What Men REALLY Wore in the 1920s

About this video

The Gazette team explores authentic 1920s menswear fashion, debunking popular misconceptions perpetuated by films like The Great Gatsby and Boardwalk Empire. They provide detailed analysis of jackets, trousers, shirts, footwear, headwear, accessories, and formal wear from the era, explaining how silhouettes, fabrics, and styles evolved throughout the decade and comparing American and European fashion traditions.

Key takeaways

• The Gazette team argues that 1920s suits were more closely fitted to the body than modern suits, with lower buttoning stances, higher waists, and heavier wool fabrics with subtle patterns rather than the exaggerated pinstripes depicted in gangster movies
• The Gazette team explains that the decade saw significant transitions in menswear details: waistcoats became optional, soft turndown collars replaced starched detachable ones, single pleats appeared in trousers, and fedoras were casual everyday wear with individually-shaped brims rather than factory-standard styles
• The Gazette team notes that post-WWI facial hair customs changed dramatically—soldiers returned accustomed to daily shaving due to gas mask requirements, making clean-shaven faces the norm and beards largely disappearing from mainstream fashion
• The Gazette team demonstrates how material innovations like celluloid frames and mass manufacturing of silk accessories democratized fashion, allowing working-class men access to stylish eyewear and pocket squares previously available only to the wealthy

Episode details: published September 6, 2021 · 279K views · 23:06 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The style guidance summarized here is the Gentleman’s Gazette team’s own teaching and opinion, presented for education; product recommendations are theirs, not ours. Summaries are written by Self Growth Videos from each video itself.

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