My channel actually explores a lot of this misconception. I have my great-grandmother's diaries from the 1920s, and she was a farmer in rural Western New York state. No fancy evening gowns for her--they were wholly impractical for everyday wear. I'm fascinated by her entries where she made all of her family's clothing (4 kids and her husband, and herself). It made me realize that our conception of the 1920s is really based on evening wear, which means our conception of the 1920s is almost solely based on upper middle class clothing--NOT the practical farmwear! In fact, I don't even think she was wearing silks nearly as much as modern costumers seem to think. She raised sheep, so wool would have been available, especially when in her town and nearby Jamestown had mills to process the wool. I imagine she also would have been able to grow flax for linen, but none of it likely was the high quality stuffs available for the upper class. She talks at one point about her sister making her a flowered silk dress, and getting 17 yards of black sateen for 30 cents a yard, but that's it. Her diaries definitely have altered how I have thought about the 1920s dresses.
My great grandmother, who was in her 20s in the 1920s wore much simpler looks all throughout the 1920s. He husband worked the railyards, so the party lifestyle just wasn't them either financially or even sought after. They were much quieter people. She needed practical garments as a young mother. Fringe and silk would have been a nightmare.
"our conception of the 1920s is really based on evening wear, which means our conception of the 1920s is almost solely based on upper middle class clothing" i've found as i've grown up this is the case for most eras, and it really is a humbling and very connecting-to-the-ppl-of-the-past thing to be able to learn what the average dailywear was really like - especially when thinking about the class you yourself would likely have existed in has we lived at a certain period. your great grandmothers diaries sound like an absolutely wonderful thing to still have access to.
@@emryspaperart I used to frequent civil re-enactments and all the dresses conformed my established ideas of dress. Relative simple designs and muted colors. Then I’d see a bright yellow or pink dress and my head would explode. I never considered the possibility that wealthy people would wear such colors.
The latest fashions only tend to be for younger people. Older women wouldn't have worn anything like what passes for flapper dresses that exposed the knees. I live in an Art Deco city that has festivals every year. It's cringe worthy to see little girls dressed as "flappers". It's so inappropriate but people don't know any better and little girls like pretty dresses.
This is true of most eras, because regular people's clothes almost always got remade and reused and passed along until it literally wore out, so most of what we see in museums is what rich people could afford to wear to special occasions. And fashion plates are the same: they're what _people who could afford to be on top of fashion trends_ might wear.
My Grandmother was a fully apprenticed and qualified tailoress - actually had her own design business. She was also a 1920's flapper. She was 5' 1" and weighed 94lbs and was considered to have a beautiful figure which was "required" for a true flapper. She taught me to sew and as we boned bodices and hand sewed beads, she talked of the dances and dresses. She kept many of her beautiful silks and shoes. I can only remember two fringes ...... A huge embroidered silk shawl, and a dance dress that had a beaded fringe over one hip. The most interesting thing was that flappers rolled their stockings down to just above the knees .... And often didn't wear underwear - they were young and had survived WWI. She had natural dark red hair, bright green eyes .... My favourite of her dresses was a bright emerald green silk chiffon beaded handkerchief hem dress with a low V neck. Daytime she wore tweed or linen pleated skirts, embroidered or lace collared blouses, cricket cardigans (long hip length). She had an interesting life ..... First fiancee broke off the engagement which was a big thing in those days ...... Because she had her waist length hair bobbed. Husband was a brilliant aeronautical engineer .... And gentleman gambler. Apologies, all of that to say .... Nope, she was a flapper but never had one of those fringed dresses 😂
I tried on a couple of my grandmother’s evening gowns from the 20s when I was her same height. The neckline was demure but the back… oh my… the back went down to there and my grandmother went to a Christian University!
My grandma was a teen in the 1920s. She and her sisters wore flapper dresses some. Her family lived way out in the country but had an active social life. She told me girls who wore fringe were considered "loose" but then again, she was a bit of a prude!
Lol she would have been horrified by my gran and her twin sister! They were ballet dancers in London at the time, and so very confident of their bodies and loved dancing. My grandma and great aunt used to love regaling me with their antics in 1920s flapper London when I was a kid, it sounded so exciting 😀
My grandmother was between the two of y’all’s. She was a teen in 1920. And she grew up in a huge family in the south. She was a preacher’s daughter but she certainly wasn’t a prude or very narrow minded. I’m just glad I never grew up as a fundie because great grampa was.
My nanny, Gertrude, aka Gertie, and her big sister, Lena Belle, were older teens and young adults in the 20s. Lena says nanny was 'a bit of a sh*t' and papa described nanny as 'a scandalous woman' (picture this being said with a very wide grin forming while he says it). Lena wsd nore practical, get sh*t done kinda gal and nanny was more of a 'lets see how much havoc i can wreak upon the world' type. Nanny taught us how to do the Charleston and lived for practical jokes and pranks. Nanny and lena liced together the last decades of their lives, since about the 60s, and i haven't words enough to describe how much fun it was hanging out with those two and thr BS they got up to.
I was holding my breath for the Singing in the Rain callout. That dream sequence is so bizarre to me because they have relatively accurate outfits in other parts of the movie - but you can’t beat the 50s for overdramatized musical sequences.
It seems to me that the trends that modern people associate with historic periods has a lot to do with what modern people find attractive. Short, leg baring skirts and the way that fringe enhances movement and accentuates hips and bust is appealing to modern people who are accustomed to women's sexualized garments in film.
That rose pink burnout dress with the side decoration is *stunning*! Sure, it's very different from modern dress sensibilities, but holy cow, it is so incredibly beautiful.
The dress you made with the burnout velvet and swag/sash reminds me so much of Egyptian dress, which makes a lot of sense given the obsession with Egypt in the 1920s!
