Four 1920s Trends I Want to See in the Roaring 2020s

November 2, 2021

One hundred years after the era of flappers, speakeasies, and jazz, I think it’s time to awaken our inner Gatsby as we begin to spend more and more nights out on the town as the pandemic calms down. Exiting a couple of years spent in sweatpants behind my computer screen, I’ve been diving headfirst into creating more thoughtful, dramatic outfits embellished with accessories now that school is in person and I will be actually seen out in public. Though I tend to draw on more recent vintage styles (80s, 90s, etc.), I’m ready to be inspired by the drama and delicacy of the Roaring Twenties.

Trend 1: Drop-waist dresses

We’re busy, we’re on the go, we no longer have time to fuss with skinny jeans! May I propose: the drop waist dress. I can easily imagine myself zipping around campus or the city in a more formless piece like the drop waist dress. As vintage is the future of fashion, the drop waist silhouette adds a nostalgic element to a modern outfit. Dress it up with knee-high boots, or dress it down with a pair of white sneakers.

Trend 2: Headbands

After seeing resurgence of Blair Waldorf-esque headbands over the past few years, I loved the concept of reintroducing hair/headpieces into my accessory arsenal. While the puffed, argyle headbands of Gossip Girl are not my style, embellished and elegant 1920s hairpieces offer a great, vintage-inspired alternative. Here is a beaded example from the 20s that I love. Though they’re more decorative than practical in terms of keeping hair out of your face, a 20s headband will add a touch of delicacy and class to your look.

Trend 3: Long, beaded necklaces

Move over chokers (or not). Long beaded necklaces, often made of pearls, were very popular among women in the 1920s. They often wrapped twice around the neck, with the tighter part almost acting as a choker and the longer part draping down the chest. More is more with accessories, and I would love to see these types of necklaces layered with other jewelry. The pearls could compliment both silver or gold, or even multi-metal chains. If you—understandably—don’t want to buy a real pearl necklace, a chunky, acetate bead necklace would be a great modern alternative.

Trend 4: Fur-collared coats

Note: if you decide to buy a fur/fur-lined coat, please buy vintage or faux fur!!! Now that I have that out of the way, I am obsessed with the drama of big, fluffy, fur-collared coats seen on fashionable women in the 20s, like Josephine Baker pictured here. Not only are these coats timeless, but they’re also easily thriftable if you hunt for them. If you’re lucky enough to find one for this fall and winter, you will find yourself pulling it out again every year after.

Bonus: Suits

With the popularization of workwear as everyday wear, including blazers, trousers, and button downs being mixed and matched with casual pieces, a 20s silhouetted suit would take this trend to the next level. As opposed to a wide leg trouser, opt for one that tapers to the ankle (or even culottes that taper at the knee). Similarly, a double-breasted blazer or suit jacket is very 20s. If you choose not to adopt those vintage silhouettes into your workwear collection, go for earthy tones and check patterns to draw inspiration from 20s suits.

Featured image via Pinterest.

Creativity in Quarantine: Glenys McGuire and Ruby Bromberg

November 20, 2020

To remedy the feelings of isolation that manifest all too often in the time of COVID, University of Chicago first-years Glenys McGuire and Ruby Bromberg took matters into their own hands through a DIY creative project in their Woodlawn dorm rooms. The project? First, a meshing of wardrobes. Second, a photoshoot.

Since arriving on campus this past September and forging an undeniably strong friendship, Ruby and Glenys have discussed sharing closets on multiple occasions. While they each maintain a distinct style aesthetic -- Ruby’s more of a 70’s chic and Glenys’ more of a general vintage/retro influenced by London street-style -- their closets speak to the same overall vibe while perhaps reflecting different eras. In other words, they maintain a similar aesthetic, but present that aesthetic rather differently, resulting in two distinctive styles.

While Ruby likes to rock tighter-fitting clothes with a statement piece or two, Glen’s outfits make a statement more through the cohesion of its different elements and thus through the entire outfit as a single entity. Such a contrast was the impetus behind the meshing of wardrobes -- to dress each other in items they wouldn’t normally wear, allowing themselves to push each other out of their comfort zones with respect to how they would normally present themselves. For example, Glen dressed Ruby in baggier clothes that Ruby would not have worn on a normal day.

Ruby found that she was able to love the way she felt in this entirely different cut; she still felt sexy, even without sporting a tight-fitting pair of pants. Glen, however, relies more on her face and hair (rather than her clothes) as manifestations of her femininity. Back in London, she typically wore darker, baggier clothes that some would characterize as “androgynous.” Yet through this meshing of wardrobes, she tried on more colorful, tighter-fitting pieces and too found success and joy in how she perceived herself.

Such an intellectual and stylistic fusion could only be memorialized with a photoshoot. As they experimented with different outfit combinations, Ruby and Glen spoke at length about body image and the extent to which curating their own aesthetic makes them feel prouder and more confident in their bodies. While snapping solo pictures of each other, the conversation soon drifted into one about the juxtaposition of oneself with others in group pictures. The shots they captured below thus served to draw attention to the flattery inherent in individual, rather than collective beauty.

