The earlier the decade the harder it is to find good vintage inspired or reproduction clothing. This is especially true for the 1920′s. Most clothing of this era is found on cheap costume sites which is fine for a one time party but not a great choice for an authentic look and feel.
Real 1920′s inspired evening gowns are covered in beaded patterns, made with rich materials like velvet, silk or chiffon and almost always feature a drop waist. Drop waists literally dropped over the entire decade. Early drop waists hung around the high hip while later dresses came all the way down to the knee. Some dresses didn’t have a waist at all- just one long sheath dress.
Day dresses were made with cotton and other less expensive materials yet still featured the drop waists and embroidery instead of beads. Sashes were used to create the illusion of the waist band over sheath dresses. Colors were light pastels of green, peach, pink and blue for spring with slightly darker shades for fall.
Here are a few of my favorite sites for 1920′s dresses for sale online:
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shabbyapple.com – Shabby Apple’s Greeenleaf collection has several 1920′s inspired dresses that are so fun and comfortable. They are knee length with a complimentary sash tie. The nice thing about these inspired dresses is that you can wear them today and still look modern in them. I also really like that these dresses are made in the USA.
www.leluxeclothing.com – Leluxe dresses are elaborately beaded on sheer netting just like real 1920s dresses. They also have a few cotton dresses with detailed embroidery. Most if not all of their gowns are copied from original 20′s dresses. I purchased one a year ago and I am thrilled with the design, the quality, and customer service. Since these are shear you will need to get a matching slip to wear underneath. I was fortunate enough to find one at my thrift store but Leluxe carries them as well. Unique Vintage also carries the Leluxe line as well as other 1920′s Style dresses.
1920's Formal Dress
TJFormal.com and edressme.com both carry fringe flapper and very formal evening gowns that are inspired by the 1920′s. Terani, Mignon, Sue Wong and Mon Cheri are four brands that always seem to carry 1920′s inspired gowns. These are great for white tie events, proms, and weddings. See my bests picks at the Formal Dresses Shop page.
ReVampVintage
www.revampvintage.com – For very authentic 1920′s dresses, skirts and pants look no further than revamp. This company takes original patterns and recreates them in limited runs so that your outfit is almost as rare as the originals. New selections are added often so its worth bookmarking or following on facebook to see the latest additions.
1920's One-Hour Dress
Make a Dress – When you can’t find exactly what you want- make one! The One Hour Dress is an easy original pattern with many variations. You can make a simple day dress or a more fancy evening dress from the same pattern. I’ve made two day dresses from this pattern. Read my tips and review of the One Hour Dress pattern before you try it yourself.
If all of the above sites didn’t give you what you wanted then check out my 1920s Women’s Shopping page where I add 1920′s Dresses, shoes, stockings, and accessories that I find from around the web.
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