Essay on Styles: 20th Century and Women

Submitted By broweyes91498
Words: 2260
Pages: 10
Open Document
Styles 1
Throughout the twentieth century, there have been many fashion trends that have come and gone. There have been the flappers of the 1920’s with their black mesh stockings and feathered hats, to the 1970’s with their bell-bottom jeans, and fluffy, eccentric hair dues. Fashion is defined as “A popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people.” Fashion goes hand and hand with romance and glamour, but more recently, people have beginning to ask “Where has the romance gone”? In this paper I will discuss romance, glamour, and fashion. I will compare and contrast fashion trends throughout the twentieth century, all the way up to today’s fashion. I will also compare entertainment and how it has changed as well, and reflect upon society’s attitude towards the opposite sex, chivalry, and moral code.
In terms of fashion, the early 1900’s really set the pace for the rest of the century. In the first decade of the twentieth century was very elegant and classical. Fashion designers became inspired through what Europeans were wearing and mimicked that style (Gale). Women’s clothing between 1900 and 1910 really focused on the S curve silhouette, and were always wearing hats. Men also wore hats often. Three piece suits, creased and cuffed pants, and a bowler Styles 2 was a typical outfit for a man (SlideShare). As for entertainment, movies were the way to go. Silent movie stars like Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino dazzled audiences with their slapstick humor and precise and controlled dance moves. A popular dance of this decade was the tango, Rudolph Valentino was known as one of the best Tango dancers of all time. Men and women were both very courteous towards one another, men would always tip their cap to a woman, and she’d respond with a head nod. The Great Train Robbery is one of the most recognizable films from this decade, its main theme of crime doesn’t pay will resonate throughout cinema for the next century. Goodfellas pays homage to this American classic almost 80 years after it was made.
In the 1910’s the world was in turmoil, World War I threatened millions of people’s livelihood all throughout Europe. Women in America began to stray away from classic Victorian wear; instead they began to wear Hobble Skirts, and even bathing suites. World War I did not affect how women dressed, however; it did affect how men dressed. Thick wool trench coats were very popular, and soldiers in the trenches often wore similar wool trench coats on the battlefield to shield them from the cold (SlideShare). Silent movies were still very popular, Styles 3 along with ragtime dancing and music. Dancing was a way for people to escape the hassles of everyday life. The attitude towards the opposite sex had not changed at all. Both men and women were courteous and thoughtful towards one another. Shoulder Arms is a classic Charlie Chaplin movie from this decade (Gale).
The Roaring 20’s was unlike any other decade of the 20th century. It was a lively era, women dressed sultrier. “Flappers” were young, independent women who wanted to have a good time. They typically wore looser fitting dresses with shorter hemlines, draped in costume jewelry, and always wearing a hat (SlideShare). Just like the women, men’s fashion evolved after the 1910’s. no longer were army style trench coats popular, instead pinstriped suits, fedoras and raccoon coats is what most of the men wore during this time period (SlideShare). Due to prohibition, drinking was illegal; however this did not stop bootleggers and rum runners from smuggling their illegal booze into speakeasies across major cities. Jazz was a craze during the twenties; musicians like Louis Armstrong were very popular jazz was the music of choice for speakeasies (Gale). The Charleston was a popular dance of this decade. Attitude toward the opposite sex didn’t change much since the previous decade, but
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Styles: 20th Century and Women

Australia in the 20th Century and Now Essays

Information Report: Australia in the 20th Century and now Australia in the beginning the century is very different in comparison to the Australia we are living in right now. There are differences in fashion, leisure and entertainment, hygiene expectation of women and their rights, education and work. These differences also differ depending on which social class you are in. Now the Australia in 2013 many things have been changed and improved. Clothing in the 20th century has been improved as the fashion…

Words 523 - Pages 3

A Raisin In The Sun And Zoot Suit Racism

The Tones of Racism Racism is an ongoing issue that affects the social, economy, and the justice system. During the 20th century, there were tons of racial tension in America, which would spark new social movements. Moreover, playwrights Lorraine Hansberry and Luis Valdez would incorporate these racial issues into their plays. A Raisin in the Sun and Zoot Suit utilizes racial tones that are both similar. However, the differences are Hansberrry focuses on the social racial issues while Valdez emphasizes…

Words 696 - Pages 3

art essay

Christina Narvaez 1/26/13 Mrs.Gigilo period 9 Picasso Picasso was a Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. He is one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art. He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among most famous Pablo Picasso paintings are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselle (1907) andGuernica (1937), his portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Picasso…

Words 1059 - Pages 5

Brogues: Shoe and Pointed Toe Cap Essay

Brogues The brogue is a style of low heeled boot or shoe traditioanally characterized as a multiple piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations and serration along the pieces visible edges. The brogue shoe originated in Scotland and Ireland and was constructed using untanned hide with perforations, allowing water to drain in wet weather conditions. The word brogue came into English in the late 16th century from the Gaelic (irish&Scottish) brog “shoe” and from the old nurse brok meaning…

Words 753 - Pages 4

Arts 125 Week 5 Essay

play action passes, music has expanded from bluegrass and country to rap and hip hop, rhythm and blues, pop, heavy metal, and instrumental. None of that would have been possible without the influence of different cultures and diversity. The role of women have had an influence on art as well by opening up the softer more motherly side of art…

Words 2064 - Pages 9

Alvin Ailey Revelations Analysis

Alvin Ailey is one of the choreographers that come up when we think of 20th century modern dance. Alvin Ailey was born in Texas in 1931 and was raised by his teenage mother. Ailey grew up in poverty but that didn’t stop him to work hard on having his talent and skills to be highly recognized by the dance community. Ailey left his hometown and relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 12 years old. Ailey excelled in school but it was right after watching a Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performance was…

Words 747 - Pages 3

1920's Fashion Style

Draft) Over the course of one century, the typical day-to-day life changes each decade to unveil some of the most ingenuitive and inspiring things ever known. The American 1920s, and 1970s: two unique decades of fashion, (which changed the societal and political mindset of thousands of people) and music (which never ceased in the competition of the best genre in the United States). Times have changed, and, in this case, for the success and contentedness of the working women all throughout America.…

Words 1404 - Pages 6

Sir Topics of Features and Nets Essay

incorporates documentary film making styles and which focuses more on the evolution of a theme or an idea. A photographic essay is an attempt to cover a topic with a linked series of photographs; it may or may not have an accompanying text or captions. Jobs English essayists included Robert Burton (1577–1640) and Sir Thomas Browne (1605–1682). In Italy, Baldassare Castiglione wrote about courtly manners in his essay Il libro del cortegiano. In the 17th century, the Jesuit Baltasar Gracián wrote…

Words 1115 - Pages 5

Feminism In Canada

During the 19th centuries, unfair and unequal treatment towards women was viewed in many ways. Throughout this essay, how white heterosexist patriarchal power in Canada has justified through political, social and economic systems will be viewed, as well as how these justifications have moved into the realm of normalization, and lastly, the multiple degrees and forms in which hierarchies are maintained at all levels of Canadian life. Firstly, various forms of unequal treatment towards the female…

Words 838 - Pages 4

Gibson Girl Research Paper

typical “Gibson girl” from before the war era, then we will see exactly how women were acting during the 1920s, and then finally see how these changes impacted society. The Gibson Girl The attitude and behavior of women at the dawn of the 20th century were very different than likes of which we could see soon after. Before the first world war, the average woman was described as a “Gibson Girl”. To apply to this description, women had to fit into the norm both physically and in their behavior. A woman…

Words 613 - Pages 3