Both of my grandmothers were born before 1900. One was one of the eldest while the other was amongst the youngest and both were from very, large families - 13 and 10 children that lived to adulthood. As such, I have a lot of pictures of both grandmothers and the many sisters from the 1920s and dressed for parties or going out in the evening. And I remember in the 1970s looking at those pictures with many of those ladies and asking if they really dressed like that. After much laughter, they all agreed that many of those dresses were only ever worn for a special event because they were impossible to keep clean or were so delicate that they self destructed if cleaned. They all shared stories about making one or two of those types of dresses. The conclusion I came to from their memories is that the fringe dress we all use to define a flapper was more stage costume seen at the follies and cabarets of the time and reinforced by movies that came later.
I'm sure you have plenty of video ideas, but I'd love to see one about how you pack and travel with these garments, since it seems like they'd be prone to crushing and wrinkling.
Not historically accurate (lol), but I like to 'buffer' folds, by putting pieces of bubble wrap inside the folded garments. They do take up more room that way, obviously, but look much nicer, when unpacked. And, of course, I take a travel iron or steamer with me.
In the past, going by novels written in the 1920s and '30s, one method was to wrap all garments in tissue paper. I assume that means taking a piece as long as the dress or whatever and folding it along with it to keep down the creases. I've never tried it, myself.
My great-grandma, a frequent traveller whose journals I have, described something very similar to the Marie Kondo method of packing- rolling, folding, or balling things up depending on the material.
I'm always so fascinated (and entertained) by vintage styles that are actually those eras' representations of even earlier periods. (My favorite being the 80s take on art deco, and I just finished embroidering a crewel kit that is a 70s/80s reinterpretation of 19th century signage.) I had NO IDEA that the iconic flapper dress was in this category! And then the way we reinterpret the reinterpretation - like a style game of telephone! It's just so fun!
The fringe flapper dress trope has bugged me ever since I got interested in 1920s history in my 1980s teen years! There were so many more interesting and beautiful designs in reality. I personally have always loved the long tube with a gather of fabric at the hips style like your black and gold dress. Gorgeous!
Would you consider doing a lookbook video with all your outfits from the cruise? I cannot get enough of these beautiful garments! I love seeing them in motion!
My Granny was born in 1924. She lived in the city and was the middle of seven kids for her family. They dressed practically. When my Mom was a kid she made her a flapper costume and it was passed to me and then my daughter. Granny preferred the practical dresses. Her only fancy almost in fashion clothes were church dresses. So this is very cool to learn more about fashions from when she was young. She passed in 2019, and I think she would’ve loved your channel.
All the dresses you made look amazing but I have to agree with the people on the cruise - the yellow one is just spectacular! Thanks for clearing up the fringe flapper dress myth, I had no idea!
My grandparents met in the big city in the 20’s. Before the crash my grandfather and his room mates dealt with dirty dishes by throwing them out the window!! They did this until their landlady caught them! Once the crash hit they were out of a job. My grandmother had a job so they couldn’t get married as married women didn’t work back then. It was an interesting time in history. All your gowns are stunning! Hopefully you had an amazing time!
Very elegant, if a bit - demure? I recall my very proper Edwardian Nana (b.1900) scoffing @ my mother's 1960s concern about her reaction to the mini-dress w/tights "We wore our dresses down to *here* in front, to *there* in back and hardly a stitch underneath! You girls are covered bottom to top! Don't think you invented sex!" And my Pops grinning and nodding ...
My Nan was a flapper (regular person sort) and did not have fringe. Long beaded necklace yes, regular sheath underneath with varying chiffon like fluffy sorts of dresses over, yes :) Several of the outfits you show for early 20s flappers are very much what she wore. Did you drape the purple or use a pattern??? I love it and want one for me. Your gold dress is very flattering on you and very similar to one of my Nan's (hers was sky blue with pale blue chiffon). The black and gold also looks great!
Thank you SO much for linking where you got your fabrics. That second dress fabric looks straight out of a Klimt painting and I'm obsessed. You put so much work into these garments and videos, and it really shows! I hope you had a wonderful time at your cruise!
I'm absolutely obsessed with the Erté opera coat. Not exaggerating, I'm losing sleep over it. What are the chances of Nicole recreating this miracle work again, this time for the camera 😭
My favorite was the gold floral print black gown. It is deceptively simple, but the folds, floral design, swag everything needs to be just right to fall properly and give the evocative appearance of that time period. I always felt that anime and comic-cons weekends went by far too quickly. Cosplay or dressing in period correct outfits needs to be savored over a LONG time not just 1 - 3 days. Although I am not a sailing fan, the idea of wearing costumes for this cruise sounds glorious. I hope that as many attendees as possible post footage.
I'm older but love sharing Flapper stories about my Gram. When my grandpa first met her he said he was going to marry her & she flipped the hem of her dress at him & walked away! Her clothing was defiantly shorter but pretty sturdy looking every day wear by her pictures. Not sure she ever wore a slip style or fringe but she may have for dances but they would have been more modestly styled. My mom (b.1930) never got to go to prom etc because they couldn't afford fancy clothes so as a high school teacher, she chaperoned Prom & wore a white Flapper fringe dress that absolutely looked like something Gram would wear. It was awesome. I wish we could share pictures here. I love your recreations.
"Anyone for tennis? This will make them cringe, And you’ll knock’em dead at dinner if your gown just drips with fringe." I love the silhouette, you're a knock-out!
I love watching how you transformed your style of hair and makeup to match the era and clothes you've made. I also love how you explain the histories of the garments and shoes you make. Thank you for letting us share in your creative process!
My grandmother had a trunk full of 20’s era dresses which I suspect many were her younger sisters’, who died in 1931. My grandparents were married in 1922 and she was a farm wife. I clearly remember seeing a dress with fringe. My dad said his aunt was theatrical and a storyteller, and he used to quote many poems that apparently great aunt Grace had and enjoyed. So they might have been more for special events, I figure?
