1920s Fashion Research Paper

Fashion and Money: Victorian Era and the 1920s
Fashion has long been used as means of interest for many people around the world. People have used fashion to display their prestige, their culture, or simply as a device to spend their money. The frivolous habit of buying clothes can be seen many times throughout history. In both 1920s America and the Victorian Era, we often find that financial indiscretion is displayed through fashion. The Victorian Era brought on new fashion trends; these trends influenced a new clothing style in Victorian England. Women wore corsets, most of their clothing was tightly fit and the fabrics were expensive yet uncomfortable. Throughout all the Victorian Era, women wore dresses with large hoop skirts. Wealthier

Consumer culture flourished in the 1920s, allowing people to buy widely available consumer product. Items like clothes were being manufactured in a vast majority and were becoming accessible by everyone. Americans were seeking to rise in society; “Many US citizens wanted to gain material affluence” (Best 34). If people were rising in society they had to look the part. Women bought clothes for every occasion of the day and men bought expensive suits. Americans wanted to wear the most stylish things even if it was barely affordable. Among American college students, “One expensive trend was for racoon coats….the cost of a racoon coat was well over 2000 in today's currency” (Fass 57). The average college student of the time could not pay for this so parents wasted their money loosely on a trend that could easily become out of date. Rising earnings for US citizens allowed people to buy products such as clothing. Americans were getting better incomes and could afford to waste money on luxurious items such as cars or clothes. The pleasing times for Americans ended up tumbling down like dominoes though. Following the 1920s was the Great Depression. Many Americans experienced a decade of obstacles and low income if they were not already jobeless. Just like Pip, American citizens fell in the hole of debt. Wasting money on the finest clothes in the Twenties proved to be a financial mistake for