The seemingly endless party of the “Roaring Twenties” came to a roaring stop in 1929 with the crash of the Stock Market. As people became more conservative with their money, fashion reflected this conservative mindset. The days of excess and extravagance, of glittering beadwork and rich velvets, were now gone, as many struggled through the Great Depression.
The latter half of the 1930s once again saw a major shift in women’s fashion silhouettes, but some trends, such as sportswear and casual daywear, continued to be popular. The 1960s counterculture style owes thanks to the counterculture style of the 1920s. This decade also brought back shorter hemlines (which took on a whole new meaning with the “miniskirt”), as well as fringed dresses and skirts, which is where the stereotypical image of the fringed flapper girl actually originates.
We here at ACHM hope you have enjoyed and learned something new through this online exhibit, including that there was much more than fringe to women’s fashion trends of the Roaring Twenties, both nation-wide and right here in Aiken.
