Printed designs from the early 1920s are characterised by their small, regular and repeating motifs, predominantly brown in colour. By the end of the decade, colours are brighter, and motifs are influenced by Art Deco and other broader cultural movements. 

The TRC is fortunate in housing a collection of books, postcards, garments and textiles, donated in 2017 by Pepin van Rooijen in Amsterdam. The donation includes a large number of woven, printed and embroidered textile samples that used to belong to the French artist and designer, Professor Yves Cuvelier (1913-2005), who was closely involved with the Parisian fashion industry in the decades after the Second World War.

Sample of printed cloth with a design of small Paisley (buteh) motifs in cream and brown on a mid-brown ground, 1920s.With his third wife, Monika von Venningen, Cuvelier collected thousands of textile samples, with the idea of using old designs to create new ones. Following the death of Yves Cuvelier, most of the pieces in the collection were acquired by a designer in Japan who wanted to use the textiles to inspire Japanese textile designers. The rest was sold to various people in Europe and America.

Pepin acquired part of the collection with the aim of using them to illustrate a series of textile and fashion books. He later moved to another form of publishing and very kindly gave the textiles to the TRC Leiden. We believe there are c. 9000 textiles in the group given to the TRC and over the last few years we have been slowly cataloguing and photographing them (currently nearly 7000 of these pieces are accessible online).

The Cuvelier/Pepin collection includes a wide range of printed textiles from the 1900s to the 1990s, including many pieces that are dated to the 1920s. A selection of these textiles, plus some others that were acquired from other donors, are given below in order to indicate the range of patterns, colours and textures that were available to dress makers (professional and domestic) during this period of social and economic change.

The online exhibition 'The 1920s from head to toe: Fashion from 100 years ago' is based on a TRC Gallery display with the same title, presented at the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, from mid-September 2023 until mid-March 2024.

The exhibition focuses on what people were wearing in the 1920s at various times of the day and on different occasions. It includes Western fashion from the 1920s, mostly for women, for daily, afternoon and evening wear, but also underwear and pyjamas, sports wear, and a ceremonial outfit for a parliamentarian.

TRC exhibition "The 1920s from head to toe: Fashion from 100 years ago". Photograph by author.

The online exhibition is separated into seven separate sections, and almost every section contains a gallery of objects. All of the objects form part of the TRC collection, and the illustrations give access to the TRC online catalogue for more information. Enjoy!

Colophon:

• Author: Augusta de Gainzbourg
• Web-design: Joost Koopman
• Online exhibition design: Willem Vogelsang
• Publisher: TRC Leiden.
• Year of publication: 2024
• Copyright: All illustrations of objects housed in the TRC collection can be used free of charge, but please add to the caption: "Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden" and the accession number of the object.

As women took on more important roles in the workforce, they began earning more money and obtained more holidays. This social phenomenon, along with a growing interest in fitness and health led to popularising new types of leisure activities. Exercise, enjoying fresh air, and healthy diets were becoming an integral part of women’s lives.

Sportswear thus further integrated into female fashion; tennis dresses were popular and their shape would even influence the way a daily dress would be designed with the addition of the pleated skirt section.

Woman's pyjama set in cream and black with black collar, cuffs and pockets. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2007.0820.Pyjama fashion

An interesting fashion trend we see in the 1920s is the rise of ‘pyjama fashion’. Popularised by Coco Chanel, pyjamas became a great alternative to traditional clothing styles. As women began to express individuality in their fashion choices, their wearing loose trousers and more revealing tops became increasingly popular as beachwear.

Nowadays the thought of trousers being restricted to men may seem unheard of, but many people at the time found this new development shocking.

By wearing trousers and favouring comfortable clothing over restrictive items, women were increasingly blurring the line between traditional gender norms of dress and fashion. Pyjamas were a comfortable and stylish form of coverup for the beach.

This is a trend that, although born in the 1920s, would reach its peak popularity in the 1930s. The example in the exhibition is actually from the beginning of the 1930s, but representative of that development.

Woman's dress in off-white cloth with a machine embroidred design of small sprigs of stylised flowers. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2007.0710.Sportswear

Interestingly enough, sportswear in the 1920s meant clothing to be worn during the day while being active, rather than clothing made to practise sports. Garments made especially to practise sports were a novelty for women at the time. The tennis dress in the exhibition, for example, is a simple white, long length pleated skirt silhouette that resembles many daily dresses of the time.

