People respond differently to tragedy, and one of the ways is to throw oneself wholeheartedly into music, fashion, and other cultural changes. Known as the Roaring Twenties, this response occurred in the 1920s, following the First World War.
Realizing the transience of life, major changes began as people exchanged seriousness for fun. Adapted in line with an easing of social standards, fashion became far more vibrant. And by the end of 2022, this style had made an unexpected comeback, which continues to this day.
Below, we outline some of the key styles of the Roaring Twenties so that buyers will know which essentials to include in their inventory to cater to this optimistic and growing trend.
Table of Contents
Exploring the value of the global fashion market
1920s clothing style guide for retailers
Summary
Exploring the value of the global fashion market
Google Ads data reflects a monthly average of 110,000 searches for ‘1920s fashion’ from August 2023 to July 2024. This keyword saw a low of 74,000 searches in August 2023, but highs of 135,000 searches occurred in November and December 2023 and during January, May, and June 2024.
Keyword data offers critical insights for sellers, indicating the strongest keywords and the months with the greatest consumer interest. Together with global sales data, sellers can use this information to their advantage.
1920s clothing style guide for retailers
When the 1920s began, fashion was developed for fun and to break all society’s time-honored rules. This period was so enthusiastically embraced that the fashion industry reverted to its delights in 2022 to relive this period. Below, we review some of the most popular 1920s fashion trends to give you a brief overview of what to order for your customers.
Flapper dresses
Inspired by the need for freedom of movement on the dance floor when jiving to jazz music, fashion designers like Coco Chanel and Jean Patou ensured that flapper dresses were all about glamor. This form-fitting style was meant to highlight the female silhouette. They were cut above the knees with a dropped waist and had thin straps or narrow shoulders to enhance free movement.
They were made from luxurious, slinky materials, often adorned with sequins and tassels that women loved. Besides movement, strong inspiration for this women’s fashion also came from The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book caused movie stars and women in the public arena to quickly embrace its risqué and elegant elements.
Browsing this category reveals a fascinating selection of this 1920s fashion trend for today’s women who want that nostalgic factor. So, be sure to include the little black dress and evening dresses in your selection, which are veiled by mature and young women alike.
1920s men’s suits
Men’s fashion in the 1920s featured formal wear such as three-piece suits in pinstripes and micro patterns to which men added smart shirts and other items to complete these outfits. Informal wear was quite similar, but the pants were loose-fitting, known as Oxford bags.
Browse the 1920s suits category for formal wear that men can wear to a special occasion like a Gatsby-themed party. Then, select items from the following sections to help customers perfect their 1920s outfits.
1920s hats
1920s Hats for men included stylish felt bowlers, trilbies, and fedoras for formal wear. Bowler hats were characterized by their rounded tops and short brims. In contrast, fedoras and trilbies consisted of familiar dented teardrop crowns with narrower brims for the trilbies and broader ones for the fedoras. In contrast, boaters had flat tops of differing heights and wide brims decorated with bands, perfect for trendy semi-smart day wear.
Men’s hat styles didn’t stop there either. Sellers can explore a selection of Baker Boy and Brooklyn Newsboy caps, which are far less bulky than the first option.
In the 1920s, women developed a passion for the close-fitting cloche hat. These hats helped keep hair in place, complementing or protecting many of the women’s fashion hairstyles of the time. Besides the cloche, other popular styles for women included the toque, turban, beret, and sailor hats.
1920s shoes
In addition to risqué flapper dresses that showed more skin, chic 1920s shoes were also in vogue. Sellers can see several styles in the showroom, such as the T-strap in different colors. Distinguished by the unique T-shaped strap above the vamp on the foot arch, with rich adornments or plain and with heels about 2.5 to 3 inches, this leather footwear took center stage.
Mary Janes were just as glamorous but had one strap above the vamp or variations of this design. For sport or daytime wear, Oxfords filled the gap in women’s fashion. This shoe design was often made from linen and had laces.
In the 1920s, men wore formal leather Oxford shoes with suits in various color combinations. Brogues were similar to Oxfords but without the additional stitching on the vamp. This style was slightly less fitting and more casual than Oxford’s. Additionally, smart and casual boots and informal sports shoes became popular, with these first sneakers becoming the forerunners of today’s sports footwear.
Accessories
1920s accessories for women included feathered and jeweled headbands in different colors. Pearls, semi-precious jewelry, and similar fashions were highly popular too. In addition to these items, flappers favored long and short gloves to complement their dresses in combination with sheer or fishnet stockings to go with their shoes.
For men, accessories meant perfecting their outfits with pocket squares, matching bowties or ties, suspenders, and pocket watches. Gatsby sets for men are easy to find in the Alibaba.com showroom and are popular among customers, as are sets for women.
Summary
Roaring 20s fashion was so iconic that it has been revived over a century later. Because of this revival, sellers can browse the Alibaba.com showroom to explore all kinds of 1920s fashion items that are still popular today. Use great deals, special discounts, and events to promote this fashion trend to your buyers, and stay part of an ongoing movement that has truly entranced us over the decades.
