Seen above, the members of Westwood’s Ladies Aid Society are dressed up for an “old fashioned” show nearly a century ago, in the year 1920. Considering the organization, it seems likely that the event was being held as a fundraiser for local causes.
The ensuing years of the 1920s would be a time of liberation for women, not just politically (with the decade opening by women gaining the right to vote), but also in terms of fashion. Confining garments like the corset gave way to more comfortable, sporty clothes among the younger set. Complex Victorian hairstyles were replaced by the trendy “bob” cut. By the middle of the decade, the classic flapper emerged and hemlines rose above the knee (which most mothers and grandmothers surely would have viewed with disdain). While it still wasn’t the prevailing choice, a few women even dared to wear pants. We have a feeling that most of the ladies in the photograph above might have been more inclined toward the old style, having spent their girlhoods in the Victorian era.
Now, in the year 2017, garments of the 1920s are a favorite for vintage-themed costumes. A century from now, what will “old fashioned” look like?