Florida Flapper, 1924

Florida Memory, 1924. Click to enlarge

This woman isn’t really a flapper, a term most accurately applied only to very young women. However, she has certainly embraced key elements of the 1920s style.  She wears a dropped waist dress decorated with pleats and pintucks to add interest, giving a geometric touch to the outfit.  She has added a long strong of beads, another element of twenties style.  While her hair is hidden under the hat, from the little wisps visible it does not seem like she has had it bobbed. Take a close look at her fabulous strappy shoes, a style I would happily wear today.

The photo reveals many of the problems of twenties fashion for figures that were not straight up and down. The dropped waist draws attention to a wide part of her figure, attention she probably didn’t want.  To compensate, she has added many elongating lines.  The edges of her shawl, the pleated fall on her dress, a waistline sash, and the long rope of beads all help to drawn the eye up and down.   Her black accessories–hat, necklace, shoes–have the same effect.  I’m not sure it makes her look thinner, but it really made me notice her shoes.

If you love twenties styles, be sure to check out at the fascinating blog, Witness2Fashion.

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2 Responses to Florida Flapper, 1924

  1. eimear says:

    Its a style I often thought the most difficult for most people to wear – and agree it looks great on this lady because of the wonderful accessories and she really wears it well….she really owns the look of it (I nearly could not imagine here in anything less than contemporary)

  2. Carol in Denver says:

    To me, she looks like a traditional grandma whose granddaughters took her shopping and bought her some things to update her. She is modeling the new clothes but I can’t see her dressing that way after the photo shoot.

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