The pink dress that your mother helped out with looks super cozy. I do understand why people complimented the yellow/gold dress, it is really flattering on you and if I didn't know it had taken just 2 days to make I would have assumed it had taken months. The black with gold flecks/patterns is also really nice, even though I find I personally prefer the other two in appearance. 💚
OMG you transformed into such a glam 20s lady!!! ✨😎✨ I love the style of the golden dress, though the fuschia one is also gorgeous too (that feels like the one that would match my own style the best). I highly, highly enjoyed your exploration on the truth of fringe (and flapper) dresses back then. (Just as I expected, movies in the later eras influenced our perception of what people would actually wore in the 20s). I didn't think that fringe dresses didn't exist at all back then, but I did surmise that their frequency was totally overestimated by people in the latter decades (something that you pointed out as well, more or less). Can't never thank you enough for that exploration!
Maybe next Halloween you could tackle the "princess" dress and the ubiquitous hennin that really only had a small historical window but is now THE silhouette. 🤣 Love your Historically Accurate info and designs! 👍
Wonderful, informative as always. I would LOVE to see the ENTIRE wardrobe you created for the cruise. I watched the process but NEED to see the creative conclusion. PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!?
As a lifelong fan of Singing in the Rain, I was singing "Beautiful Girl" to myself for the first half of this video. Loved learning more about societal perception vs. reality. Also, that first dress you made is absolutely gorgeous. But that cape! Oh, my word.
What a wonderful informative video! Delightful. I used a lot of fringe in my belly dance costumes in the 90s and 2000s. The modern belly dance ‘bedlah’ (adorned bra and hip belt, worn over a skirt) was born in the cabaret, and Egyptian cinema of the 30s and 40s. It was also used to highlight movement. I used inexpensive rayon chaînette fringe in my earlier, inexpensive costumes, and then used heavier, more expensive, pre-made beaded fringe or hand beaded the fringe myself in my later pieces. I also learned that Vionnet used the weight of fringe to manipulate the fabric (holding a scarf collar in place for example) and in her designs.
I'm chuckling that I watched this video hours after watching Singing in the Rain in a theater. I was watching the movie thinking 'How 1950s is this view of the 1920s?'. I love the questions you and other fashion historians have me asking about period films.
I have a picture of my grandmother in a silver fringe dress just like your first shot at 21 years old on Beacon Hill with the classic haircut to match. It was real ! She wore it to speakeasies like the Bull & Finch back room. She met my grandfather there. He caught her when she fell off the table dancing. True story!!!
I love to read Grace Livingston Hill books not because of the romances but her descriptions of the every day problems of working on a home and presentable clothing for lower income people who are often her characters. She mentions in one book how difficult it was to create a piece of clothing for a new job when the fashions no longer leave much room for piecing. Instead they would find larger sections of old clothing or material to be remade.
I recognize these dresses - from the early 1980’s! Norma Kamala did Paul Poirot - in sweatshirt fabric. The most glorious, comfortable, great looking dresses ever. There were also Victorian takes, amazing clothes. In sweatshirt. Closed with the snap strips the use in onesies. She’s a genius! There were also a ton of draped dresses in Quiana, the fabric of the moment. The drape- over -the-hip dress was all over, without the train. Saw 2 at dinner in Beverly Hills in 1985. Didn’t realize they were straight up Twenties repro, but did know the Kamala were.
It was lovely to meet you on the crossing. These dresses were even more stunning in person, if that's even possible. It was really cool to see the construction process. You mentioned that it always seems to be the garment that is thrown together at the last minute that gets the most compliments and I have to wonder if that's because we don't have time to second guess our instincts when we're in a rush. When you take your time on a project you have the space to agonize over every little detail and possibly doubt your decisions but when you're in a time crunch you have to just go with your first choice and say it will turn out how it turns out and kind of push the doubts away. I think it creates a more creatively authentic garment, if that makes sense, and it's like people can sense that. It always reminds me that I should trust my instincts more even when I am taking my time on a project.
While researching Archaic-Greece clothing (mostly mythical pieces) I was quite surprised to see how prevalent tassels/fringes were: Athena's Aegis was supposed to be fringed as was Aphrodite's mythical belt for instance. Couldn't find any real representation of this style of clothing on Greek vases so I am still puzzled at what they actually mean but, looking at the Leichestershire museum gown, I got a pretty good idea of what they might have been going for. Very insightful video as always, thanks a lot!
Fascinating! My maternal grandmother, born in 1900, was a Flapper, but I have no details - I imagine for her, it was going out dancing with her future husband, and drinking illegal booze! She did live to 101, but I never thought to ask her what "being a flapper" actually meant!
My grandmother had stories of speakeasies too. Exciting times! She continued meeting with a couples dance club that began during WWII every month, well into the '80's. People committed to their fun and friendships in those days.
I’ve been waiting for this video all my life. There’s been so much conflicting information about the fashion of this era, so thank you for doing the in-depth research. I loved the dancing scene at the end with everyone dressed in their finery!
The velvet dress with the dropped waist and sash made me shudder: because I was made to wear a version of this in some kind of crackly polyester in an awful crazy printed blue colour, with a blue satin sash at the dropped waist. This would’ve been around 1989ish, even maybe ‘91-‘92, as we had recently come to Australia. The 1920s revival of the ‘80s hit Australia a bit later, like almost every trend did back then. 😂 Love your video, thank you! Your dresses are gorgeous.
This was really interesting, good to know how real the image of 20s dresses we have is. I'll have to keep that in my back pocket in case someone asks (I do tours through historic homes, including one staged for the twenties). Also, that black dress with the gold leaves looks super nice on you, great work as always!
Everything came out so beautifully and you truly looked straight out of the '20s. I have a photo of my Grandmother in a beautiful fringed dress from the '20s that she was wearing out for an evening event and I have a photo of my Mother from about 1928 dressed in a flapper dress for Halloween. She was 8 at the time. I think my Grandmother made it for her. The video from the cruise was great and I really hope you had a wonderful time. I hope we get to see more of it! Congrats on all of the dresses and you are a true inspiration to have made all of those, plus the daily wear. Thanks so much for sharing.
I'm impressed by all your work, but I especially loved the black dress with gold florals. I think draping is fascinating, and there's so much skill involved. It's not simply a matter of playing with it until it looks the way you want (although there's some of that), but first you have to know what you want the fabric to do to create a particular three-dimensional form in two-dimensional fabric. I've also been wondering what your sources are for vintage fashion magazines and plates? I sometimes purchase historical fashion books, but the magazines are all out-of-print.
