Men's Roaring 1920s Costumes

Key Elements of Men's Roaring 1920s Costumes

The mens roaring 1920s costumes were classy and sophisticated but also had a level of fun that wasn't expected from men's fashion at that time. Each garment had its own characteristics, and the concept was to look classy but not too uptight. However, formal clothing like suits remained the main garments, with casual garments never in sight. If you are curious, we have compiled some of the styles and characteristics of the men's roaring 1920s costumes. Here you can also explore our exclusive collection at MensTuxedoUsa to find your perfect 1920s-inspired outfit!

Dress Shirts: The Foundation

Starting with the dress shirts in the men's roaring 1920s costume, it was a staple at that time. The men's dress shirts with tall and detachable collars were the most popular style at that time. This style of detachable collar dress shirts was used for their daily ease of laundering.

While the detachable collars were the popular style at the start of the 1920s by the middle of the decade the attached collars came to be the preferred choice again because of their softer feel. There were different styles of collars on the dress shirts. The spread collars were the ones that were mostly used since they perfectly housed the wide Windsor tie knot. Point collars were used for the button-down shirts since they offer a standard look. The wing-tip collars on the dress shirts were used for special occasions since they were the best to be worn with the bow ties. Both French cuffs and double cuffs were used on the dress shirts, and the former was considered to be more formal than the latter.

Suits: The Core of the Look

To perfectly capture the essence of the mens roaring 1920s costume you will have to step away from the casual influence of the suits and go with the classic look of the fitting suits. Suits were undeniably at the center of the mens roaring 1920s costume styles. Men wore suits throughout the day and the casual garments were not much in sight. 

Take a look into the great Mens Gangster Costumes, it would give you an idea of how the suit fashion worked at that time. Usually, the block colors like black, grey, and navy were used for the suits, especially among the common people. However, when it comes to wealthy people, lighter colors were often used. Upon closer inspection, you can see this in the film. While the other characters in the film are mostly stuck with black suits or brown suits will be the only person who dares to venture into the colored suits especially those with the lighter colors. These suits which were white or nude in color denoted the higher status of the men and the absence of physical labor in their lives.

Fabrics: Heavy and Durable

The fabric used for the men's roaring 1920s costume is one of the details that sets our fashion apart from the fashion of that time. At that time, the suits were made of heavy fabrics, which made them uncomfortable to wear and expensive to buy. 

Wool gangster suits were the ones that were considered to be one of the best styles of that time. Other than this, there was also the option of blending wool and tweed for the suits. The tweed herringbone suit was all the rage back then since it offered a standard look while also being insulating and hard-wearing. In modern-day fashion, we have moved on to lightweight fabrics since people have shifted more towards comfortable clothing. The wool suits and the tweed suits have remained in style, but the weight of the clothing and their fit are far more progressed than the ones in the men's roaring 1920s costume styles.

Vests: An Essential Layer

The extra garment was first introduced to give the wearer a fitting and elegant look, but with time they became one of the best choices to keep the cold at bay. It became a part of the daily costume, and men who stepped out without the vest were considered underdressed. Vested peak lapel suits were the ones that were the most common choice for formal events like weddings and other special occasions. You would have noted this detail on the vested suits.

Zoot Suits: A Rebellious Fashion Statement

The Zoot suits were also an important improvement in the style of the mens roaring 1920s costumes. The main feature of the men's fashion zoo suit is that the suit jacket's shoulders were broader than the usual styles and the suit pants were also wider than the usual ones. 

If you are a person who likes to try out new styles then you can try going with these classic vested suits. In modern times we go for the most fitting suits, and thus the Zoot suit would give you a distinct and fresh look. But it would be best for you to restrict the Zoot suit styles for special occasions like parties and such. To start with a simple look go with the notch lapel Zoot suit and focus more on getting the fit of the garment in the perfect way.

As for the tuxedos, the tails on the cutaway tuxedos went out of fashion, and the tuxedo style as we have now came into style in the 1920s. The vested suits costumes were used for the most formal events but other than that the modern short tuxedo style was the most prevalent style to be noted.