What Men REALLY Wore in The 1920s || Fashion Archaeology Ep. 2

[Music] greetings and salutations in this episode of fashion archaeology we will be discovering what men really wore in the 1920s before discussing the actual clothing let us get a little background of people's mentality and viewpoints during this decade the first world war had just ended clothing reflected the optimistic mood of post-war life and was increasingly more casual and colorful outwent the rigid rules and stiff clothing of the early 1900s and in came stylish sports clothes and relaxed attire people wanted to explore and to play the increasing popularity of sports like golf and tennis as well as explorers and aviators influenced everyday apparel in this decade upper and middle class fashion could look quite similar more marked by a difference in quality and quantity than style many of the middle class would try to put on the ritz as it were and dress up to look far wealthier than they actually were being publicly viewed as old-fashioned or worse unable to afford stylish products was a faux pas that many young men and women avoided at all costs advertisers and department stores were only too happy to appeal to this nationwide inspiration to shop manufacturers were constantly working to find new methods to make clothing more durable comfortable and affordable all while keeping in style with the latest trends as the demand for new stylish clothing grew mass-produced puerta porter or ready-to-wear garments made these styles more accessible to the general public men cared very deeply about their appearance and took great care to coordinate each article of clothing a few men's fashion icons in the 1920s were tennis star bill tilden golf star walter hagen jack dempsey movie picture stars like rudolph valentino and douglas fairbanks and celebrities like al capone charles lindbergh and prince edward viii these men represented the general spirit of adventure of sport of exploration and rebellion that coursed through the decade like with every decade the fashion in the beginning of the 1920s was quite different by the end of the decade some things change rapidly with fads going in and out while others slowly disappeared over many years just like today people had their own personal tastes and favorite styles to express themselves now that we know a little bit more about the decade and the people living in it let us take a closer look at men's style in the 1920s facial hair had seen a steady decline in popularity over the last decade by the 1920s mostly older men would be seen wearing a thick beard or mustache during world war one gillette razors were general issue to every american soldier shaving was encouraged during the war because it allowed the soldier to more safely close and seal his gas mask when the men came home the popularity of this brand and of shaving remained in 1921 gillette released its new improved safety razors and offered a wide range of affordable razors and blades men could now afford and enjoy a much more comfortable shave than the straight razor and thus the popularity of shaving increased young men preferred the clean shaven look or a very thin pencil moustache which echoed the entire era's desire for a youthful stylish and carefree look hair was cut short and was styled with a hair tonic wax or oily cream to achieve a shiny slicked down hairstyle sideburns were short and trimmed close to the head and the hair was either combed straight back or sharply parted the hairstyle and part chosen depended on what was deemed most flattering for the face all men wore hats and there were many hat styles to choose from even farmers factory workers and men of very low class would still have some sort of hat to wear colors ranged from various shades of brown blue green white black lavender gray and more they could either match with their suit or contrast in coordination with other accessories most hats also had some sort of ribbon and bow detailing across the crown flat caps also known as newsboy caps could be worn by everyone it was the everyday hat of the working class and the sport or leisure hat of the upper class it was also appropriate for all kinds of weather and seasons twenties caps were oversized and rather floppy in comparison to today's caps which are tailored and close to the head summer caps would be made of cotton or linen wool tweed and corduroy were used in chillier weather and could be seen in a solid color or feature a checked tweed or plaid print only in very harsh winter temperature would a man give up his flat cap and wear a sock hat or fur cap in replacement it is in this decade that fedoras were introduced into menswear fedoras were hats made of felt with long thin brims the tall crowns were shaped with creases and indentations at the top and to accent the crown a wide ribbon band with a bow in the beginning some avoided the fedora due to the fact that fedoras were popular among young men and gangsters even with this sentiment the fedora could not be stopped and was quickly overtaking other styles like the hamburg or bowler distinguished and well-to-do gentlemen wore hamburgs and bowlers especially during the early 1920s the bowler was a stiff dome-shaped hat with a small brim that curled upward the hamburg similarly had a curled brim but instead of a rounded dome crown it had a crease in the center bowlers were beginning to replace the top hat for formal events however the top hat was still used for the most formal of occasions top hats were tall small brimmed hats made of satin or silk they were shorter and smaller than in previous decades and were worn by the extremely wealthy or for formal events like fancy