STYLE

Celebrating the New Year in Roaring 20’s Style

Lydia Southwood

Throughout the pandemic, jokes were made that once we were on the other side, we would experience a new roaring 20s era. But 2021 started in a lockdown with more restrictions across the country, and there was little opportunity to celebrate the new decade in full 20’s style. Although we may not be fully on the other side yet, 2021 saw a return of a celebratory atmosphere with parties and nightlife. So this New Years, we hope to see a return of the usual 1920’s themed parties.

The decade following the First World War was defined by celebration and parties. The roaring 20s is infamous for its recognisable, luxurious and extravagant fashion styles. More recently, films such as the Great Gatsby popularised the 1920’s aesthetic. Everyone wants to throw a party and be Jay Gatsby, or at least party as hard. New Years Eve parties often take on the theme of the Roaring 20’s, and this New Years is set to be no different.

And so with New Years Eve parties comes the ultimate question of what to wear. If attending a 1920’s themed party, you probably already have a vague idea in your head of your final outfit. A fringed, flapper dress with a feather headband, and strings of long pearls? This is the usual image conjured in our mind when talking about the 20’s and parties, but of course this was not everyday wear. These stereotypes have been constructed through films and media since the 20’s, and are usually historically inaccurate. However, the 1920’s did represent a break of traditional clothing rules. Dresses became shorter, but still covered the knee; not as rebellious and scandalous as we may think. Women’s clothing was loose fitting, with long lines and scoop necks. Makeup was also popularised for the first time, but was mainly focused on eyebrows, cheeks and lips. These changes appeared drastic to people at the time, used to much more conservative dressing. To portray this contrast in dressing, media and films accentuate these new features such as much shorter dresses and heavier makeup than is actually accurate. Therefore, we need to take these ideas of roaring 20’s fashion with a pinch of salt.

But at the core of these styles was still a liberation of women from what they had previously worn. Moving away from long, structured dresses, designers recognised that clothing for women needed to be comfortable and wearable, with more women going into the workforce. And so although the reality of 1920’s fashion isn’t as fitting for your 1920’s themed party, it still represents a celebration of a new decade, new freedom enjoyed by women, and new boundaries of fashion.

A 1920’s themed party is still the ultimate opportunity to celebrate; dress up with full glitz and glamour. You may not want to wear a long line loose dress with low heels, but why not adopt the real sentiment behind 20’s clothing; celebration of freedom! Although it may not be totally historically accurate, you can celebrate the new year in 20’s style, albeit with a modern twist.