Swimwear

People tended to go more on holiday at the beach and to the mountains to relax or exercise. Going to the beach where women were swimming alongside men was becoming more common; women’s bathing suits developed further. It was still a new activity and thus some surprising materials and shapes were used to make swimwear.

They could be made out of wool, and men’s swimwear would look like shorts with long straps attached underneath the nipples. The length of shorts and sleeves would vary (USA beaches sometimes even checked on length), but they progressively became more revealing.

Leisure wear from the 1920s. From the exhibition The 1920s from Head to Toe. Photograph by author.While women’s swimwear up to the 1910s had been very modest and composed of long sleeved, long skirt attires with bloomers underneath, in the 1920s it started to become more similar to men’s.

Either one or two pieces, they were often sleeveless and could include shorts. Revealing much of the body was still a new phenomenon and especially in the first part of the decade many beaches tried to police how revealing a bathing suit could be.

Skiing

Skiing was also a popular form of physical activity in the decade. The first Winter Olympic Games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France.

Women came up with their own made-up winter sports outfits; pairing warm trousers, sweaters, scarves and coats (often belted) and overlaying warm socks/stocking over the trouser legs themselves.

Usually headwear would consist of warm berets or caps. It is interesting to note once again that sports (such as skiing) provided the opportunity for women to go one more step in crossing gender clothing norms by being allowed to wear trousers.

The impressive men’s garments in the exhibition constitute a gala outfit worn by Mr L. de Groot (1874-1963). He was a member of the Tweede Kamer (Dutch Parliament) from 1918-1922 and from 1924-1925. It was later worn by Frederick (Frits) Portheine (1923-1990) from Leiden, who was a member of the Tweede Kamer between 1963 and 1981.

Black jacket with long tails and shiny lapels. France, 1920s. TRC 2018.2133a.The costume comes complete with a bicorn, gloves, sword, sword sheath and sword cover. A separate blog about this donation and about Laurens de Groot can be downloaded here.

This outfit is made of black broadcloth (laken) and decorated with beautiful gold thread embroidery in a style of ceremonial outfit that is still used by some politicians for special occasions.

Wedding dress

There is also a wedding dress (TRC 2020.3882) that was worn on 26 September 1926 by Giuseppina Mondelli (1900-1980), born in Sannicandro, a small village close to Bari in southern Italy. It is made of silk, cream coloured, and decorated down the front with similarly coloured lace with a stylised floral motif.

Cream coloured wedding dress decorated down the front with similarly coloured lace with a stylised floral motif. Italy, 1926. TRC 2020.3882a.A 'belt' of applied glass 'pearls' around the waist area shows that despite the poverty of the 1920s, it is a very rich piece, further adorned with a long veil and several small features.

Although not much money was available to that region and family, being richly dressed on the day of your wedding was an absolute priority, and this dress answers the demand of fashion of the mid-1920s.

The dress follows the style of the decade with its loose, square lines and a relatively short hemline.

Wedding photograph of Giuseppina Mondelli, 26 September 1926. The bride's dress is now in the TRC Collection (TRC 2020.3882a)The veil in a turban style was a particularly popular form of the 1920s and the diadem (TRC 2020.3882b) that adorns it is made of wax and paper decorations, materials that often were used for such wedding hairpieces.

A special TRC blog about the wedding outfit worn by Giuseppina Mondelli, written by her great-grandson, Francesco Montuori and published on 3 October 2020, can be downloaded here.

The image that we, in the modern world, have of evening wear in the 1920s is slightly skewed.

Evening gowns were often sleeveless (in contrast to daily wear) and could feature a deeper neckline, but more often than not actually revealed a daringly low-cut back. Hemlines either went below the knees (rarely above, except for dancers and performers) or actually sometimes draped dramatically low to the feet for impressive effect.

The boyish, curveless ideal body shape applied equally in fancy dresses and materials, which aimed at being luxurious and catching the light: velvet, silk, satin, crepe, layers of chiffon and lamé, often decorated with elaborate beading or sequins. Gold and silver or even black (a colour often reserved for mourning in previous decades) were popular choices for parties.

