Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Art of Dress: Women's Fashion in the 1920s


A)
I would say that women’s fashion in the 1920s was both body dominate and body subordinate. Since it was a very drastic change of dress for women it grabbed people’s attention. This is why I would say that at times it was body dominate. An example of body dominate would be the shorter haircuts that women got. It was body subordinate in the fact that it made parts of the body, “disappear.” The corset drew attention to women making the waist get smaller and the bust get bigger. However the 1920s dress took attention away from the waist with no waistlines. Busts also seemed to get flatter as blouses and dress draped the body instead of being shaped to the body. Jewelry wasn’t really fit to the body, it was more loosely put on (draping the body).

B)(Refer to pictures shown above)
There is a specific look to women’s fashion in the 1920s. The dress drapes the body and does not bring attention to the body. Hair wasn’t necessarily long and hats were a common accessory. When worn correctly the message conveys that the woman wants attention. She is not dainty. She is a “down to earth” woman who wants to be treated fairly. If the fashion was to be deviated from then the person wouldn’t stand out as much. It would actually have a negative effect on the opinion of the person.

C)
Women’s fashion in the 20s approached the cultural idea of the time on what was attractive. This came through women following the movie stars, and fashion magazines. It approached this idea at the time because it was different. The dress wasn’t constricting. It was a part of the culture in the 20s to wear your hair short, and to wear the dresses that were worn. The color, the style, the way certain fabrics were worn is what made the fashion attractive in the 20s. It was a look that didn’t necessarily hide a woman. It still was feminine. Not in the way that the corset was. The dress still made them stand out.

D)
This dress went against the conformity of society and brought out individuality in women. It let women change their hair. They were also able to put on make-up differently. Women in a sense were able to be free. The fashion in the 20s allowed them to do this. It gave them choices and gave them change that hadn’t been around for them in the past. The dress showed how unique women really wore. They had attitude and wanted to be known for more than just their looks. Again an example of this is the bob, and the flapper style dress. It showed them as unique individuals who didn’t want to conform to society.

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