Historical Costume, 1920s

Yestderday I visited the Costume archive in Colchester, where I looked at some 1920s pieces for inspiration. I was inspired by Coco Chanel and that era, so wanted to do some further research into the shapes and silhouettes of this period.


I love this piece which is really feminine, with a dropped waist and full skirt. I also was inspired by the floral print, as I am doing florals, and found the large rose print really effective on a sheer chiffon fabric. The pin tucks in the bodice are also an effective detail.


The frills in this dress is the kind of thing I have been designing so is really relevant. I like the fluid shape, which you can see swinging round the body with lots of movement and layers.


There was really nice sleeve details on a lot of the 1920s dresses, with embroidery or applique patterns. The construction details make the outfit quite unusual which I like.


There was some amazing beaded dresses, which I loved. It was amazing how much adornment went into these pieces, with all over beading applied. They look really special and deliate, which I like. The beading has been carefully done to create interesting patterns and frill details.


I have found my visit really inspiring, and have taken away lots of new ideas about construction shapes and details. Overall the 20's was quite fluid lines, shapeless dresses with dropped waists. The shapes were simple but with surface decoration ususally eleborate or well thought out, which is the effect I want with my garments.