TCU students celebrating 100 years of the Mary Couts Burnett Library on Friday evening will get a chance to step back in time.
The library is hosting Gatsby Nights, and revelers are encouraged to embrace beaded flapper dresses and fitted tuxedos to channel the iconic style of 1920s fashion.
As people transitioned from rural to urban living, the era and its fashion marked a shift in cultural norms and economic growth.
“The 1920s in the U.S. were a watershed in modernization,” Rebecca Sharpless, a history professor at TCU, wrote in an email. “Radio and movies spread new ideas and trends.”
As mass media and mobility increased, fashion trends reached college campuses, influencing the way people dressed. With greater access to education and work, young women found that the old-fashioned styles no longer catered to their lives, according to Sharpless.
“Women didn’t want to wear corsets or long skirts anymore,” Sharpless wrote. “They got the social messages that it was okay to cut their hair and wear makeup.
Women still faced restrictions, though.
“More women were going to college, but the institutions that were opening were women’s colleges,” Stephanie Bailey, a senior instructor in fashion merchandising, wrote in an email. “There were dress codes.”
On-campus fashion likely leaned toward the more conservative, despite the influence of the cultural revolution happening in major cities.
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100 Years Later
While students no longer roam campus in deco coats and flapper gowns, elements of 1920s fashion continue to influence modern wardrobes.
“Fashion is constantly evolving, but many techniques from past decades continue to influence modern design,” Brianna Sanchez, a senior fashion merchandising major, said.
It is the inspiration drawn from past fashion trends that transcend, rather than the exact wardrobes; modern styles are more influenced by the past, not replicated.
“Concepts like the dropped waistline, luxurious fabrics and hints of Art Deco still appear, but the 1920s style doesn’t directly translate,” Sanchez said.
Today, students are more likely to draw inspiration from recent decades, influenced by social media and a growing interest in sustainability.
“Instead, thrifting and upcycling have gained momentum, bringing back old styles,” Sanchez said. “I’m excited to see how people mix modern dress with 1920’s fashion at the party.”