I wonder how much of the 1920s stereotype dresses come from 1920s films like Metropolis as well. The whole time I had the picture of Hel, the machine, dancing seductively at the Yoshiwara nightclub. (Only that I thought she wore more clothing than she actually does🙈 )
I’ve been waiting for this video for weeks! I’m gearing up to make some 1920’s-flavored fancy clothes for my mother, and I wanted to see Nicole’s process to help inform my own little adventure.
I volunteer at a museum in Florida that currently has 20 Art Deco cars on exhibit. I'm loving all your 1920s videos that are giving me more insight into the period.
17:01 this remind me of the dresses from saks 5th ave my mom used to force me into. I’m researching dress making for a fictional character in a story I’m writing.
So interesting! Thank you! My very fancy grandmother (she was a much older mom - they hid some of their ethnicity - it would be a great movie) was a flapper and her family had a ton of money. (The 30s didn't work out for them) We found mink and a few fringe dresses. This explains why she kept the fringe things so safe. It was all very luxurious before they lost all the money.
I'm so glad you got to experience Queen Mary 2 - made the trip in May this year and loved every moment of it. Can't wait to see more of your adventure and obviously what you wore 😊
Fringe is fun! When I took belly dancing lessons, I made my outfit with lot of fringe, rhinestones, beads, tassels, and other flourishes. But I love the way fringe feels when I move! There's a video about a male belly dancer, and his hip band has little clusters of beads along the edge, that make noise when he shimmies!
My theory is that at least 70 percent of our idea how people dressed in the 1920s comes from the movie Singing in the Rain which came out in the 50s and influenced all of the modern takes on 1920s....lol ok I just got to that part of the video. :D The end of this video has a fabulous section on draping which anyone who is learning to sew could learn from, I think.
Those evening dresses you made are extraordinary! I love them all, but my favorite has got to be that stunning black and gold column dress. It’s like I’m watching the 1920’s in color. And that yellow and gold: well wow. That fabric is gorgeous and though it’s not my fave shape, it’s so extravagant! Thank you for showing us how you made it!
Love the dresses. The history of the fringe you gave is very similar to what I found. I have a photo of my grandma at 16, her mom at 32, and her mother all in their finery. Grandma's dress is silk, with handkerchief sleeves and a boat neckline. Her mom is in a lace dress, and I have seen that one in person. Layers of lace instead of fringe. Gorgeous. Her mom was in more of a suit, and looked very stern.
I have an antique 1920’s tabard dress and it is gorgeous. No fringe at all, and it is heavily beaded with jet beads and gelatin sequins in an art deco pattern. I can actually wear it and I feel so beautiful when I do! Of course, I can’t help wonder but who originally wore it in the 1920’s. I’d love to know its story. ❤
I'm going to have to watch your look book video in order to fully wrap my head around the construction of the gold dress, but it's very interesting. For the gold and black burnout velvet, you used a very similar fabric to what Bianca of The Costume Historian used for one of her 1920's dresses in her video "How To Make a 1920's Dress, Making the 1-hour dress, A Sewing Diary." I'd link it, but you know, TH-cam.
Sometimes I can't believe I get to watch such educational, entertaining and downright gorgeous videos for free. Thank you for being you and sharing your knowledge with the world.
I was like, yellow and gold fabric? Eh. But then I saw your fabric and *heart eyes*. I think that color would look awful on my skin tone but I just love it. And that black and gold? Beautiful choices. See, I'd look at those styles and be like, wow, that's a bit weird, but no, you made them look amazing! Wonderful.
Click here bit.ly/3MQmYXo and use my code NICOLER50 for 50% off your first month! It's a simple and easy part of taking care of myself!
I honestly can't pick a favorite. They all look divine. 👏🥳🎉
My channel actually explores a lot of this misconception. I have my great-grandmother's diaries from the 1920s, and she was a farmer in rural Western New York state. No fancy evening gowns for her--they were wholly impractical for everyday wear. I'm fascinated by her entries where she made all of her family's clothing (4 kids and her husband, and herself). It made me realize that our conception of the 1920s is really based on evening wear, which means our conception of the 1920s is almost solely based on upper middle class clothing--NOT the practical farmwear! In fact, I don't even think she was wearing silks nearly as much as modern costumers seem to think. She raised sheep, so wool would have been available, especially when in her town and nearby Jamestown had mills to process the wool. I imagine she also would have been able to grow flax for linen, but none of it likely was the high quality stuffs available for the upper class. She talks at one point about her sister making her a flowered silk dress, and getting 17 yards of black sateen for 30 cents a yard, but that's it. Her diaries definitely have altered how I have thought about the 1920s dresses.
My great grandmother, who was in her 20s in the 1920s wore much simpler looks all throughout the 1920s. He husband worked the railyards, so the party lifestyle just wasn't them either financially or even sought after. They were much quieter people. She needed practical garments as a young mother. Fringe and silk would have been a nightmare.
"our conception of the 1920s is really based on evening wear, which means our conception of the 1920s is almost solely based on upper middle class clothing" i've found as i've grown up this is the case for most eras, and it really is a humbling and very connecting-to-the-ppl-of-the-past thing to be able to learn what the average dailywear was really like - especially when thinking about the class you yourself would likely have existed in has we lived at a certain period. your great grandmothers diaries sound like an absolutely wonderful thing to still have access to.
@@emryspaperart I used to frequent civil re-enactments and all the dresses conformed my established ideas of dress. Relative simple designs and muted colors. Then I’d see a bright yellow or pink dress and my head would explode. I never considered the possibility that wealthy people would wear such colors.
The latest fashions only tend to be for younger people. Older women wouldn't have worn anything like what passes for flapper dresses that exposed the knees. I live in an Art Deco city that has festivals every year. It's cringe worthy to see little girls dressed as "flappers". It's so inappropriate but people don't know any better and little girls like pretty dresses.
