Rock My Vintage Blog: The History of the Flapper Dress

Let us take you back in time to the glittering jazz age! A period of forward-thinking fashion and frivolity – is there anything more fun? For women, this was a time of fast change and movement in society, a shift in roles had resulted in more and more women entering the workforce. This meant a whole new way of life for womankind – we thank you 1920s girls! Think independent women defying the boundaries of society…

Enter the Flapper! With her stylish short bob and fresh concept of the ideal woman, she celebrated modern ideas about womanhood and appropriate female behaviour. This innovative young woman wore a new style, totally rejecting past fashion! Instead of emphasising the female figure, as past dresses were intended, this new style had a more masculine shape, with a loose waist, flat chest and shortened hem – ooh how we love those short flapper dresses at RMV. This was a complete contrast to the Victorian ideal of petticoats, corsets and crinolines used to accentuate the female shape (however much we LOVE the flapper dress, we’re not forgetting how fabulous a corset is… we love you Dita!).

Cover for the music score 'she had her hair cut' in 1924.

This was a bold move for women, discarding traditional fashion rules and celebrating a more modern, fast-paced lifestyle. Due to the simplicity of the patterns women could now easily make these styles at home (we’re picturing fancy flapper girls stitching and sewing in their bedrooms) - accessible shimmying for all!

Coco Chanel had a huge influence and impact on this new sassy style. She designed beautifully elegant outfits using fabric typically used for men’s utility clothes! Stripping garments down and replacing layers and layers of fabric with beads and embroidery to embellish, these dresses were easier and lighter to wear. By “letting go of the waistline” and freeing women from heavy dresses and strict silhouettes, this style became what we all know as the flapper look…

Coco Chanel in one of her glittering designs

Model showing off a beautiful black Chanel flapper dress, you can find a similar style here.

Chanel suit in 1926

Chanel cocktail dress in the 1920s

This gorgeous piece reminds us of our 1920s tassel dress and our black sequin flapper dress with full on sparkle! Just like the photo, you can add some Chanel-chic to your outfit with these vintage style pearls.

The flapper dress shaped fashion for the future and is still one of the most fabulous frocks to wear today! Forever appearing on the catwalk and the red carpet, take this super flirty dress Cara has on here; we adore her take on timeless flapper fashion, read more on our Style Steal blog post here.