History Of Fashion - Episode 2: The Roaring '20s

In this episode, Vintage2Versace's John Knight discusses the daring revelations that earned the 1920s its 'roaring' reputation, exploring the influence of the war and the arrival of jazz music to Britain. Please subscribe for a new episode every Saturday.
Film by MASON MELLINS for Vintage2Versace.

[@raticoochiesmith9819]

Things are heating up in the 1920s fashion fandom

[@elernation5519]

Flapper dresses werent at all like that. the frills costed a lot of money and only very very wealthy people could afford it and the dress would never go above the knee

[@melodyjordan6052]

Damn, after reading all the comments, this guy needs to do his homework.

[@johnvonundzu2170]

The first "flapper dress" here is an evening dress & would have had some kind of fabric under that fringe at least to the knees - not just bare legs to mid thigh - and why is she wearing a hat - women did not wear hats to evening parties. And BOTH hats are ridiculous, can't really tell what's going on with the first, but at any rate totally inauthentic to the 20s and the second is a vague approximation of a cloche which in real life would have been pulled down to the eyebrows and earlobes whereas this thing perches on the top of the head - completely wrongly.

[@brandyloutherback9288]

In the early 1920s women still had ankle or calf length dresses with flounces.

[@santamonicanationalrecreat5797]

These dresses are super short for the twenties.

[@charlaville7658]

I think it's just that the girls are a bit tall for the 'regular' fit dresses that are shown

[@DonnaChamberson]

Exactly- they would never have gone above the knees! Also, cloche hats came later in the 20's.

[@SanFranDentist94301]

Women are a full 5 inches taller (in the US) from 5 foot 2 to about 5 foot 7.

[@patricias5122]

The look changed as the decade wore on; actually, hemlines were shorter after 1926, hitting just below the kneecap.

[@bigbellii]

It's be so great if you did a series on men's attire throughout history too

[@missmartyjackson]

the models are too tall for the clothes!

[@catvalentine4317]

Marty Jackson exactly, the dresses would have been longer, showing knees was still quite outrageous

[@GonzaloWorl97]

Exactly! I wonder if the 3/4 sleeves of the second dress would actually be regular long sleeves on a shorter model

[@blakemcnamara9105]

Also the stockings were quite often white.

[@julecaesara482]

the heels are too tall too thin. The models are actually too curvy (the women of the time would wear corset like thingies over their undergarments to flatten the chest and bum) and the dresses should, if they don't want them to look like hand-me-downs from smaller relatives, cover the knees. Also, the first cloche hat didn't look like a cloche hat. It should touch the eybrows.

[@splinterbyrd]

"We're now talking about the second decade of the twentieth century..." We're not. The 1920s were the third decade of the twentieth century

[@alethearia]

The women didn't cut their hair short because of work. Women had been working in factories for well over 100 yeara at this point with varying lengths of hair. As long as it's done up or covered it doesn't matter. The bob became a fashion because Irene Castle cut her hair short in 1915 and people went gaga for it. Women had been wearing fake bobs for almost 10 years by the time it was the norm in the mid 20s.

[@patricias5122]

Women also wore their hair shorter as a sign of independence, of youthful daring.

[@RoxanneMorrow]

I had the 1920's for a fashion history assignment and wish I had done a bit more research! These dresses are gorgeous!

[@windstorm1000]

this is a timeless/cutting edge fashion decade and designers will continue to mine it.

[@irenemontesinos5389]

What a lovely and enchanting man. I love how he explains

[@June071710]

Really? I find him extremely creepy.

[@certainlyleah2578]

He literally touches the model body. Very unprofessional!

[@suep3806]

How can you be setting yourself up as an expert and not know its called fringing - not frills? Ever heard of a bugle bead? it was called the roaring 20's because everything changed and was automated so fast.

[@luca-borbalavarga908]

Very informative and understandable. I appreciate the politeness of the presentation so much! Thank you!

[@nycp1969]

These dresses don't look authentic to me. The second one, especially, looks like a 1920s-inspired dress from the 1960s. At any rate, they're both too short for the 1920s, particularly if the first one really is from 1922. In the early 1920s, hemlines were actually longer than in 1917-1918! Perhaps the models were too tall to effect the historically appropriately hemline, but it seems this is an important detail for the presenter to not mention either time. He doesn't seem too informed to me. I don't understand his comment that fashion changed because women no longer had ladies' maids to help them dress during WW I. How many women had ladies' maids before the war for this to have made a difference?

[@nariko47]

LOVE the color of that flapper dress 💙

[@jeniknf]

I really appreciate your videos

[@firefly927]

The fringe is wrong, the dresses are far too short, the shoes are all wrong, the straps are too skinny. The Great Gatsby costumes are not historically accurate, FYI. Look at real pictures of women in the 1920s to see what they wore.

[@milivanili2603]

Actually he is not wrong and those are real dresses form the 1920s

[@noonereally4798]

The dress isn’t too short, the model is too tall, it was clearly made for a very short woman.