dinners weddings horse races and the like boater hats were a popular choice in the summer especially with younger gentlemen and university students made of straw they always had a wide colorful ribbon around the crown which usually featured stripes and a bow this picture demonstrates perfectly just how popular the boater was in fact they became so popular that a specific day was chosen in which men changed from their winter hats to their straw boaters the exact date of straw hat day varied from place to place but it was always in may or april to coincide with the coming of spring its cold weather counterpart was felt hat day which occurred in september or october even though boaters were extremely popular men seemed to enjoy destroying them just as much as wearing them if a man was seen wearing a boater in the autumn often his hat would be promptly removed by a university student and smashed on the ground yes this seriously happened and violent riots fights and even death occurred just because of this tradition one such case happened in new york city on september 13 1922 the straw hat riot lasted 8 days and involved a mob of about a thousand hat destroyers at its peak and resulted in a number of arrests and injuries the cousin of the boater was the panama hat the panama hat was much less ostentatious and more conservative than its flashy cousin with only a simple black ribbon about the crown and bucket like in shape farmers and people who worked outside would wear large wide brim straw hats much like the ones you would see today to protect them from the sun and weather factory workers and men who wore uniforms often had caps with visors to keep the sun out of their eyes and to protect their faces and hair from errant grease or other occupational hazards [Music] many may think that men only wore white long sleeve shirts in the 20s however the 1920s brought fun and color back into men's wardrobes in addition to the traditional white shirt dress shirts featured all sorts of colors like pink green yellow blue orange and even lilac patterns could also be used to incorporate even more color and detail stripes were particularly popular as well as polka dots and checks fabrics were mostly cotton or linen and no matter what the season all shirts were long sleeved in the early 1920s shirt collars were stiff and detachable just like in the 1910s by the end of the era detachable collars were quickly vanishing from daily attire in favor of softer non-detachable collars this change caused quite a dispute between the more traditional dressers and the more modern crowd detachable collars were more practical due to the fact that only one shirt was needed and many different collar styles could be interchanged plus these collars also saved shirts from having to be laundered as often thus making them last longer the downside of detachable collars however was that they could be quite uncomfortable to wear and restricted movement the early collars of the 1920s were small and clung close to the neck by the late 1920s collars were longer and had more of a dramatic point usually casual shirts were not as flashy as dress shirts most would be a solid color or a plaid with one or two large pockets work shirts were made of cotton twill denim linen or wool and were usually thicker than a dress shirt work shirts could come in various prints like thin stripes or small dots but by the mid-20s onward solid colors were preferred color choices could range from army green gray blue or black blue was the standard color choice for most workmen hence the term blue collar referring to men working in factories or hard labor jobs knitwear is one of my favorite parts of 1920s fashion it was fun detailed and very colorful for winter men had thick cozy knit sweaters cardigans and even coats that were all usually made of wool they came in a wide variety of shapes prints and colors to show school pride many young students often wore their school or university colors and initials some sweaters had a simple collarless v-neck some had a shawl collar which were large rounded lapels that kept the neck warm and some featured a high roll neck collar there were many popular prints a few included diamonds checks fair aisle horizontal stripes stripes just on the sleeves and plaid [Music] while suits were still a staple in most men's wardrobes the general gravitation towards more casual attire meant that men did not want to be stuck in their suits and ties for every occasion this is where separates came into play the early 1920s trouser styles were very slim cut a leftover style from the 1910s by 1925 trousers were much more baggy and loosely cut also most trousers were very high-waisted either reaching exactly at the belly button or going up above the belly button one of the most popular trouser styles were knickerbockers knickerbockers were big and baggy trousers that were full at the thigh then stopped and tightly closed around the knee area originally worn at the golf course for hiking baseball games and other sports they soon became a staple in men's wardrobes for everyday occasions plus fours a style very similar soon replaced knickerbockers as they allowed more freedom of movement plus fours were popularized by the prince of wales prince edward viii who wore them during his visit to america in 1924. plus fours extended four inches below the knee and thus four inches longer than the traditional knickerbocker hence the name plus four while knickerbockers and plus fours were extremely popular many colleges banned students from wearing these trousers on campus this ban was partly responsible for the birth of the oxford bags trend first born in england and