Early Modern Clothing

The Early Modern Period is the era following the end of King Edward’s Reign. This time period includes the 1920s and 1930s. Because of efforts such the women’s suffrage movement, which gained momentum during the 1920s, women’s clothing began to adapt to changing ideals. As women began to enjoy more social liberties, clothing styles became more androgynous.

For an intriguing period article about “Flapperism,” check out “The Flapper Age,” a 1929 article from the Peabody Journal of Education.

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About Our Pieces

• Black Ankle-Length Dance Dress, c. 1925-1931

The iconic “flapper” era, characterized by shockingly short dresses and short hair, was ushered in with new social norms and previously unmatched prosperity. It was a time of unprecedented freedom of expression, both socially and politically, for women.  Women at this point had gained the right to vote, and many even entered the job market. Many women sought to shed the restrictive fashion of the past as a tangible representation of change. This outgoing “flapper” fashion trend, which came to be synonymous with city night-life, continued into the 1930s. However, the Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash of 1929, hampered the ability of many women to afford luxury items such as party dresses which subsequently led to comparatively subdued styles.

• Souvenir Cotton Bale from “The Cotton Men of the South” to Miss Selena Dorciot, c. 1920

This piece is a miniature cotton bale from about 1920, and was dated using the red George Washington stamp in the corner of the tag. From this, you can see how cotton was packaged prior to being sold to textile mills in order to be turned into cloth. Following World War I, cotton became increasingly important to textile mills due to post-war prosperity. Because of the availability of cotton and the high demand for clothing in the cities, 1920 was one of the most profitable years for the textile industry. However, while the textile factories boomed, cotton farmers suffered and struggled to make ends meet. As the process of harvesting cotton became more mechanized, the need for surplus farmers waned and cotton prices fell. This favored both the textile factories and the customer during a time of high consumerism prior to the Great Depression.