This project, of creating remarkably well-composed images with just a dorm room and one other person available, was for Glenys and Ruby not only a means of creative expression, but also a morale booster amidst a time of emotional frustration and isolation.

Encore: A Hyde Park Resale Store with a Mission

November 14, 2019

Shaney Swift is the current director of Encore Resale Store, a not-for-profit on Hyde Park Boulevard that sells unique men and women’s clothing and accessories at affordable prices. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baylor University, Swift happily took over the store in 2017, working to both rebrand the shop as well as to increase its various philanthropic efforts in order to benefit the Hyde Park community! We talked to Swift to shed more light on the store’s history, mission, and future.

What initially sparked your interest in fashion?

I actually wasn't super interested in fashion before working at Encore, believe it or not! I did enjoy putting outfits together and shopping as much as any other woman, and I read fashion magazines and watched a ton of What Not to Wear growing up, but I didn't really start learning about designer brands and keeping up with trends prior to working at Encore. I got involved because I was passionate about the idea of business as a social enterprise. Of course businesses need to make money to pay the bills, but I think businesses can also be forces for positive change in their communities, which is what Encore is focused on. Getting to play with fashion is a huge bonus!

When we entered the store, Mary greeted us warmly and offered her advice about the pieces we tried on.

How would you describe your personal style?
I would describe my own personal style as very classic and feminine, but also sporty--think Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger. I don't change up a lot with fashion trends, and I consider Kate Middleton to be the epitome of how I wish I could dress. In the winter I wear a lot of plaid skirts with boots and black sweaters, and in the summer I tend to wear a lot of single-step outfits and just put on a dress!

Do you remember a specific, favorite piece of clothing that you sold at the store?

I do! There was a dark pink plaid shift dress. I think it was by Trina Turk, but I'm not 100% positive. It looked really similar to this dress right here. I remember it not because of the dress itself, but because the girl who bought it told me she was going to court in a few days to get a restraining order against her abusive ex-boyfriend and was going to wear the dress to court. She looked simultaneously professional and strong in the dress, but it was also super flattering on her and made her look good. I love how clothing does that for us, especially women--when we need to feel a certain way about ourselves, the right piece of clothing can give us that feeling. I've had women come in when trying to get jobs, fresh from divorces, or going to celebrations, and I love the look on their face when they find exactly the right piece of clothing to wear.

What role does Encore play in the surrounding community? It says on your website that you invest your profits in local small businesses, schools, and community programs. Can you talk more about this?

This is my favorite part of Encore! Our most recent donations were to the Kenwood Academy football team and to Sunshine Enterprises in Woodlawn, an organization that provides Woodlawn entrepreneurs with education and support. We also always give a small donation to anybody who comes by and asks (for example, Bret Harte students came by once to ask for donations for their field trip to Washington, DC.) I strongly believe that businesses are just as much a part of a community as any other organization, and have a responsibility to give back to the community whenever possible.

We partner with other organizations such as Heartland Alliance to provide clothes for people in hard situations--they e-mail us as they have needs and we donate clothing to them if it fits their needs. We also help any homeless people that come into our shop--whether that's giving them a pair of jeans and a T-shirt for free, or letting them have a pair of shoes or coat at a greatly reduced price. All of the merchandise at Encore is donated to us at no cost, which allows us to be generous with those who need help, and we're very thankful for that.

What does the future look like for Encore?

I'm excited about Encore's future! We just did a big redecorating and re-branding, so now it's less like your grandmother's closet (how Encore has been described before) and more like a resale boutique that's easy to navigate. We're looking to expand into selling more items online and via social media (our instagram is @encore_resale_store), especially our vintage and high-end designer items. More and more people have been shopping online, which brings both good and bad for a small store like us (bad: fewer people walk into our store on a daily basis. Good: We can reach more people who don't live nearby.) We've been getting more donations of designer items too, which is great! Encore's reputation so far has been a place to get stuff for really low prices, but I hope to build up Encore's reputation as a place to get really good deals on vintage and designer items too. Those sales really help make money for the store, which in turn enable us to make more donations into the community.

Be sure to check out Encore in-store and online, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

All photographs courtesy of Maddie Parrish.

Quad Style: Elizabeth Winkler

November 4, 2019

My name is Elizabeth Winkler. I’m a second-year English major and I need to start cross-stitching again. Though this is, perhaps, predictable, most of my RSOs are word-oriented: I write for MODA’s Blog and Magazine, the Viewpoints section of the Maroon (as well as being on the paper’s copy-editing team), am on the staff of Sliced Bread, and just joined the Ultimate Frisbee team! When I’m not bemoaning the lack of hikable nature close to campus, I can usually be found in one of Chicago’s coffee shops (I’m on the hunt for the city’s best scone) or a vintage market.

How would you describe your personal style?

Definitely vintage-inspired. Deliberate, playful, original, confident.