then carried over to america oxford bags were long baggy wide leg trousers made of wool flannel their popularity was solidified in 1925 when united states president calvin coolidge publicly declared his disdain for the trend as the years went by oxford bags grew larger and larger to the point of a ridiculous size when the stock market crashed in 1929 the opulent amount of fabric used to make oxford bags was considered wasteful the working class of course had no need or means for things like oxford bags they needed sturdy trousers that could get dirty not be easily caught on machinery and that lasted as long as possible work trousers jotippers coveralls and overalls were perfect for doing hard labor jobs these would be made with a heavy cotton denim twill canvas or corduroy color choices would be blue gray white or black the color and style depended upon the occupation for instance stripes were usually worn by railroad workers and white was usually worn by milkmen and house painters coveralls could be worn over a man's undergarments or over his shirt and trousers while overalls usually were paired with a simple wool or cotton button-up shirt both would have several pockets and compartments to hold tools and the like [Music] now that we have covered separates let's talk about suits suit styles varied from the beginning of the decade to the end of the decade and from older gentlemen to younger gentlemen most of the working class had one or two suits and were usually purchased at a second hand or pawn shop wealthier men could have up to 10 or 20 in a wide variety of colors and fabrics sometimes having suits custom made for them by their tailor in the early 1920s suits were very similar to the suits of the late 1910s sharply tailored jackets a matching vest and slim trousers the jacket featured rounded shoulders and small lapels and could be single-breasted or double-breasted double-breasted jackets had rows of buttons set high on the chest that formed a rectangular formation these however were not as popular as the single breasted jackets overall the early twenties style accentuated the contours and curves of the body and featured more conservative colors like dark brown gray or navy in the summer men could wear lighter colors like ivories whites tans pale grays and very light blues by the mid to late 20s suits were much more masculine wider cut jackets accentuated broad athletic shoulders and featured wider and longer lapels vests and waistcoats were also cut wider sometimes featuring a deep v-cut or shawl neckline vests had either the traditional single row of buttons or double breasted button detailing trousers had relaxed as well to afford comfortable movement men were experimenting with two-toned suits by either having a different colored jacket to the trousers or a contrasting vest to the rest of the suit speaking of color the mid to late 20s saw many colorful suit trends like orange bright yellow pink green lavender in addition to the traditional colors of gray brown and navy this part of the decade also featured many patterns the most popular being pinstripes of course men needed to carry things like hankies wallets and keys so jackets featured several pockets on the inside and outside vests also had pockets that were mostly used for storing pocket watches for formal occasions the tuxedo was still the most appropriate attire there were two types of jackets to choose from a tailcoat that featured a long tail of fabric at the back or one without tails called a dinner jacket most had contrasting satin lapels and were most always black black trousers accompanied the black jacket and bright white shirt and vest most trousers would have a contrasting strip of satin fabric that would go down the leg through the whole decade suits were made of natural materials like cotton flax camel hair and various varieties of wool linen cotton and flannel suits could be seen in the summer and corduroy thicker flannel and tweed in the winter [Music] [Applause] in the winter suit jackets would simply not be enough to keep men warm so in stepped the overcoat most overcoats from the 20s were long and the neckline was either a v-neck or shawl neckline early twenties coats and jackets tended to have a belt to cinch in the waist but by the end of the twenties overcoats were large and boxy in shape throughout the decade overcoats would mostly be made of wool or camel hair fur was also often used to comprise an entire coat for the heaviest of winter coats to be used to line a wool overcoat or just to line the collar to keep the neck nice and warm now obviously overcoats were not very ideal for activities or laborious jobs so shorter work and sport jackets were a must-have made of thick wool or leather these jackets looked like smaller simpler versions of their overcoat cousins color selections for sport and work jackets were muted browns greens blues blacks grays and reds youths could enjoy either a varsity jacket with their school colors and emblems a sharp striped jacket or the rather monstrous raccoon coat the raccoon coat was a must-have for any fashion forward college age man and they would be seen in droves at football games even popular hit songs like doing the raccoon recorded this fashion craze [Music] so [Applause] [Music] in all this joyous gaiety of the 1920s the beach was the ideal place for summer parties games and of course swimming men had several styles to choose from when it came to swimwear these were quite a contrast from just 20 years ago when men would have most of their body covered now legs were on display well up to the thigh as well as suits that revealed the back to give the swimmer freer range of movement