Anything Goes - Celebrating the 20s

fifteencardigans asked: More on the 1920s style on the cheap advice topic! There are some great sewing patterns available online for 1920s clothing. If you have a sewing machine its fun and wonderfully authentic to sew your own 1920s clothes. There are some appropriate modern shoes out there- I got a very 'passable' pair of black mary janes with a tapered cuban heel for $20 at Payless in the US. A haircut is a good investment- a few weeks ago I put all my 'spending money' into a fresh bob and don't regret a cent of it.

Oh, yes! I entirely forgot about those people who are actually talented with sewing! I’ve got some friends that do absolutely AMAZING 1920s replicas themselves…either with carefully chosen fabric or with vintage fabric they’ve found. Some of them are so good you need to really dive into the garment and question the owner to realise they’re not original garments. Even those “1 hour dress” patterns can be made breathtaking by someone willing to take the time to embellish the pattern with embroidery.

And yes - there are a few good approximations for 1920s shoes if you keep your eyes open - Mary-Janes and t-bars never really go out of style, and even a straight “opera pump” style does the job if you can find one with a good heel. Another tip - Art Deco style shoe clips can be bought online on places like etsy and ebay for very little, and they instantly turn a plane opera pump into Deco Drama!

And absolutely right with the hairstyle (says the girl who desperately needs to refresh her dutch doll but can’t do it this payday as she spent all her money on 1920s lamé pieces and champagne). I suggest that you choose the 20s style that suits your hair, if you want to get it done, and take a photograph of that in to the hairdresser. Do NOT let them talk you into something else - I’ve had innumerable fights with hairdressers who thought my dutch doll too extreme.

There are also styles for longer haired flappers who don’t want to cut their locks :) My sister is coming to the Art Deco weekend in Napier with us next year and has long hair,and I’m looking forward to trying out some of those styles on her.

Am so chuffed with how the suggestions from Modern Flapper Girls are coming in - these are all gold :)