Ladies dresses changed significantly during the nineteen-twenties.
At the beginning of the decade colors were very drab and reflected the attitude of a country coming out of the war years and minor economic depression. Dresses used large quantities of material and came down to the ankles.
By the middle of the decade, new and brighter materials were available and fashion designers took advantage of these to produce new and inspiring designs. The bright colors reflected hope of a brighter future. Hemlines rose slightly each year and less material went into making each dress.
A good collection of color pictures illustrating the changing dress styles can be found on this 1920's fashion page.
Over the decade waistlines went down over the hips but them came back up over the hips toward the end. Hemlines came down slightly by the decade end from their earlier highs.
Hats were an essential accessory and changed in shape and size each year. Wide brimmed hats were prominant in the early twenties but by the later years close fitting hats without a brim were the norm. Hat colors reflected dress colors, and also style to a certain extent. Just as dresses became closer fitting over the decade, so did hats.
In the earlier part of the twenties embroidery was a major decoration feature of dresses as it had been in the previous century. Beads were often used for decorating evening dresses, while day dresses were more plain.
