Guest Author - Norma Shephard

Susan Langley’s Roaring ’20s Fashions – Jazz”by Schiffer Books is a dazzling look into Jazz Age Fashions. Five chapters cover women’s fashions of 1920, ’21,‘22, ’23, & ’24, in exquisite detail, with a 6th chapter devoted entirely to men’s & children’s costume of this era.

Convenient time lines introduce each segment providing a historic and cultural context for the beautiful clothing of the day. From beach kicks (knitted shoes designed for swimming) to bun rolls (poufs of fabric, used emphasize the derriere), bandeaux to bangles, boudoir caps to brassieres, Roaring ’20s Fashions is a detailed look into the lives of flapper women and their families, through the lens of costume.

For those new to the world of vintage costume collecting, a seven page glossary defines terms and provides background on roaring twenties designers, including a half page on Paul Poiret alone. Fashion historians will appreciate the index and appendix which lists numerous New York department stores and specialty shops that regularly advertised in high fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Langley’s love of period costume shines through this book on every page. The author integrates period illustrations and advertisements, vintage photographs and postcards with beautiful images of museum quality costume and accessories shot by photographer John Dowling. In fact the cover does not do justice to all of the beautiful images contained within this hardcover book’s 247 pages. I was especially pleased to see accompanying detail shots of beadwork, designer labels, embroidery and button trim that helps define the garments.

All aspects of 1920s costume is represented; from foundation garments and tea gowns, to separates, skirts & blouses, evening gowns and formal attire, jackets, scarves, coats and other outerwear, sports wear (like riding habits, swimsuits, tennis and golf fashions), driving ensembles, house and porch dresses, maternity outfits, and more. The list of period accessories is just as impressive: hats, shoes, purses and evening bags, cigarette holders, stockings, fur neckpieces, compacts and vanity cases, belts, parasols, feather fans — even flask earrings!

The artifacts are appraised according to current market trends as well as condition, rarity, maker’s labels, and origin, making this book an ideal collector’s guide. Costumers will find this an exhaustive reference as well. In fact, by the time you’ve finished reading this wonderfully detailed book, you will feel as though you have lived through the twenties — danced the Charleston, powdered your nose in public, stuffed hooch into your galoshes, and generally had a good time.