailoring. Martin Pel writes that “British men were perceived to be sartorially the most elegant, and fashionable men hoped to emulate the style and heritage of Savile Row and the English elite”. Popular materials were tweeds and flannels, depending on the season.
The most significant development in men’s fashion occurred in two unique kinds of trousers: The Oxford bags and the plus-fours. Ofcourse Oxford bags have to have a connection with Oxford’s crew teams. Oxford bags grew in popularity around 1924-25 when undergraduates at Oxford adopted wide-legged trousers. Though the origin of the style is contentious.
The original style was about 22 inches wide at the bottom, several inches wider than the average men’s trouser leg. Oxford undergraduates began wearing these around the university and soon the style spread. The trousers were made out of flannel and came in a variety of colours. They were mostly worn by youths – perhaps the male counterparts of the flapper – and became a favourite of Britain’s “Bright Young People,” a group of wealthy, aristocrats known for their antics in London’s nightlife.
F.A. Whitehead. Ipswich City tennis club members, 1920. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Source: Wikimedia
Charles Bertram Bell. Exchanging jokes at Ascot racetrack, Brisbane, August 1920 Prince of Wales and a group of young socialites enjoying a chat at the racetrack., 1920. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Source: Wikimedia
Though many men looked to Britain generally for their sartorial inspiration, one man stuck out for his influence: Edward, Prince of Wales. Though later a controversial figure, in the twenties, the Prince of Wales was the good-looking, well-dressed son of the king who was often seen at parties in London.
He had the reputation of a playboy but he was also known for his fashion sense and many men on both sides of the Atlantic aspired to dress like him. Though often photographed in morning suits and tuxedos, he was also a big fan of the plus-fours mentioned above, often wearing them with argyle sweaters and socks both on and off the golf course. This portrait from 1927 showed him in this attire (Fig. 14). He was the epitome of the English style that men looked to in the 1920s.
1920s Mens Fashion was Roaring.
1920s mens fashion was bound with a lot of traditional and classic way of dressing but it also started to incorporate new inspirations. Suits were central to men’s sartorial part and also with neutral adhere. An emphasis on formality was present, evidenced by the prominence of hats, ties and accessories, but the influence of sports stars and relaxed casual wear also permeated the era.
Whilst formality still annotated attire, there was an influence of athleticism, spurred by leisure and comfort. The 1920’s hair and grooming trends of the twenties were also noteworthy for our modern culture to behold. Hair and grooming placed an emphasis on neatness – the looks were gentlemanly and highly maintained.
1920s Mens Hats
Hats in the 20s depended largely on which class you belonged to. Remember the movies about page boys and factory workers from that time? Working class men wore the “page boy” style hats, called newsboy caps or flat caps.
If you were solidly middle class, you would have owned a fedora hat. Those fedoras were holdovers from the gangster styles, working class or middle-class men coming into sudden money, but keeping the style associated with their own class.
1920s Mens Suits
The main element of 1920s fashion men was to mastering the style and grace of 1920s fashion men is the suit. Today men’s fashion is combination of well fitted jeans. You need to step away from such casual menswear and begin to take pride in your well fitted suits.
Suits were a central part of the 1920s men’s fashion. Although it retained some of the classic fashion of the past, changes in cut and material lent it a modern, jazz-age flair. 1920s suits have influenced menswear ever since, from the 1940s zoot suit to tighter-fitting modern styles.
Suits in 1920s were made out of wool. Well ofcourse now wool suit would not be a great idea, this was comfortable material than what men choose from back then.
Suit jackets were single or rarely double breasted. Suits in 1920s mens fashion favoured a slim and fitted style. Well ofcourse suits now, have periodically adopted the more style seen a lot in today’s style.
1920s Mens Shirts
Ofcourse dress shirt is an essential staple for every fashion year. Also, for 1920s mens fashion, it was an integral part. Tall, white detachable collars reigned king in the world of fashion thanks to their ease of laundering.
In the mid-1920s attached collars became the preferred standard. Attached collars offered a softer feel in comparison to the rigid and uncomfortable nature of detachable collars. For inspiration, see Nucky Thompson from the TV show Boardwalk Empire.
1920s Mens Pants
The 1920 mens fashion was a time of great variety for pant styles. Both straight and wide-legged pants were common, and for pants of a traditional length it was common to see “turn-ups”. The waist band came far higher than the wearer’s natural waist.
Have you ever heard of knickerbockers? No right? in 1920s mens fashion associated a lot with these. These are casually worn in settings of golf or the other sports. The knees were gathered and they were typically worn with some kind of bright sock.
1920s Mens Athletic Wear
Previous to the 1920s mens fashion was impossibly formal, often requiring several changes per day as formal rules dictated.
The 20s saw some relaxation of formal dress rules for the upper and middle class. The influence of sports and the rise of sports stars caused some casual changes in the mens fashion of the day.
Golf was a very popular game at 1920s, so many clothing revolved around Golf. That’s why gold posed a very particular impact on 1920s mens fashion. This style was influenced by the required uniforms of sports stars. This included sweaters in clean colours such as white or navy, and cable knits.
So, what do you think about 1920s mens fashion? Do you like? Do you think 1920s mens fashion would survive today? Send us your thoughts on this article.
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