[@patricias5122]

It depends on the year; in 1922, yes, hemlines were quite long, in 1928 and 1929, they were shorter.

[@vaniaamacifuen5115]

I love it!!! Thank u soo much!

[@amberranson4559]

i adore this video, though the models are too tall for the dresses.

[@gillygully4401]

This host is absolutely adorable

[@aaround]

Subscribed!! Thank you, Brilliant video..

[@jennacablair]

Those models especially Elsa could not walk in heels😂😬

[@milivanili2603]

Lovely, i enjoyed this!

[@HumanResearch]

thanks for this

[@alecc.lambert2352]

If anyone is wondering background music it's the Charleston

[@SamanthaN92]

Subscribed !! Awesome channel :)

[@dididu1021]

dis is so cool omg

[@elluc1510]

I like how he speaks.. He is very informative.. Unfortunately he stopped making more fashion history videos... 😟

[@urgurlsaysay]

I would wear either of those dresses, just beautiful~

[@bookcrazy001]

The models are obviously too tall. Knees showing was not typically for most women

[@audrey9able]

Thank you for this video! This helps immensely!

[@imbajin5652]

I like this, please teach us more.

[@makotoamai6363]

gorgueus saludos desde Colombia

[@MalenkyGoblin]

No mention of Coco Chanel's little black dress?!

[@valedan1075]

No! Not that Nazi perpetrator!

[@MalenkyGoblin]

Daniel Valencia Coco was hugely influential in changing the way women dressed and looked in 20th Century.

[@nariko47]

+MalenkyGoblin she took away the corset and lowered the waistline on dresses. A nazi supporter yes, but one heck of a fashion revolutionary.

[@claudeusgothicus6453]

@@valedan1075 - Regardless of her personal or political ideals she was hugely instrumental in changing fashion ideals and therefore she should always be included when talking about the history of fashion. Stop trying to remove things from history simply because you personally don't like some aspect of them. It's people like you who go around demanding that today's society delete all the parts of our history which are deemed 'bad' by our current society that I just want to slap the shit out of. Those who do not learn from history - those societies who 'forget' the mistakes made by mankind throughout our history are obviously going to repeat those mistakes. you fucking idiot. If you really want to make sure the mistakes from our past are not repeated - then you need to make sure that they are front and center so people don't forget them. you don't remove them and forget them.

[@Aannan]

Is the bottom of that day dress bias cut?

[@dariowiter3078]

It was Colleen Moore, not Louise Brooks, who popularized the "Dutch bob" haircut.

[@m.b3839]

Oh dear I thought this was going to be good and then the first dress came on. Dresses never used to have fringing at all and rarely came above the knee unless you were a professional dancer or a prostitute. Also the heels are too tall and thin and the model just doesn't have the right body shape for the dress. Also I don't think the dresses would have had spaghetti straps in the 20s but I may be wrong. Also the hat is wrong; too high on the head, as cloche hats were worn very close to the scalp and also wtf are those pearls

[@June071710]

@M. B, 'the model just doesn't have the right body shape for the dress' - What do you mean by that? That women with the "wrong" shape were hidden away, or they were forced to wear some unfashionable clothes? They wore what was available to them regardless their shape. Granted, some bodies would benefit more than others with the 20's styles, but there was no wrong or right human being shape. Moreover, most of them probably used the undergarments designed to achieve said elongated flat-chest silhouette.

[@Lotus-sp6cu]

@@June071710 I believe they meant to say that the model was not the right height. The dress would have hung lower and below the knee, as was the fashion, if she was shorter. This isn't a personal slight against her in any way. They should have either found a longer dress or a shorter model for historical accuracy.

[@69georgiepie]

Yes the dresses had fringe. The fringes were extremely expensive and delicate, as a result theu were reserved for the elite. No prostitute would have ever been able to afford one.

[@princesssparkle529]

Yes, but spaghetti straps did exist as well as strapless dresses. And there are plenty, plenty of dresses from the 1920s with a lot of fringe.

[@16Gummibaerchen]

Are those historic dresses or replicas? :)

[@anon7128]

This comment section feels like a bunch of Vampires getting a collective aneurysm because of how inaccurate this video is and I'm here for it!

[@windflowerrainstorm6497]

This studio makes me want to sew!!!!

[@rachelarruda1475]

That fringe dress looks more 70s than 20s!

[@juliechi6166]

It is technically the third decade of the century...

[@TheKimmer1969]

Great video. I really enjoyed it. Poor lighting on the models and John Knight.

[@lettitiatownsend-thompson1968]

My God!

[@dxmxo9427]

Love the Authentic 1920s looks hair makeup too.The beginning of the 1920s wasnt that roaring,it started i believe around 1925?

[@mollyjane4628]

The information is good, but the articles of clothing are inauthentic / inaccurate

[@melissaleann2161]

Not accurate

[@Powhart]

OK... I know next to nothing about the fashion but I'm pretty sure the dresses should be below the knee in the 20s, so the daily dress is innacurate as far as I know...