A woman's sleeveless dress in black chiffon that is decorated around the bodice area. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2013.0075.As with daily wear, accessories were an absolute must, the obsession for day hats translated into elaborate beaded headbands, turbans, velvet/feathered hair pieces or even sequin tiaras. Long layered strings of beads of pearls and chokers were popular jewellery, and the look could be completed with a small evening bag or clutch.

Small beaded bags were all the rage and carried only a few items such as cigarettes or makeup.

As dresses became sleeveless and shoulders or backs were bare, shawls, scarves or even capes or capelettes were a common item to add to an evening outfit

The exhibition inludes three stylised capes; an interesting thought is whether the black and orange cape’s decorative bow (TRC 2022.31782022.3178) would in fact have been worn on the back rather than the chest of the wearer since an open back would have been the fashion of the time.

Changing from a daily outfit into an afternoon/tea dress was still in fashion in the 1920s, and even changing again for evening wear. This was especially common for wealthier families who had the staff to accommodate such regular changes of clothes, and who had the time for leisure and social events.

Garden parties and afternoon teas were common social events that (wealthier) women would attend. Women of lesser means often changed into a fashionable but less formal afternoon dress, for instance to have tea at a cafe.

Often held outside in a garden during summer, typical dresses for such occasions were made of a light material (cotton, silk, crepe) to allow cool air to circulate and they were often white or with light pastel colours. Matching gloves, hats, and even umbrellas would be expected as fashionable accessories, but also as protection from the sun.

Pair of white, crochet gloves decorated with small, geometric blocks. The Netherlands, early 20th century. TRC 2015.0679a-b.Two afternoon dresses in the Collection (TRC 2022.2989 and TRC 2022.2990) come from a Dutch family (from Leiden), members of which lived in Indonesia in the 1920s. The woman who owned them, Thecia Velsing-Caspari, was married to an assistant-resident in the former Dutch East Indies.

One can imagine that these dresses, made of very fine and light cotton, would be suitable for wearing in the hot and humid Indonesian climate and in a social event that a colonial status family would be expected to host or attend. These particular garments were however rarely worn, as the family moved back to the Netherlands soon after the unexpected death of her husband and the garments were left in an unopened box for more than 75 years.

For women in the 1920s, jewellery was prominent, including brooches and long strings of pearls or beads. Hair was worn bobbed (not always cut short but tied in a chignon at the back and waved), and sometimes cut close to the head (especially in the latter part of the decade).

Gloves and a hat were must-have accessories for any day-look. The shape of the hat evolved from those with a wide brim, at the start of the 1920’s, into the iconic cloche hat in the latter part. It had a small brim and framed the entire head like a helmet.

Pair of leather shoes with a woven geometric pattern of diamonds and triangles. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2012.0440a-b.In terms of footwear, leather lace-up, heeled boots and booties were still commonly worn. However, higher heeled pumps were also  present. The heels were curved slightly and quite wide. These pumps were made of leather or fabric and could feature geometric or Art Deco designs, T-straps and even stylish details such as lacing without a purpose.

As general fashion was becoming more and more influenced by men’s wear and an ideal of boyish, practical femininity flourished, shoe styles also evolved. Inspired by men’s Windsor style shoes, women’s shoes started to feature cut leather and laced-up fronts.

Shoes designed for evening wear were typically higher, with a pointed or almond toe shape. They could be made of suede, leather, or fabric, and often featured cut-outs to reveal more of the foot. Elaborate cut-outs or decorative patterns would make them into an integral accessory for evening wear.

Woman's matching set of pyjamas composed of a sleeveless, button down top and wide legged trousers. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2007.0964.Nightwear

Pyjamas were of particular interest to women in the 1920s. They were of course used to sleep comfortably, but this was the start of women wearing ensembles of a top and trousers to bed, like men did. Sleeping robes and dresses had been more the norm for women before the 1920s.

Not only were these pyjamas seen as an indoor item to sleep in, but they also became a daily outfit to be worn outside. Made out of silk, cotton or other materials, these pyjamas made a statement and reflected on similar influences as their daily counterpart pieces. See for example the bright colours and geometric patterns of the TRC 2007.0964 remind us of the Art Deco influences of the time. Similarly, the cuffs and neckline on TRC 2007.0820 are reminiscent of men's wear, and the buttons are in a Chinese style, showing the wide influence Asia had on fashion at the time.

