A 1920s Kind of Gal
Lost in a world not meant for me.
Unknown
I came across the above quote while scrolling through my Twitter feed. It’s a short and simple quote but one which hit home as I’ve long felt out of place with the current time. As a fan of history, I\’ve always felt a connection to the French Baroque period along with the roaring 1920s. I have long been a fan of period shows like Versailles, Downton Abbey, and Boardwalk Empire. The latter still being one of my favorite to watch on Amazon Prime video as it was set in the 1920s.
Of course, we cannot discuss the 1920s without mentioning Prohibition. James Cromwell, who played Andrew Mellon on Boardwalk Empire, quips prohibition as “a child’s idea on morality”. Prohibition did play a significant role in the reduction in rates of liver cirrhosis. Yet at the same time, it did makes millionaires out of criminals who were more than ready to meet the demand with their illegal supply of alcohol.
The roaring 20s were a raucous time in America. Women won the right to vote, radio and moving were pictures were brought to larger audiences. Jazz music gained nation wide popularity especially in its birth place of the United States. Aviation took off (pun intended) as a viable business made popular by the feats of Charles Lindbergh transatlantic flight along with British flier, Amy Johnson, who became the first woman to fly alone from Britain to Australia. Economic prosperity was booming in the aftermath of World War I. Lest we forget, the flapper redefined the modern look for women not just in the United States but also for women in Britain. It was also a time in American households when (as difficult as it may be to believe) electricity, washing machines, and refrigerators were becoming the norm. As some American households were purchasing cars, the vacation came into being.
In the 1920s, men’s parts in their hair were as sharp as their outfits. A stark contrast to the casual attire that began to dominate in the following decades especially in the 60s and 70s. Men’s shaving also became a lost art with the introduction of disposable razors and aerosol shaving cream cans. But back then, straight razors along with double edge safety razors were the order of the day. Men started their day with a hot lather shave applied with a badger brush and finished with splash of Pinaud Clubman.
Personally, what has always drawn me to the era of the 1920s, has been the fashion and how people of the time took stock in their appearance not just out in society but in the home as well. Individuals were polite and followed strict social etiquette. For example, a man was not to shake a ladies hand unless she extended it first. At dinner, ladies were to sit first followed by the men. Men were to speak properly around women.
It’s all these little things that I look back on the 1920s with a romantic sense of nostalgia. Proper dress along with proper manners in an era which was rapidly developing technologically while at the same time struggling to catch its breath with all these new changes. They certainly did choose a bad time to make alcohol illegal for I’m sure it would have soothed the nerves a bit.
While not planning on a vintage shoot specifically, the outfit Jaslyn brought did inspire towards one. The romper with the train, hairstyle, and a wrought iron bed frame lent itself to a vintage shoot. I adjusted the tone curve in Lightroom for a matte look by raising it slightly in the shadows. In the end, the result was a 1920s kind of gal.
