1920s Fashion: Coco Chanel, Louise Brooks And Flappers

1920s Fashion: Coco Chanel, Louise Brooks And Flappers

1920s style marked a change in women's fashions from the more restrictive silhouettes of the past in favour of more comfortable daily attire.

One of the key influences was Louise Brooks' flapper figure, including bobbed hair, short low-waist dresses with pleats and gathers (all the better to Charleston in) and plenty of embellishment like beading and fringing. The look was inspired by the geometric forms of the Art Deco movement.

Key pioneers of 1920s style included Jean Patou and Coco Chanel. The latter is credited with being one of the first women to embrace the more masculine aesthetic of the period; she rejected the rigid corsetry of the past and introduced clothes that celebrated the era's interest in boyish figures, like the little black dress and Chanel's signature cardigan jacket.

Men's fashions in the 1920s included short suit jackets, cuffed trousers or wide-leg "Oxford Bags"-style trousers, waistcoats and sport-influenced attire like jumpers and knickerbockers.

The spring 2012 catwalks saw a huge resurgence in 1920s style and Great Gatsby-inspired, Jazz-Age fashion, especially from brands like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Etro.

By Brogan Driscoll & Jen Barton

Close

What's Hot