Pair of knickers in pale blue silk. Eastern Europe, 1920s-1930s (TRC 2021.0141).Underwear

The 1900s and 1910s emphasised a curvy, S-like body shape achieved by a layering of multiple underlayers; chemises, bloomers, petticoats, waist corsets, etc. However, with a change in clothing lines and a preferred body type as being slender and more rectangular, underwear changed as well. But emphasising femininity, lingerie was made more and more out of satin, crepe de chine and new artificial Rayon (favoured for its price, availability, breathable nature and pastel dyed colours).

Underwear was becoming simpler as the dresses themselves also simplified. Rectangular slips were a common underlayer between sheer dresses and underwear to flatten lines and avoid revealing the body under sheer clothing material.

White cotton bandeau bra with shoulder straps. Slovenia, 1920s. TRC 2021.0482.Corsets, while still in use especially by older women, were designed to flatten hips and thighs rather than the waist. These low corsets (or more accurately, girdles), were worn on top of slips and often had garter belts to fasten stockings. Thus, a woman’s body could be flattened into the desirable and fashionable boyish figure.

Brassieres and bras, and simple bands of rectangular fabrics with two shoulder straps (not really featuring breast cups or boning yet), lightly decorated and paired with culottes or silk shorts, were also becoming more and more popular as new types of undergarments.

Nightdress case with flap made from a fine cotton. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2018.0306.Sleepwear pouches

Under the underwear on show are little colourful bags (TRC 2016.2172, TRC 2016.2175 and TRC 2021.1721). These are lingerie or nightdress pouches used to contain such delicate items when travelling or to disguise them from unwanted viewing. They were either in plain cotton or in an exotic, Asian silken material.

In the 1920s, ready-to-wear clothing was becoming more fashionable than tailor-made garments. Department stores were selling ready-made clothing. With expanding industrialisation, more and more women were involved in the labour process, and they needed these forms of clothing.

Many of the clothes from the 1920s in the TRC collection actually carry a label at the back of the neck with the size of the garment, indicating that they were bought in a shop or department store.

On another level of the democratisation of fashion, women were able to make their own clothing at home, taking inspiration from high-end designers and popular trends of the time. Less expensive and durable materials such as jersey and artificial silks that were recently invented and popularised, helped in this phenomenon.

Cigarette silk with a machine embroidered Mickey Mouse. The Netherlands, early 1930s. TRC 2021.2474d.Women often could find patterns in magazines and books with illustrations as to how to make their own clothes. One such embroidery patent books in the Netherlands was De Vrouw En Haar Huis.

A particular phenomenon was the use of sewable patches, the so-called “cigarette silks”. Also known as premiums or inserts, they date back to the 1870s and were produced by various cigarette companies to encourage people to buy tobacco products.

The cigarette silks on show in this online exhibition date from the 1910s onwards. Some were made from woven silk moiré. They bear images of regional dress and were printed onto textile.

The outfits represented on the silks include examples of American, Asian and European outfits. Some of the forms are easily recognisable (such as from Volendam), others appear to have been made up (Afghanistan).

Cigarette silk with a portrait of the Dutch painter Karel Dujardin (1622-1678) (TRC 2021.2470a).In general, the TRC's cigarette silks can be divided into those with depictions of birds, butterflies, flowers, fairies, and novelties. They all have a cotton cloth ground and are machine embroidered with floss silks.

One of the novelty silks depicts an early version of Mickey Mouse, the cartoon character created by the Walt Disney company that was first screened in Steamboat Willie in 1928.

Apparently because it was so difficult to draw his hands satisfactorily, the artists had to come up with an alternative solution, namely Mickey started to wear gloves! The Mickey Mouse in the TRC collection has gloves, dating it to about 1929-1930.

Many specific styles and influences from world culture and art can be seen in the pieces on show with specific patterns or techniques. With the new feminine ideal of a boyish, slender, modern woman at work, men’s fashion also had a great impact on women’s clothes.

Emulating a men’s suit, a type of pyjama features a collar and cuffs, reminding us of a men’s formal outfit. In the same context, women started wearing their own type of Windsor leather shoes, sometimes with an added heel. Although the cut of clothing might be deemed more “masculine”, transparent fabrics (with adapted underwear) and open backs served as a feminine, sensual touch on some garments.