This is true of most eras, because regular people's clothes almost always got remade and reused and passed along until it literally wore out, so most of what we see in museums is what rich people could afford to wear to special occasions. And fashion plates are the same: they're what _people who could afford to be on top of fashion trends_ might wear.
My Grandmother was a fully apprenticed and qualified tailoress - actually had her own design business. She was also a 1920's flapper. She was 5' 1" and weighed 94lbs and was considered to have a beautiful figure which was "required" for a true flapper. She taught me to sew and as we boned bodices and hand sewed beads, she talked of the dances and dresses. She kept many of her beautiful silks and shoes. I can only remember two fringes ...... A huge embroidered silk shawl, and a dance dress that had a beaded fringe over one hip. The most interesting thing was that flappers rolled their stockings down to just above the knees .... And often didn't wear underwear - they were young and had survived WWI. She had natural dark red hair, bright green eyes .... My favourite of her dresses was a bright emerald green silk chiffon beaded handkerchief hem dress with a low V neck. Daytime she wore tweed or linen pleated skirts, embroidered or lace collared blouses, cricket cardigans (long hip length). She had an interesting life ..... First fiancee broke off the engagement which was a big thing in those days ...... Because she had her waist length hair bobbed. Husband was a brilliant aeronautical engineer .... And gentleman gambler.
Apologies, all of that to say .... Nope, she was a flapper but never had one of those fringed dresses 😂
It sounds like your grandmother had a very interesting life! Thank you for sharing!
I tried on a couple of my grandmother’s evening gowns from the 20s when I was her same height. The neckline was demure but the back… oh my… the back went down to there and my grandmother went to a Christian University!
My grandma was a teen in the 1920s. She and her sisters wore flapper dresses some. Her family lived way out in the country but had an active social life. She told me girls who wore fringe were considered "loose" but then again, she was a bit of a prude!
Lol she would have been horrified by my gran and her twin sister! They were ballet dancers in London at the time, and so very confident of their bodies and loved dancing. My grandma and great aunt used to love regaling me with their antics in 1920s flapper London when I was a kid, it sounded so exciting 😀
My grandmother was between the two of y’all’s. She was a teen in 1920. And she grew up in a huge family in the south. She was a preacher’s daughter but she certainly wasn’t a prude or very narrow minded. I’m just glad I never grew up as a fundie because great grampa was.
My nanny, Gertrude, aka Gertie, and her big sister, Lena Belle, were older teens and young adults in the 20s. Lena says nanny was 'a bit of a sh*t' and papa described nanny as 'a scandalous woman' (picture this being said with a very wide grin forming while he says it). Lena wsd nore practical, get sh*t done kinda gal and nanny was more of a 'lets see how much havoc i can wreak upon the world' type. Nanny taught us how to do the Charleston and lived for practical jokes and pranks. Nanny and lena liced together the last decades of their lives, since about the 60s, and i haven't words enough to describe how much fun it was hanging out with those two and thr BS they got up to.
Bobbed short haircuts was also looked down upon with prudish disapproval as well. Only bad girls bobbed their hair.
I actually think that "comfy" style is super flattering and looks so elegant.
I was holding my breath for the Singing in the Rain callout. That dream sequence is so bizarre to me because they have relatively accurate outfits in other parts of the movie - but you can’t beat the 50s for overdramatized musical sequences.
Cyd charisse's green dress isn't fringe. (On my to do list)
It seems to me that the trends that modern people associate with historic periods has a lot to do with what modern people find attractive. Short, leg baring skirts and the way that fringe enhances movement and accentuates hips and bust is appealing to modern people who are accustomed to women's sexualized garments in film.
That rose pink burnout dress with the side decoration is *stunning*! Sure, it's very different from modern dress sensibilities, but holy cow, it is so incredibly beautiful.
The dress you made with the burnout velvet and swag/sash reminds me so much of Egyptian dress, which makes a lot of sense given the obsession with Egypt in the 1920s!
Both of my grandmothers were born before 1900. One was one of the eldest while the other was amongst the youngest and both were from very, large families - 13 and 10 children that lived to adulthood. As such, I have a lot of pictures of both grandmothers and the many sisters from the 1920s and dressed for parties or going out in the evening. And I remember in the 1970s looking at those pictures with many of those ladies and asking if they really dressed like that. After much laughter, they all agreed that many of those dresses were only ever worn for a special event because they were impossible to keep clean or were so delicate that they self destructed if cleaned. They all shared stories about making one or two of those types of dresses.
The conclusion I came to from their memories is that the fringe dress we all use to define a flapper was more stage costume seen at the follies and cabarets of the time and reinforced by movies that came later.
I'm sure you have plenty of video ideas, but I'd love to see one about how you pack and travel with these garments, since it seems like they'd be prone to crushing and wrinkling.
I am adding my enthusiastic support to this question. Would love to see how you do it.
This is what her most recent patreon live was about, actually.
Not historically accurate (lol), but I like to 'buffer' folds, by putting pieces of bubble wrap inside the folded garments. They do take up more room that way, obviously, but look much nicer, when unpacked.
And, of course, I take a travel iron or steamer with me.
In the past, going by novels written in the 1920s and '30s, one method was to wrap all garments in tissue paper. I assume that means taking a piece as long as the dress or whatever and folding it along with it to keep down the creases. I've never tried it, myself.
My great-grandma, a frequent traveller whose journals I have, described something very similar to the Marie Kondo method of packing- rolling, folding, or balling things up depending on the material.
I'm always so fascinated (and entertained) by vintage styles that are actually those eras' representations of even earlier periods. (My favorite being the 80s take on art deco, and I just finished embroidering a crewel kit that is a 70s/80s reinterpretation of 19th century signage.) I had NO IDEA that the iconic flapper dress was in this category! And then the way we reinterpret the reinterpretation - like a style game of telephone! It's just so fun!
The fringe flapper dress trope has bugged me ever since I got interested in 1920s history in my 1980s teen years! There were so many more interesting and beautiful designs in reality. I personally have always loved the long tube with a gather of fabric at the hips style like your black and gold dress. Gorgeous!
