The Great Gatsby and some fun fashion facts about the 1920s

The Great Gatsby is opening in theaters today which got us thinking about the fashions of the 1920s. We thought we would highlight some fun fashion facts of the time period from our book Fabulous Fashions of the 1920s. See how many you notice in the movie!

Did You Know:

• Sometimes, a tape measure was used to make sure a woman's bathing suit was no more than six inches above the knee.

• Ready-to-wear clothes in stores became available for women at the beginning of the twentieth century. Before that, they went to tailors or dressmakers or women sewed their own. 

• In the 1920s, it was fashionable to wear a different outfit for day, afternoon, and evening. Women would change clothes several times a day. The hemline indicated which outfit was for which time of day.

• Zippers started appearing on clothes. They were not used widely though. After all, zippers were metal. They rusted whenever the clothes were washed.

• Raccoon coats were popular with the people who owned cars. Back in those days, automobiles were wide open, and the fur coats kept the passengers warm.

Fashion-Savvy Throughout the Decades

Fabulous Fashions of the 1980s
ISBN:  978-0-7660-3554-6

Whether we realize it or not, we think of fashion everyday-from the clothes we put on, to the colors we choose, to our hairstyles and accessories-it all relates to fashion! Enslow’s brand new series Fabulous Fashions of the Decades by Felicia Lowenstein Niven is a fun and dazzling way to experience the prominent styles throughout the years. This series for middle school and high school readers contains eight titles: Fabulous Fashions of the 1920s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1930s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1940s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1950s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1960s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1970s, Fabulous Fashions of the 1980s, and Fabulous Fashions of the 1990s.

     Each title highlights trends for both men and women featuring color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. The reader experiences fashion through advertisements, magazine photos, and even how ordinary people wore the styles of the decade. The 1940's title mentions the start of the world’s first magazine for teens, Seventeen! The books also depict how history, new inventions, and pop culture shaped fads and the social reactions to those fads. It even fascinated a vintage clothes seller, Reware Vintage, who contributed a photo to the 1990’s title. All generations can share and delight in the styles presented throughout this chic series.

Fabulous Fashions of the Decades:  Interest Level-Grades 5-up
48 pages, $23.93 (each title)
Author:  Felicia Lowenstein Niven