1920s Art Deco Flapper Coats: How to Dress Like a Flapper

During the 1920's, women's lives changed for ever. This was the "Roaring Twenties" and Flappers were sporting easy to wear silhouettes: loose, short, ready to take a spirited run through the park.

If you want to look like a flapper, then owning a great coat should be part of the vintage wardrobe. When dressing liker a Flapper look, key to a fun outfit is the wrap front coat and a fur collar, worn with a low cloche hat pulled down to the eyebrows.



Following World War I, everything about the Flapper's style was new and modern, breaking ground in so many ways. She was usually young: a college student or new girl in town. Her silhouette seemed shockingly masculine, with long bare legs and a slender bustline.

The idea of having men's wear styled clothing was new on the horizon. This loose fit, expressed with modern Art Deco designs brought a younger viewpoint to fashion. Erte, the famous fashion illustrator suggested many applications of Art Deco embellishments in fabric and fashion.

Fabric prints, jewelry, shoe details and hats were distinctive in their Erte-styled Deco designs.

This Art Deco Flapper coat is amazing. Over 90 years old, it still sparks with style and attitude. Erte inspired Art Deco designs are sewn on the sleeves and coat back, giving it that distinctive Flapper quality. The fabric is a rich, black mohair plush.

Not to be missed, the classic fur collar and cuffs, with a wrap front that ties at the hip.









The coat catalog here shows a very similar coat style on its cover.

p.s. The name "Flapper" is derived from the big rain boots popular during the time, that were worn un-buckled in front, making a flapping effect when the girls walked in them.

















Reposted from an earlier post; Oct. 21, 2008, with new images added of the coat.

1920s Flapper Dresses: 18 Flapper styles to help you Dress Like a Flapper

Here are 18 fabulous 1920's flapper styles to help you dress like a flapper.  These 1920 vintage dresses show details that have been well developed during the decade. At this time the low waistline has sophisticated draping, and the long torso is embellished with trims to create unique and dramatic designs.

These illustrations are from a vintage pattern magazine called "Fashionable Dress" from August 1929. The dresses here are mid-summer styles with flippy hemlines, neckline details and low hip sashes.

To make your own, try using cottons, chiffons and other light textiles. The prints tend to be small, with many "Art Deco" designs.

This illustrations also help to show hairstyles, hats, jewelry and accessories that were popular at that time.

Both by Maggy Rouff of Paris
Left- Yellow bodice with brown lace skirt. Brown velvet jacket with ruffled edges
Right-Printed chiffon with fine tucking at hip

Right- Moyneux of Paris, pleated tiers on the skirt, with pleated cap sleeves
Other designs by LeComte of Paris
Left, white crepe dress with red velvet coat
Second- red and white checked crepe, with bias trims
Third- white crepe with lavender checks and black banding

This last set was illustrated to show current trends in textile prints, and is shown on mature women to give examples of styles suitable for an older figure.

1929 Hairstyles: How to Look like a Flapper

How to look like a 1920s flapper can be a challenge when it comes to hairstyle selection.  Getting that perfect wave and spit curl can be easier if you find the right picture to copy.  Here are some great hairstyle illustrations from 1929. Hairstyles were changing in the summer of 1929. These illustrations appear in an article titled "the Twilight of the Bob: Longer hair ascends into the limelight".

On this topic, the author gives pointers for growing hair longer from the shorter length bob. Length is important, especially in the back. She suggests getting a perm, since fashion was moving in a wavey direction as these drawings show.

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This is the second post in a series on women's fashions from 1929.
Most images appear in a magazine from that year titled "Fashionable Dress"

Actresses in Flapper Fashions from 1929: How to Dress Like a Flapper

If you want to look like a flapper from the 1920s, then seeing real women wearing the styles in 1929 should be a great help. These pictures come from the wonderful fashion magazine, "Fashionable Dress" which showcases mid-summer fashions for August.

To get the best idea of how to dress like a 1920s flapper, it also seems appropriate to take a look at real actresses from that year. What did they really look like? How did they wear the current trends?

This is Helen Mencken, and she wears a two piece frock edged in scallops. Her cloche hat is pulled down to her eyebrows, which is what we should expect. Both a stage and film actress, she had married Humphrey Bogart in 1926, but divorced him a year later.

Next is Peggy Bancroft, from "Whoopee". She is wearing a youthful afternoon frock with lace and georgette. Notice how the hem line is uneven, not unlike our current hem line trends. If you look closely at her, you'll notice she has a spit curl in the center of her forehead.

Leneta Lane is our third actress from "Congratulations". Her ensemble was designed by "Joseph". It is an aquamarine crepe coat with wide collar.