History of Men's Fashion - The 1920's

This is part one of what will be a ten part article on The History Of Men's Fashion. I will be covering one decade in each article.

I've decided to begin with the what people called The Roaring Twenties, also known as The Jazz Age. The beginning of modern day fashion emerged in this time frame, without a doubt the most important advancements of fashion within any decade in the 20th century.
It was the decade where women dared to cut their hair short, smoke in public and defy the prohibition as well as deemed moral standards to have themselves a drink. This was the decade when American women shortened their skirts and then they would vote, and vote they did, not only for political candidates, but they voted to embrace their new freedoms with music like jazz and dances called the Charlestonand the Fox-Trot, this new breed of women were called flappers.
Flapper Girls

In the early 20's men were returning home from World War 1, returning to the same clothing they left behind ( short suit jackets, old long jackets for formal occasions, high waisted jackets). Lapels were not very wide, (inspired by military fashions of the war)but by 1925 the Golden Era had begun, and their fashion drastically changed, ushering in The Roaring Twenties.

traditional turn of the century men's suit

By 1925, wider trousers commonly known as "Oxford Bags" came into fashion, while suit jackets returned to a normal waist and lapels became wider and were often worn peaked.

Oxford Bags

Loose fitting sleeves (without a taper) also began to be worn during this period. During the late 1920s, double breasted vests, often worn with a single breasted jacket, also became quite fashionable. During the 1920s, men had a variety of sport clothes available to them, including sweaters and short trousers, commonly known as knickers. For formal occasions in the daytime, a morning suit was usually worn.

Morning Suit

For evening wear men preferred the short tuxedo to the tail-coat, which was now seen as rather old-fashioned and snobbish.

Bowler Hat


America was establishing it's prominence as a powerful nation, and this confidence showed in the daring new styles that challenged conformity, for both men and women.
Oxford Suits

Knickerbockers or "knickers"


Paris was the center of women's fashion, while London dictated men's. And it was in Oxford and Cambridge where the Edwardian practice of separating day wear from night was rejected.
Flannel trousers and soft collars were worn all day.
Oxford shoes, patent leather, two-tone
Oxford Bags, tucked in this style was created after knickers were forbidden in Oxford

This was the age of Babe Ruth, Al Capone, jazz, free spirited souls dancing the atrocities of a world war away. Then, as suddenly as it boomed, it came crashing down along with the stock market in 1929, solemnly bringing the the Great Depression and the 1930's. Yes, every party comes to an end.



want more?.... the 1930's