In the aftermath of World War I, America entered a prosperous era
and, as a result of her role in the war, came out onto the world
stage. Social customs and morals were relaxed in the giddy optimism
brought on by the end of the war and the booming of the Stock Market.
New music and new dances came on the scene. Women got the vote in
1920 and were entering the workforce in record numbers. The nationwide
prohibition on alcohol was ignored by many when it suited them.
There was a revolution in almost every sphere of human activity,
and fashion was no exception.
Clothing changed with womens changing roles in modern society,
particularly with the idea of freedom for women. Although society
matrons of a certain age continued to wear conservative dresses,
forward-looking and younger women now made sportswear into the greatest
change in post-war fashion. The tubular dresses of the Teens
had evolved into a similar silhouette that now sported shorter skirts
with pleats, gathers, or slits to allow motion to rule womens
fashion for the first time in history.
The straight-line chemise topped by the close-fitting cloche hat
became the uniform of the day. Women "bobbed," or cut,
their hair short to fit under the popular hats, a radical move in
the beginning, but standard by the end of the decade. Low-waisted
dresses with fullness at the hemline allowed women to kick up their
heels literally in new dances like the Charleston.
Jean Patou, a new designer on the French scene, began making two-piece
sweater and skirt outfits in luxurious wool jersey and had an instant
hit for his morning dresses and sports suits. American women embraced
the clothes of both designers as perfect for their increasingly
By the end of the Twenties, Elsa Schiaparelli stepped onto the
stage to represent a younger generation. She combined the idea of
classic design from the Greeks and Romans (think "tunic")
with the modern imperative for freedom of movement. Schiaparelli
wrote that the ancient Greeks "gave to their goddesses . .
. the serenity of perfection and the fabulous appearance of freedom."
Her own interpretation produced gowns of elegant simplicity. Departing
from the chemise, her clothes returned to an awareness of the body
beneath the gown.
During the Twenties, Tirocchi clients asked for designs by known
designers rather than work with Madame Tirocchi directly to create
gowns for them. Most of these dresses were copies produced by New
York fashion houses like Harry Angelo and Maginnis & Thomas,
although some came from the New York City department stores B. Altman
and Lord and Taylor.
Some Tirocchi clients purchased designs by old favorites from the
Teens, like Agnes, Callot Soeurs, Jeanne Lanvin, Poiret, and
others. However, they bought a lot from the new designers Chanel
and Patou (who was the special favorite of the young set).
>> read on about Fashion
in the 1930s