Would you consider doing a lookbook video with all your outfits from the cruise? I cannot get enough of these beautiful garments! I love seeing them in motion!
That’s the next video!
Huzzah!!!
@@NicoleRudolph Yay!!!
My Granny was born in 1924. She lived in the city and was the middle of seven kids for her family. They dressed practically. When my Mom was a kid she made her a flapper costume and it was passed to me and then my daughter. Granny preferred the practical dresses. Her only fancy almost in fashion clothes were church dresses. So this is very cool to learn more about fashions from when she was young. She passed in 2019, and I think she would’ve loved your channel.
All the dresses you made look amazing but I have to agree with the people on the cruise - the yellow one is just spectacular! Thanks for clearing up the fringe flapper dress myth, I had no idea!
The "robe de style" is probably my favorite non-stereotypical type of dress from the 1920s. I am just really drawn to anything with a full skirt.
Same here with basque dresses! Too bad there aren’t any videos on how to construct a 1920s basque dress tho 😢
My grandparents met in the big city in the 20’s. Before the crash my grandfather and his room mates dealt with dirty dishes by throwing them out the window!! They did this until their landlady caught them! Once the crash hit they were out of a job. My grandmother had a job so they couldn’t get married as married women didn’t work back then. It was an interesting time in history.
All your gowns are stunning! Hopefully you had an amazing time!
It was so lovely to see a picture of a Borzoi dog with one of the flappers. I have always had this breed & have two at the moment, gorgeous dogs.
Very elegant, if a bit - demure? I recall my very proper Edwardian Nana (b.1900) scoffing @ my mother's 1960s concern about her reaction to the mini-dress w/tights "We wore our dresses down to *here* in front, to *there* in back and hardly a stitch underneath! You girls are covered bottom to top! Don't think you invented sex!" And my Pops grinning and nodding ...
My Nan was a flapper (regular person sort) and did not have fringe. Long beaded necklace yes, regular sheath underneath with varying chiffon like fluffy sorts of dresses over, yes :) Several of the outfits you show for early 20s flappers are very much what she wore. Did you drape the purple or use a pattern??? I love it and want one for me. Your gold dress is very flattering on you and very similar to one of my Nan's (hers was sky blue with pale blue chiffon). The black and gold also looks great!
If any dress had to not exist, the Walmart flapper would be the one I’d choose to yeet out of existence 😂
LMAO!!
Thank you SO much for linking where you got your fabrics. That second dress fabric looks straight out of a Klimt painting and I'm obsessed. You put so much work into these garments and videos, and it really shows! I hope you had a wonderful time at your cruise!
I'm absolutely obsessed with the Erté opera coat. Not exaggerating, I'm losing sleep over it. What are the chances of Nicole recreating this miracle work again, this time for the camera 😭
My favorite was the gold floral print black gown. It is deceptively simple, but the folds, floral design, swag everything needs to be just right to fall properly and give the evocative appearance of that time period. I always felt that anime and comic-cons weekends went by far too quickly. Cosplay or dressing in period correct outfits needs to be savored over a LONG time not just 1 - 3 days. Although I am not a sailing fan, the idea of wearing costumes for this cruise sounds glorious. I hope that as many attendees as possible post footage.
That black and gold fabric is DIVINE!!!
I'm older but love sharing Flapper stories about my Gram. When my grandpa first met her he said he was going to marry her & she flipped the hem of her dress at him & walked away! Her clothing was defiantly shorter but pretty sturdy looking every day wear by her pictures. Not sure she ever wore a slip style or fringe but she may have for dances but they would have been more modestly styled. My mom (b.1930) never got to go to prom etc because they couldn't afford fancy clothes so as a high school teacher, she chaperoned Prom & wore a white Flapper fringe dress that absolutely looked like something Gram would wear. It was awesome. I wish we could share pictures here. I love your recreations.
"Anyone for tennis? This will make them cringe,
And you’ll knock’em dead at dinner if your gown just drips with fringe."
I love the silhouette, you're a knock-out!
I love the gold dress, the layering is exquisite and the skirt has so much drama, the pink velvet one looks so beautiful as you move too!
I love watching how you transformed your style of hair and makeup to match the era and clothes you've made. I also love how you explain the histories of the garments and shoes you make. Thank you for letting us share in your creative process!
That black velvet is absolutely gorgeous, and my personal favorite! Although, my goodness, the gold gown is quite fetching too!
My grandmother had a trunk full of 20’s era dresses which I suspect many were her younger sisters’, who died in 1931. My grandparents were married in 1922 and she was a farm wife. I clearly remember seeing a dress with fringe. My dad said his aunt was theatrical and a storyteller, and he used to quote many poems that apparently great aunt Grace had and enjoyed. So they might have been more for special events, I figure?
The pink dress that your mother helped out with looks super cozy. I do understand why people complimented the yellow/gold dress, it is really flattering on you and if I didn't know it had taken just 2 days to make I would have assumed it had taken months. The black with gold flecks/patterns is also really nice, even though I find I personally prefer the other two in appearance. 💚
Ok. That cape/coat is definitely a moment. Would love to see more about it.
OMG you transformed into such a glam 20s lady!!! ✨😎✨
I love the style of the golden dress, though the fuschia one is also gorgeous too (that feels like the one that would match my own style the best). I highly, highly enjoyed your exploration on the truth of fringe (and flapper) dresses back then. (Just as I expected, movies in the later eras influenced our perception of what people would actually wore in the 20s). I didn't think that fringe dresses didn't exist at all back then, but I did surmise that their frequency was totally overestimated by people in the latter decades (something that you pointed out as well, more or less). Can't never thank you enough for that exploration!
Maybe next Halloween you could tackle the "princess" dress and the ubiquitous hennin that really only had a small historical window but is now THE silhouette. 🤣 Love your Historically Accurate info and designs! 👍
Wonderful, informative as always. I would LOVE to see the ENTIRE wardrobe you created for the cruise. I watched the process but NEED to see the creative conclusion. PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!?