believe it or not all swimsuits were made of ribbed cotton or worsted wool and you could choose either a two-piece number complete with a rubber belt or a one-piece suit to reflect the bright mood bright colors of orange blue black white yellow green and purple flashed across beaches everywhere [Music] by the early 20th century the mass-produced undergarment industry was booming advertisements were filled with promises of new designs that increased accessibility or were softer than any other competitor on the market one important thing to note about pre-1929 clothing was that elasticized fabrics had not yet been invented everything had to be held up or attached without the aid of stretchy fabrics so men's underwear did not have a stretch waistband like they do today to hold them up they just had button closures or drawstring ties in 1929 jacob golbum founder of everlast designed rubber elastic waist trunks to replace the leather belted trunks worn by boxers and thus the boxer's short underwear was born wool was used for long underwear also known as long johns or union suits other fabrics used were silk rayon and a fabric called nainsook nainsook was a soft lightweight type of cotton muslin from india due to its sturdiness and softness it was ideal for underwear and gained particular popularity in the 1920s sleepwear also was very colorful and was made of silk cotton wool or flannel in contrast with the slender cuts of the 1920s sleepwear was large and roomy men could choose between the long ankle length night shirt or the new two-piece pajama sets robes and sleepwear could have a wide variety of interesting colors loud patterns and various button and closure clasps mixing prints was totally acceptable and often robes were a different print and color than the pajamas most robes reached in length to just above the ankle and had a rope-like cord belt to keep the robe closed [Music] bow ties and neckties were still a standard neck accessory for most men and were worn at jobs and in leisure obviously certain activities prevented the wearing of ties working with machinery or playing games like football would be perfectly acceptable reasons to not wear a tie neckties and bow ties were smaller than today's ties and both were about equally popular ties gave men another opportunity to add even more color to their outfits and any color combination could be found in department stores men represented their school or gentlemen's club by wearing striped ties with the appropriate colors of their club or school but not just stripes were available a multiplicity of prints and patterns could be found many being hand painted most neckties and bow ties were made of silk or wool flannel however a less expensive option was the knit tie these ties were just as colorful but were made of yarn and could be made at home or bought unlike a silk tie knit ones would be square shaped and not pointed at the end suspenders were the standard way to keep your trousers up before the 1920s belts had served mostly as a decorative item much like a sash then leather belts began to compete with the suspender market they were small and thin with simple buckles and came in a color selection of black navy or brown suspenders were attached by buttoning them to the upper part of the trouser and could be made of leather or cotton they could either be plain or quite colorful with stripes jewelry for men was a booming business although the amount of jewelry worn depended on the man and his budget cufflinks tie pins or bars collar pins bracelets and rings added a bit of sparkle and extra pizzazz to outfits cufflinks and rings often were monogrammed with the man's initials styles could range from having a simple metal design or feature splendid and expensive stones tie bars tie pins and collar pins were also made of metal and helped to keep ties and collars neat and in place watches were a must-have accessory rich or poor most men had some sort of timepiece in the beginning wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women and many men viewed the wristwatch as a ladies trinket much like a bracelet men used pocket watches which were timepieces that hung from a chain looped through the button hole of a vest and tucked in the vest pocket after the massive use of wrist watches during the first world war men's views of wrist watches changed dramatically by the end of the 1920s the ratio of wrist to pocket watch was 50 to 1. early on wrist watches for men were round and basically a pocket watch with leather straps but by the mid to late 20s smaller different shaped models were available as well jackets were accessorized with pocket squares handkerchiefs or lapel flowers since a flower's beauty is not limited to the rich or the poor men of any class could enjoy a flower on their lapel also known as a boutonniere walking sticks were still in use in the 1920s because although they were old-fashioned they still gave a sense of elegance and were useful some would have elegant silver or gold handles with rare imported woods or they would be a simpler all wood design as the decade progressed an umbrella could also be used as a substitute and even if it was a sunny day gentlemen would still be seen carrying one about a key feature of glasses from the 20s was the curled ends that helped to keep the frames on the face the most popular frame styles were round and oval and were made of tortoise shell or metal in addition to traditional glasses one could also wear a monocle or pulse nay which was a pair of eyeglasses that clipped onto the nose the 1920s really saw the rise of popularity when it came to sunglasses as people recognized them as an opportunity for a