Small bag covered on both sides with a geometric, Art Deco design of transparent, green, red and yellow glass beads. The Netherlands, early 20th century. TRC 2021.2368Art Deco

Art Deco with its simplified geometric shapes was very present in 1920s architecture, but also made its way into fashion by influencing printed textiles, especially in the latter part of the decade. Examples of this interest in contrasting geometric patterns and colours can be seen in samples of fabric in a black and red, printed polka dot dress, but also in small bags (TRC 2021.2368).

Nautical themes

Anything nautical was popular: little ships, navy blues and white, as well as navy-like collars adorning dresses. This is perhaps due to the beach becoming more and more popular as a destination for leisure as well as by menswear influencing women’s outfits (naval and military uniforms).

A sleeveless, ankle-length, unfitted 1920's dress, made out of a silk fabric with an Oriental pattern (floral; Chinese prosperity symbols) in green, blue, orange and red on an off-white background. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2016.2301.Orientalism

Other trends such as Orientalism (inspiration from Asian and Middle Eastern cultures) were also at work. Inspiration derived from ancient Egypt was particularly promoted by the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. There was also a growing interest in East Asian textiles, such as kimonos and Chinese imperial clothing.

Some Chinese robes and Japanese kimonos were  imported and remade into wearable women’s coats. Early dresses from the period often feature geometric motifs and golden appliques on a dark background emulating Oriental aesthetics, while Asian influences could be seen in silken fabrics featuring Chinese-like flowers or even characters.

High-end fashion

The creations of the famous designers of the decade, such as Coco Chanel, Lanvin, Poiret and Schiaparelli did not only dictate walkway pieces, but inspired more affordable, daily garments as well. Chanel's concept of a little black dress as an essential garment in any woman's wardrobe was developed in the 1920s, even though wearing such a simple black garment had already been a normal for women before. People who could not afford these pieces tried to make them at home.

A typical outfit for most women in the 1920s was a simple dress with mandatory accessories, such as stockings, gloves and hats that were pushed far down around the head. In colder weather, pea coats, scarfs, cardigans and stoles were added. There is more emphasis on ‘separate’ pieces. Women wear blouses with a skirt and a matching jacket, or even replace skirts with trousers. Trousers become especially important among working women, who would benefit from their convenience.

Older women still followed earlier standards of fashion, with waist corsets and petticoated outfits, but there was a very important shift in how the younger generation of women wore clothing. Contrary to previous decades, clothing was much looser and practical. Decorative features were often integrated into the fabric or added by small contrasting accessories. Dresses could feature ruffles, collars, bows, inserts, embroidery pieces or decorations made out of the same material as the whole garment.

Woman's dress in a fine silk material decorated with rows of dots in brown, blue and light green. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2007.0888a.While fabrics such as crepe, silk, wool and cotton were still the main types of material, the invention of cellulose-based materials such as artificial silk (also marketed as ‘art silk’) and rayon were used, mostly for underwear and stockings. Doing away with front lacing and ribbon ties, hooks and eyes as well as buttons and zippers made for more convenient ways to do up and undo clothing.

Flapper dresses are still regarded today as a major trend of the period. In fact, the term flapper was a name given to a specific group of young women who embodied a liberated and rebellious lifestyle; cutting their hair short, smoking cigarettes, going to parties and experimenting with fashion. The flapper “style” did not in fact extend to everyone, but inspired many and is representative of a feeling of women’s liberation.

Men’s fashions

Men’s fashion between the 1910s and 1950s did not change as drastically as that of women. A suit with leather shoes, suspenders, sometimes accessories such as gloves, a pocket chain and hat (depending on means and status) formed the basic attire. The size of tie, the fit of the suit and shape of hat were the changeable features in menswear.

Man's top hat made from black silk plush which has been flattened. The Netherlands, 1920s. TRC 2023.1929.What was really representative of men’s clothing in the 1920s? Although not as noticeable, clothing norms also relaxed for men as they did for women. Casual wear could be worn, with cardigans or pullovers, and jackets with wide pointed lapels to emphasise the shoulders and waist.

Sportswear also became popular. Wool, flannel, linen and tweed were the most used materials. Accessories such as detachable collars and hats were also popular. A hat was an essential accessory; from fedoras, bowl hats and caps for the middle-class to boat and top hats for higher class men. But many men still wore a traditional tuxedo or three-piece suit for formal get-togethers and evening events.