I LOVE the fuschia cut silk gown! OMG. The flow is beautiful, perfect fabric choice.
As a lifelong fan of Singing in the Rain, I was singing "Beautiful Girl" to myself for the first half of this video. Loved learning more about societal perception vs. reality. Also, that first dress you made is absolutely gorgeous. But that cape! Oh, my word.
What a wonderful informative video! Delightful.
I used a lot of fringe in my belly dance costumes in the 90s and 2000s. The modern belly dance ‘bedlah’ (adorned bra and hip belt, worn over a skirt) was born in the cabaret, and Egyptian cinema of the 30s and 40s. It was also used to highlight movement.
I used inexpensive rayon chaînette fringe in my earlier, inexpensive costumes, and then used heavier, more expensive, pre-made beaded fringe or hand beaded the fringe myself in my later pieces.
I also learned that Vionnet used the weight of fringe to manipulate the fabric (holding a scarf collar in place for example) and in her designs.
I'm chuckling that I watched this video hours after watching Singing in the Rain in a theater.
I was watching the movie thinking 'How 1950s is this view of the 1920s?'.
I love the questions you and other fashion historians have me asking about period films.
I have a picture of my grandmother in a silver fringe dress just like your first shot at 21 years old on Beacon Hill with the classic haircut to match. It was real ! She wore it to speakeasies like the Bull & Finch back room. She met my grandfather there. He caught her when she fell off the table dancing. True story!!!
I love to read Grace Livingston Hill books not because of the romances but her descriptions of the every day problems of working on a home and presentable clothing for lower income people who are often her characters.
She mentions in one book how difficult it was to create a piece of clothing for a new job when the fashions no longer leave much room for piecing. Instead they would find larger sections of old clothing or material to be remade.
I recognize these dresses - from the early 1980’s! Norma Kamala did Paul Poirot - in sweatshirt fabric. The most glorious, comfortable, great looking dresses ever. There were also Victorian takes, amazing clothes. In sweatshirt. Closed with the snap strips the use in onesies. She’s a genius!
There were also a ton of draped dresses in Quiana, the fabric of the moment. The drape- over -the-hip dress was all over, without the train. Saw 2 at dinner in Beverly Hills in 1985. Didn’t realize they were straight up Twenties repro, but did know the Kamala were.
It was lovely to meet you on the crossing. These dresses were even more stunning in person, if that's even possible. It was really cool to see the construction process. You mentioned that it always seems to be the garment that is thrown together at the last minute that gets the most compliments and I have to wonder if that's because we don't have time to second guess our instincts when we're in a rush. When you take your time on a project you have the space to agonize over every little detail and possibly doubt your decisions but when you're in a time crunch you have to just go with your first choice and say it will turn out how it turns out and kind of push the doubts away. I think it creates a more creatively authentic garment, if that makes sense, and it's like people can sense that. It always reminds me that I should trust my instincts more even when I am taking my time on a project.
While researching Archaic-Greece clothing (mostly mythical pieces) I was quite surprised to see how prevalent tassels/fringes were: Athena's Aegis was supposed to be fringed as was Aphrodite's mythical belt for instance. Couldn't find any real representation of this style of clothing on Greek vases so I am still puzzled at what they actually mean but, looking at the Leichestershire museum gown, I got a pretty good idea of what they might have been going for. Very insightful video as always, thanks a lot!
The black and gold fabric is beautiful, and that dress flatters your figure.
I love the black and gold dress best; it's so elegant! But both the others are stunning as well.
I love your historical research, thanks.
Fascinating! My maternal grandmother, born in 1900, was a Flapper, but I have no details - I imagine for her, it was going out dancing with her future husband, and drinking illegal booze! She did live to 101, but I never thought to ask her what "being a flapper" actually meant!
My grandmother had stories of speakeasies too. Exciting times! She continued meeting with a couples dance club that began during WWII every month, well into the '80's. People committed to their fun and friendships in those days.
I’ve been waiting for this video all my life. There’s been so much conflicting information about the fashion of this era, so thank you for doing the in-depth research. I loved the dancing scene at the end with everyone dressed in their finery!
All three dresses are lovely! I can see why the Worth style pink would be a popular style of the day!
The velvet dress with the dropped waist and sash made me shudder: because I was made to wear a version of this in some kind of crackly polyester in an awful crazy printed blue colour, with a blue satin sash at the dropped waist. This would’ve been around 1989ish, even maybe ‘91-‘92, as we had recently come to Australia. The 1920s revival of the ‘80s hit Australia a bit later, like almost every trend did back then. 😂
Love your video, thank you! Your dresses are gorgeous.
@31:55 (approx.) - Boogie Backs followed by Shorty Georges on the dance floor...could that be the SHIM SHAM!!!! YEEEEES!!! ❤❤❤
This was really interesting, good to know how real the image of 20s dresses we have is. I'll have to keep that in my back pocket in case someone asks (I do tours through historic homes, including one staged for the twenties). Also, that black dress with the gold leaves looks super nice on you, great work as always!
Everything came out so beautifully and you truly looked straight out of the '20s. I have a photo of my Grandmother in a beautiful fringed dress from the '20s that she was wearing out for an evening event and I have a photo of my Mother from about 1928 dressed in a flapper dress for Halloween. She was 8 at the time. I think my Grandmother made it for her. The video from the cruise was great and I really hope you had a wonderful time. I hope we get to see more of it! Congrats on all of the dresses and you are a true inspiration to have made all of those, plus the daily wear. Thanks so much for sharing.
Love the color of the yellow dress! It's beautiful!
I'm impressed by all your work, but I especially loved the black dress with gold florals. I think draping is fascinating, and there's so much skill involved. It's not simply a matter of playing with it until it looks the way you want (although there's some of that), but first you have to know what you want the fabric to do to create a particular three-dimensional form in two-dimensional fabric.
I've also been wondering what your sources are for vintage fashion magazines and plates? I sometimes purchase historical fashion books, but the magazines are all out-of-print.
