Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Lilacs & Organdies

(or: How To Stay Formal If You Were a Woman During the Warmer Days of the 1920s)

Women's formal wear during the summer months of the 1920s was often characterized by pastel colors and light, silky materials, no matter the occasion.  While 1920s clothing and style was inherently less feminine and more loose and boyish than that of previous decades, formal wear retained some of the more form-fittedness and larger-brimmed hats of the tens and teens, even during heat waves and hot, dusty afternoons. Etiquette at the time and the unconventional attitude of fashion in the decade suggested comfort over style, but even the 1920s hadn't fully evolved to that idea, and formal events dictated the opposite.

What to wear to a Garden Party:



Garden parties were formal daytime affairs, popular when hot weather struck from the months of May to August. The hostess of such events usually invited close female friends and their male counterparts, and attire was showy but somewhat understated. Often, hats, shoes, parasols, and gloves matched dresses; color and material-wise.  Dresses appropriate for garden parties were made from delicate foulard, organ die, or dotted Swiss. They were often lilac, sunset yellow, pale violet, light orange, or orchid colored. Other common colors were old rose and Nile green, both which exemplified the natural element of the affair. Shoes were simple and light-colored, and white gloves were common. Ladies wore light flower-festooned hats, that were usually broad-brimmed (unlike the popular 20s street cloches) and matched their dresses.




What to wear to when Traveling:





Most summer traveling during the 1920s was to warm climates in the South. Naturally, Southern traveling both involved informal (like beach trips) and formal affairs. To the latter, women often wore colorful frocks, likely in either taffeta, silk, organdies, canton crepe, or voile. Many colors were popular, but dresses of pale apricot, old rose, and Nile green were seen most often. To match their dresses, ladies donned large-brimmed solid colored straw hats, and if it was evening time, they wore elaborate but colorful gowns with fluffy wraps and strapped simple slippers.




What to wear to a Formal Luncheon:


Ladies dressed to the nines for formal afternoon events, like luncheons, but still maintained daywear influence and minimal gaudiness, compared to formal nightwear. The heat of summer again maintained that colors and materials were fairly light. Plain silk or cloth tailored dresses were popular, complemented by more showy accessories. Suede, patent leather, or dark satin shoes with cut steel buckles were worn often, along with grey or beige silk stockings. Gloves were simple; being dull-finished or white and made from chamois. As far as accessories, ladies would wear expensive but understated pieces, like beaded or metal mesh handbags and one or two chains of either precious stones or pearls.



What to wear to a Formal Dinner:


It was crucial that absolutely no hats were worn to formal dinner events in the summers of the 1920s. Ladies wore full evening dresses and elaborate wraps, accompanied by gold or satin brocade evening slippers. Plain stockings were worn under gowns. Women also wore long white kid gloves and often donned diamond or other jeweled hair ornaments, as well as pearls, brooches, and showy buckles for their shoes. 


What to wear to an Evening Ball:


Ball attire was similar to formal dinner wear during the summertime: hats were also avoided at summer evening balls. Ladies donned full dinner dresses and light evening wraps, for cooler nights or evening breezes. Shoes would always match a woman's costume or ball attire, and simple stockings were worn under dresses. Ladies also wore long white kid gloves, and costume jewelry to match their dresses.


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