fashion statement associated them with celebrities and saw the benefits of protecting their eyes from the harsh sun's rays typically gloves would be in muted colors such as blacks whites browns tans or grays day gloves were well worn in the day and were usually made of a cotton or of thin leather driving gloves were take a wild guess used for driving most cars did not have leather steering wheels yet so driving gloves were partially for fashion partially for practicality as they ensured a firm grip of the slick wood steering wheels winter gloves and mittens could be knit or made of a thick leather from cowhide or deerskin lined with a cozy wool or fleece lining working gloves would be made of horsehide pigskin or of rubber the final accessory that we will be discussing is scarves silk scarves often accompanied a tuxedo and in the winter knit and flannel scarves were used by everyone to keep warm scarves were very long in this decade and would often color coordinate with the wearer's sweater [Music] at this time socks were often considered to be hosiery even for men and many advertisements would describe them as hoes or stockings as seen here with the popularity of knickerbockers and shorter trouser hems socks were no longer hidden and they could now be proudly on display for all to see because of this socks came in a wide variety of fun colors and flashy patterns like checks diamonds stripes fair isle and plaid sport socks were also taller than the more formal stockings meeting just over where the knickerbocker hem ended less flashy socks were usually worn with suits and featured either solid colors of brown gray and black or more colorful shades like pink lilac or dark green for formal occasions socks would be dark and sheer rather similar to a woman's stocking only shorter like we learned earlier elasticated fabrics had not yet been made available to the public so what held these stockings up the answer is garters sock garters were small harness-like contraptions that were made of either leather or rubber and would wind around the calf and clip to the top of the sock the big selling point for shoes in the 1920s was flexibility and more durable materials new rubber souls were replacing leather soles emphasizing a more flexible and comfortable soul that gave men more mobility to dance hike and do other fun activities during the 1920s men wore dress lace-up boots with a pointed toe that usually featured some design on the tip also the 1920s saw the rise of the oxford shoe especially during the last years of the decade at first oxford shoes basically had the same design as dress boots just without the high top but soon new designs began to appear they could be bought in standard brown leather black leather white leather or reptile skin white shoes were usually worn in summer and paired with a white suit the biggest shoe trends were knee-high lace-up boots and two-toned oxfords called spectators nearly everyone indulged in these trends and they became signature styles of the decade that could be worn in all seasons spectators could be worn for most occasions with the exception of extremely formal events and could be paired with suits or short pants knee-high lace-up boots were always paired with short pants and were often used for outdoor activities like hiking they were also very popular amongst aviators for formal events black patent leather oxfords were the shoe of choice spats were a linen or canvas shoe covering that went under the bottom of the shoe and buttoned up at the side they were first designed to protect shoes and ankles from mud and water while walking however by the 20s spats were just an elegant accessory often worn by the wealthy or those trying to appear like they were wealthy while athletic and sport shoes had been around since the late 1800s it was really in the 20s when sports shoes began to be marketed for the public and not just for athletes tennis shoes and converse were the sport shoes of choice and were made of canvas and a flexible rubber sole with a new skid proof design on the bottom winter boots looked pretty much the same as work boots and could be ankle length or reach higher to the knee made of sturdy leather they could be lined with a thick fabric or for extra warmth have a shearling lining working class men wore boots that were thicker and sturdier than the dress boot with a roomy rounded or square toe many of the working class only had one or two pairs of shoes one pair for special occasions and one pair for working the very poor would have only one pair that was worn for all occasions until the boot completely fell apart knee-high rubber boots were often favored by farmers while lace-up boots could be worn by shop and factory workers i hope that you enjoyed this video and that you were given a clearer perception of what men really wore in the 1920s please feel free to like comment and subscribe to my channel thank you so much for watching [Music] so [Music] you

Channel: Uniquely Madison

Views: 198,066

Rating: 4.8958335 out of 5

Keywords: vintage, vintage fashion, vintage style, 100 Years of Fashion, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, classic, oldies, retro, flapper, old music, memorabilia, vintage life, vintage beauty, glamour, fashion, style, men's fashion, Charles Lindbergh, Art Deco, prohibition, Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Rudy Vallee, outfits, fashion history, vintage advertisements, suit, ties, lifestyle, inspriation, learning, The Great Gatsby, silent film, knickerbocker, Surrealism, shaving, razor, old hollwood, WW1

Id: 2JkQgvsUCSA

Length: 45min 9sec (2709 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 26 2020