I wonder how much of the 1920s stereotype dresses come from 1920s films like Metropolis as well. The whole time I had the picture of Hel, the machine, dancing seductively at the Yoshiwara nightclub. (Only that I thought she wore more clothing than she actually does🙈 )
The gold fabric is very eye catching, but I think the black one is my favorite. It's very elegant.
I’ve been waiting for this video for weeks! I’m gearing up to make some 1920’s-flavored fancy clothes for my mother, and I wanted to see Nicole’s process to help inform my own little adventure.
My favorite era for fashion. Thank you for being our teacher. 🍎
I volunteer at a museum in Florida that currently has 20 Art Deco cars on exhibit. I'm loving all your 1920s videos that are giving me more insight into the period.
Those fabrics are so stunning, I think anything made out of them would be sensational! But they really did add to these designs
This video made me fall in love with 20s fashion. The entire decade! I never thought that was possible
Oh my! The black & gold gown is absolutely stunning! And the fabric of the gold gown is glorious! You look like like royalty in that.
31:10 dude u literally look like royalty 🤩! Excellent work on those dresses, and I learned sooo much from ur video!
17:01 this remind me of the dresses from saks 5th ave my mom used to force me into. I’m researching dress making for a fictional character in a story I’m writing.
Goddess maker and goddess model! Also loved to recognize the Gonzo trouser lining taking a trip through the ages haha No one does 1920s like you 🤍
The black one with the golden details is my favorite!
So interesting! Thank you!
My very fancy grandmother (she was a much older mom - they hid some of their ethnicity - it would be a great movie) was a flapper and her family had a ton of money. (The 30s didn't work out for them) We found mink and a few fringe dresses. This explains why she kept the fringe things so safe. It was all very luxurious before they lost all the money.
I'm so glad you got to experience Queen Mary 2 - made the trip in May this year and loved every moment of it. Can't wait to see more of your adventure and obviously what you wore 😊
Omg! That black velvet with gold❤❤❤
I love how creative and conceptual the dresses are. It reminds me of buildings and architecture from that time period.
I fell in love with the last golden dress!! It make me feel this weird feeling inside😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
I would love to see the full process of all of those dresses and i hope you continue with more of the 20s/30s theme. Can't get enough!
Something about the second coat reminds me of Yzma... and the 3rd dress. You could do Yzma cosplay.
While watching this I couldn't help humming "Anything Goes" to myself. Anyone else? Beautiful content.
The purple burnout gown is stunning I love it 💜
The berry burnout velvet is STUNNING - very much giving Dot from _Miss Fisher's_ vibes! 100/10 would wear again o3o
Also you are a very elegant dancer n.n
Thank u for your video! I love 1920s fashion! Flappers and Stephen Tennant forever! ❤️❤️❤️
Fringe is fun! When I took belly dancing lessons, I made my outfit with lot of fringe, rhinestones, beads, tassels, and other flourishes. But I love the way fringe feels when I move! There's a video about a male belly dancer, and his hip band has little clusters of beads along the edge, that make noise when he shimmies!
Gorgeous! I have only one question... Where on Earth does Nicole finds so beautiful fabrics
She has some links to her supplies in the description!
15:01 Awww, look at that babeh Nicole :D I love love LOVE seeing photos of garments you made a while ago.
That burnout velvet gown is FABULOUS!!!!! Love the colour combination and the textures. Beautiful!!
I absolutely love that purple dress the first one!!!!
My theory is that at least 70 percent of our idea how people dressed in the 1920s comes from the movie Singing in the Rain which came out in the 50s and influenced all of the modern takes on 1920s....lol ok I just got to that part of the video. :D The end of this video has a fabulous section on draping which anyone who is learning to sew could learn from, I think.
I didn't see you try on the black and gold dress, but the last dress, wow. My mouth dropped open. That is incredible. Well done.
Those evening dresses you made are extraordinary! I love them all, but my favorite has got to be that stunning black and gold column dress. It’s like I’m watching the 1920’s in color. And that yellow and gold: well wow. That fabric is gorgeous and though it’s not my fave shape, it’s so extravagant! Thank you for showing us how you made it!
Squee!!! Erte is my favorite artist/ designer of the modern era.
Iconic.
Love the dresses. The history of the fringe you gave is very similar to what I found. I have a photo of my grandma at 16, her mom at 32, and her mother all in their finery. Grandma's dress is silk, with handkerchief sleeves and a boat neckline. Her mom is in a lace dress, and I have seen that one in person. Layers of lace instead of fringe. Gorgeous. Her mom was in more of a suit, and looked very stern.
Thanks for answering this question! I was so curious how actual 20s dresses looked. Your work is stunning!
I have an antique 1920’s tabard dress and it is gorgeous. No fringe at all, and it is heavily beaded with jet beads and gelatin sequins in an art deco pattern. I can actually wear it and I feel so beautiful when I do! Of course, I can’t help wonder but who originally wore it in the 1920’s. I’d love to know its story. ❤
I enjoyed this episode. This was the era my grandmother and other women in my family were young. Some downstate NY and some upstate farm women.
You look amazing in the purple silk burnout velvet dress with the sash at the hips!
I'm going to have to watch your look book video in order to fully wrap my head around the construction of the gold dress, but it's very interesting.
For the gold and black burnout velvet, you used a very similar fabric to what Bianca of The Costume Historian used for one of her 1920's dresses in her video "How To Make a 1920's Dress, Making the 1-hour dress, A Sewing Diary." I'd link it, but you know, TH-cam.
Sometimes I can't believe I get to watch such educational, entertaining and downright gorgeous videos for free. Thank you for being you and sharing your knowledge with the world.
The gold and brown one is very Issey Miyake! Odd shapes put together in weird ways that turn out so elegant.
The dress your mom made looks delicious 👌🏽😩 it looks comfortable and ready to literally sit pretty.
I was like, yellow and gold fabric? Eh. But then I saw your fabric and *heart eyes*. I think that color would look awful on my skin tone but I just love it. And that black and gold? Beautiful choices. See, I'd look at those styles and be like, wow, that's a bit weird, but no, you made them look amazing! Wonderful.