Fashion Icons from 1920

The year 1920 is marked by many significant events which has had a great influence on the following years and still continue to do so. Women obtained the right to vote, the roaring twenties took root, the jazz age bring the flappers along. There were was a burst of modern fashion as magazines like Vogue came into the market. Hollywood was another indulgence people started liking. Many silent films were made and later in the decade movie talkies came over. Movies have always influenced the society and more importantly fashion. Numerous films were released during this time that inspired fashion and created some of the loved fashionable icons of all time.

Louise Brooks 

Louise Brooks was one of the most famous icons of not only the 20s, but later too. Leaving behind a tragic childhood she entered the world of glamour. Though dancer and showgirl, it was the status of a silent film star that brought her recognition. 

Louise Brooks 

Leading roles in films like the Pandora’s Box and Diary of a Lost Girl made her famous. The bob cut hair that is associated with the flappers was popularized by Brookes who often wore it with bangs or a fringe.

Greta Garbo

Pole apart from Brooks we have Greta Garbo, she had such a great talent for acting, the likes of which are rare to find nowadays. Garbo was said to be enticingly beautiful, but it was her voice that she is most remembered for. She had a smooth, soft and seductive voice that won thousands of hearts.

Rudolph Valentino

In the 1920, Hollywood produced the first mega star Rudolph Valentino. More popularly known as ‘The Sheik’ and ‘Latin Lover’ Valentino was a style icon. Wearing wristwatches, gaucho pants and slicked back hair were his signature look which soon followed by many young men. 

Clara Bow 

The ‘it girl’ of the 20s, Clara Bow is another style icon who reflected a more playful side of the flapper spirit. Bow made wavy bob, pencil thin eyebrows and Cupid’s bow pout popular on screen. She was typically seen in short pleated skirts, berets or headscarves and she had a thing for fur trimmed coats.

Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford, though another fashion icon of the 20s contradicted the flapper style. Known as the ‘American Sweetheart’ she looked innocent in her ringlets and frilly gowns. In 1929 she won the first Academy Award for the best actress for a talking picture ‘Coquette’.

This decade saw a rise of a lot of icons like Colleen Moore, Josephine Baker and Dolores Del Rio whose influence is still visible. The accelerated growth of Hollywood made sure there was never a shortage of fashion icons!