When people think about the 1920’s they usually think lose fringe dresses in dark of golden colors, crystals and pearls, feathers and head pieces. And while there is some truth to that flapper ideal (though not what you will find in a costume store)
When I think for the 1920s, I prefer the day dress, the pastel colors and the bucket hats. The every day 1920s dress is very underrated in my opinion. Not only is it super comfortable, which was the whole point of the fashion of the era, but I also love the colors and patterns use, the short hair which becomes part of the silhouette, and most importantly how easy it is to create the shape with modern clothes or materials!
I’ve also heard it said that the 1920s are the least flattering shape because, well, it’s not really showing off a shape. But I always think shows like Downtown Abbey or the Cable girls, as an example of the 1920s I want to wear, and it CAN be flattering.
This project started for my second visit to the Jazz Age Lawn Party, an annual party held in Governor’s island in New York City (for reference, it’s next door to Lady Liberty). There’s music, dance, food and of course lots of people dressed in clothes from the era. The year before I had worn a pink dress I made from an original 1920s pattern, with a bow on the front, so I wanted something different.
After looking at vintage patterns for what seemed like days, I settled on this pattern I found on Etsy?
Drescribed as a “Ladies and Misses Morning dress” What I liked about this design is the simple construction plus the capelet situation happening on the neck, almost like a very long collar. It had an option to add a ribbon but I went against it just to make it look more different than my previous make. I also wanted to wear a pearl necklace this time.
If you’d like to see the entire process behind making this dress and the final result, check out my full video below!
The Knit Yorker 