Rebecca Langston-George - All Dolled Up: Bringing 1920s and 1930s Flair to Your Wardrobe

T ake a look inside your closet. The clothes there reflect your personality, taste,andstyle.They also reflect the trends of today. But look closer. You likely haveseparatepiecesthat you pair together, such as sweaters and skirts. You probably have a T-shirtwith a funny picture or saying on it. Maybe you have makeup and headbands on yourdresser. All those styles and accessories arent modern inventions. Youll have togo all the way back to the 1920s and 1930s to find the inspiration for many stylesyou wear today.

Womens clothing underwent a revolution in the 20s and 30s. For the first timein history, women showed their legs and bare arms. They began to imitate the stylesof movie stars and sports figures. And womens clothing got freer!

The styles of these decades left a lasting impression on fashion. Everyone recognizesthe fringed, low-waisted flapper dresses of the 20s. The poised look of the 1930shigh-waisted sailor pant is still worn today. You cant deny that the looks are timeless.And thats why we still love to wear them

You can bring even more of these iconic styles into your look. With a little blingand some style know-how, you can become a '20s and '30s fashionista. Retro fashionis new fashion!

T he Roaring Twenties were a time of wild excess. The music was loud, and the danceswereshocking.Youngwomen wore shorter dresses and hairstyles than ever before. Some people called thefashions scandalous

Wild dances such as the Charleston swept across the United States. These new dancesrequired clothes that allowed dancers arms and legs to move freely. If you had tosum up 1920s style in one word, it would be legs. Hems rose as high as the kneesfor the first time in modern history. Short dresses even replaced long dresses forfancy evening wear. Legs that had long been covered by full skirts were now everywhere.

Major law changes during this decade gave people both freedom and restriction. InAugust 1920 Congress passed the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.This new freedom was a sign of the changing times. Women wouldnt be held back anylonger. The loose, relaxed styles were just one outward sign of this new attitude.

In January 1920, the 18th Amendment banned alcohol. Prohibition had a deep effecton life in the 1920s. Men and women went to secret speakeasies to party. The popularityof this underground scene led to the rebellious, free-spirited attitude the 1920sis remembered for.

Fabulous Flappers

The daring flapper has been revived today.

N o group was more rebellious or free-spirited than the young women called flappers.Flapperswereliberalwomen who drove cars and danced the nights away. They came to symbolize the attitudesof the 1920s

Flappers wore dresses decorated with rows of fringe or glass beads that swayed inrhythm to their dance moves. No tight waists or corsets for these girls! Instead,they wore boxy shaped dresses with loose, dropped waists. Bare arms swung to thebeat of the music.

The daring flapper has been revived today. Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood have bothbeen spotted in flapper inspired clothing.

In June 2012 Perry wore a flapper headband and long pearls. Her peach floor-lengthevening gown added to the vintage look.

Flapper styles are popular on dance floors too. Celebs on Dancing with the Stars often wear beaded outfits that sway with their fancy footwork.

Movies have brought back the carefree and fresh styles of the 20s too. The 2013movie The Great Gatsby showcased fringed flappers. The successful movie had peopleroaring for the looks themselves. Brands such as Fogal and Brooks Brothers releasednew lines inspired by the movie. And countless blogs and news shows told viewershow to get the looks for less.

Get the Look

Long strands of beads that swung around while dancing where very popular in the 1920s.A single extra-long strand of beads might be hard to find now. But you can make yourown from two shorter strands.

SUPPLIES

• 2 matching strands of beads

1. Lay the two strands end to end on your workspace, overlapping slightly.
2. Where the strands overlap, pull the bottom strand up over the top one to make a circle.
3. Bring the bottom of the strand nearest you up to the circle. Pull it under the circleyou just made.
4. Pull until the strand goes all the way through to knot the strands together.

Get the Look

Change a plain summer dress into a flapper sensation. Check your closet or hit thethrift store for a knee-length tank dress. Then add some fringe for a flapper makeover.

SUPPLIES

• sewing measuring tape
• solid-colored knee-length tank dress
• scissors
• 2-inch (5-centimeter) long chainette fringe in a complimentary color to your dress
• pins
• thread to match the fringe
• needle

1. Measure around the bottom of the dress.
2. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) to your measurement.
3. Cut three pieces of fringe the length you calculated in step 2.
4. Pin one piece of fringe around the bottom of the dress. The ends should overlap inthe back, and the fringe should hang below the hem line.
5. Sew the fringe in place, starting in the back and working your way around the dress.When you get back to the end, fold the last -inch (1-cm) of fringe under itselfand stitch it in place.
6. Pin another row of fringe above the first so they overlap slightly. Sew that rowin place.
7. Repeat step 6 to make a third row of fringe. Now youre ready for the dance floor!

1920s
Hair and Makeup

Just like todays young women, flappers imitated the hairstyles and makeup of popularactresses. Celebs in those days were silent movie stars. Actress Louise Brooks shortbobbed hair was all the rage. Women raced to beauty salons to shake out their hairpinsand cut their long hair.

If you think the bobbed hair of the 1920s is out, think again. Take a look at thebob Katie Holmes wore. The inspiration is unmistakable.

Get the Look

Headbands and combs with colorful feathers were popular 1920s accessories. No matterwhat length you wear your hair, you can jazz up your locks flapper style.

SUPPLIES