[@patricias5122]

Just as fashion changed substantially in the 1960s, from 1962 to 1969....so did they change in the 20s. By 1929, women's hemlines hit just below the kneecap, or sometimes right in the middle of th knee. He's not wrong about this.

[@joseguillen5260]

Cheers for this, been searching for "plus size flapper dress cheap" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Panadarson Flapper Falbala - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my colleague got cool results with it.

[@Toast0808]

This is great, but men in the 1920’s weren’t running around naked. Why is men’s fashion of the time just completely ignored?

[@69georgiepie]

These are real 1920s dresses, for everyone saying they are inaccurate 🤣

[@princesssparkle529]

Worn with slips.

[@catlover34fl]

The photos of my mother and aunt from the 1920s (1925 thru 1929) the dresses were NOT above the knees. Why are you trying to make this the 1960s above-the-knee dresses? This is not very authentic. Also the hats in the1920s sat much lower on the face than shown here. They did not wear hats high on their heads. They were pulled down to cover the forehead.

[@jasbegs1258]

First outfit = totally wrong shoes.

[@patricias5122]

Frequently, commentary on women's fashion in the 20s gets it wrong. The look changed dramatically as the decade wore on. Prior to 1925, hemlines were mid calf and styles were frilly...toward the end of the decade hemlines were quire a bit shorter, and the look was more streamlined. Reflecting women's growing independence. Middle aged and older women wore their dresses longer; by the end of the decade, younger women wore them just below the knee.

[@CarlosEmilioEsq]

I think enough people have pointed out all of the gaffes already. A lot of poor styling choices made in this video, from hats all the way down to the shoes.

[@marriott7863]

didn't know Taylor swift liked to dress like a flapper.

[@mizzbee7406]

That is not at all how a woman in the 20s would have dressed. It's WAY too short, so much is wrong... I am so confused.

[@patricias5122]

But you are wrong. You are thinking of the 20s as one long decade where styles didn't change ... and they did. By 1929, dresses hit just below the knee.

[@dxmxo9427]

Why are mens fashions way more boring than womens fashion>????????????

[@claudeusgothicus6453]

HaHa so true. Menswear has historically changed far more slowly than womenswear. I think the only exception to this might have been those few centuries after women and men stopped wearing basically the same type of garments, say roughly around what the 14-15th century maybe.

[@tachometer-flac]

He should have been a historian. He spent 4 minutes talking about war history and 3 minutes talking about fashion.

[@poopug]

This man needs to do more research.

[@aaavvv25]

sorry but it is not accurate at all, the supershort dress, the type of necklace and the hat...

[@tylenerose7031]

I should have stopped watching as soon as he pronounced "Versace" incorrectly. And then... so much misinformation. Perhaps watch The Ultimate Fashion History's videos if you're interested in 1920s fashion.

[@claudeusgothicus6453]

Perhaps you need to realize that the majority of people pronounce Versace incorrectly. I actually listened several times even slowing this down and still couldn't quite make out exactly how he was pronouncing it. You must be super sensitive, congratulations. Also anyone watching this believing he's some type of a fashion expert - instead of a shop owner trying to promote his shop, kind of deserves whatever they get.

[@stefaniusparalvicius2909]

Just wonderful, I have been researching "costumes flapper dresses" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Panadarson Flapper Falbala - (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my colleague got amazing success with it.

[@sajidhussain9643]

This is glorious, I've been looking for "flapper dress from 1920s" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Panadarson Flapper Falbala - (do a google search ) ? Ive heard some great things about it and my m8 got amazing results with it.

[@kostinatrnava7779]

Cheers for this, I've been looking for "flapper dress styles 1920" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you heard people talk about - Panadarson Flapper Falbala - (search on google ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my mate got great results with it.

[@Karmah01]

Wow Elsa has enormous feet! Why are the models built like Amazons? 😳

[@fishfeathers8057]

everything here is wrong

[@PurpleGold.]

The way those string of pearls look messy and entangled looks off. The 20s was more about strategic placement. Including the fringes. The outfit on this model, is not the best representation of a typical flapper dress. And the model’s attempt at her shimmy is lame and does no justice for that dress. Next time, pick a dancer to model the dress. Also, and importantly, although flapper dresses seem to be iconic of the era, one must note, that it was mostly the flapper professional dances who wore them for performances, not a staple in everyone’s wardrobe, like one might think. Sorry to be pessimistic. I do appreciate your channel. Just a little more care would have made this a great video instead of an average one.

[@starcloudwings9908]

It’s a shame you call yourself a teacher! So much misinformation! I think you should come out of the closet and enjoy wearing a dress like that yourself, but never kid yourself - you are NOT a teacher!

[@milivanili2603]

Why are you so disrespectful to this man, i enjoyed this presentation alot. Don't be so rude