I’m in love with this vintage top (sweater? shirt? both?) from the Randolph Street Vintage Market and bag from the Chicago Vintage Clothing and Jewelry show in Andersonville a few weeks ago. The necklace was my grandmother's, the earrings are from s… — I’m in love with this vintage top (sweater? shirt? both?) from the Randolph Street Vintage Market and bag from the Chicago Vintage Clothing and Jewelry show in Andersonville a few weeks ago. The necklace was my grandmother's, the earrings are from somewhere in NYC’s Koreatown, vintage corduroys and belt from 10 Ft. Single by Stella Dallas, bralette from Victoria’s Secret, and a pair of vintage shoes by John Fluevog from the Rummage Room, my local thrift store.

Where do you find style inspiration?

I knew you were going to ask this question, but it’s still a hard one to answer. A lot of my inspiration comes from the clothes themselves – that’s part of the reason I love vintage so much. Each piece has its own life, its own story, and shopping in vintage and thrift stores is a quest for something that speaks to me, that I can’t walk away from; there’s definitely a romance to it. I credit my grandmother with setting me on this path – I used to spend hours in her attic trying on clothes she’d saved from every decade of the 1900s, growing into dresses and out of shoes, waiting for the day when I could get my ears pierced and try on her earrings. Beyond that, I’m always inspired by people who challenge any preconceived notions I might have about fashion, be that in the places they shop, the colors and patterns they combine, or the unique and interesting looks they create.

“Each piece has its own life, its own story, and shopping in vintage and thrift stores is a quest for the one that speaks to me”

I’m wearing Zara faux-leather pants, a vintage cropped blazer from No Relation Vintage in NYC, Forever 21 top, my grandmother’s earrings and jaguar pin, Doc Martens Leona boots, and an amazing silver purse that was also my grandmother’s.

Where do you like to shop?

I find most of my favorite pieces at vintage, thrift, and second-hand stores, but I’ve been known to spend hours in Forever 21 or Zara finding one piece that I love and that will last me more than one season – buying “fast fashion” doesn’t have to mean subscribing to that industry’s traditional waste cycle. Oh, and if you’re ever in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, hop off the subway at Bedford Street and go to 10 Ft. Single by Stella Dallas. It’s a vintage store and it’s amazing and yes that is in fact its name.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

No regrets because it all added up to the person I am now, but there are some things I did in the past that I wouldn’t do today. Case in point: slip-on Merrills.

“ There’s an incredible beauty to the fact that the only restriction on our clothing choices is imagination ”

This dress was my grandmother’s (petticoat!), and I’ve combined it with a leather jacket my mom found in Vermont, a necklace from Earth Girl Designs in the Adirondacks (you can see the silhouette of several ADK mountains against the sunrise/sunset),… — This dress was my grandmother’s (petticoat!), and I’ve combined it with a leather jacket my mom found in Vermont, a necklace from Earth Girl Designs in the Adirondacks (you can see the silhouette of several ADK mountains against the sunrise/sunset), earrings from a vintage store in Lincoln Park, and another pair of vintage Fluevogs from the Rummage Room.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

Until I was 12 or so I didn’t take much of an interest in where I shopped, and I really cared about other people’s opinions of what I wore and how I looked. By the time I left middle school, though, I had decided that the only opinion of my wardrobe that mattered was my own, and had started to gain confidence in my body. I became a very recognizable figure at my high school, pushing the “polo and kilt” uniform to be more than just an unappealing shirt and a miniskirt, and refusing to subscribe to the leggings-and-sweatshirt norm on free-dress days. I have always been thrifty with money, even with something I love as much as clothes, so I am very deliberate about what I buy – if I don’t love it, it doesn’t come home with me.

Why is fashion important to you?

It makes me happy. That’s the simple answer. There’s an incredible beauty to the fact that the only restriction on our clothing choices is imagination – mine, yours, a designer’s, a thrift store curator’s. I have fun with clothes, often in ways that break fashion norms, and, I hope, remind those I interact with that social restrictions only matter as much as you let them. I am a firm believer that a great outfit is anything worn with confidence. That, I think, is one of the most important aspects of fashion: it pushes you to embrace risk, to trust yourself, to become more decisive, and to grow not only in self-acceptance, but in self-love.

“That, I think, is one of the most important aspects of fashion: it pushes you to embrace risk, to trust yourself, to become more decisive, and to grow not only in self-acceptance, but in self-love.”

All photos courtesy of Grace Peguese, to see more of her work, check out her portfolio here.

Where to Thrift in Chicago

January 10, 2019

There’s no better way to find unique pieces at low prices than to go thrifting. It’s become one of my favorite activities recently, and each gem I find feels like a victory. Chicago certainly has a great thrifting scene that any vintage-clothing enthusiast should spend some time checking out. Keep scrolling for a roundup of my favorite thrift shops to hit up in the Windy City!

Kokorokoko

Kokorokoko boasts a seemingly endless supply of pieces from the 80s and 90s, including tees with funky patterns, oversized denim jackets, and even Furbies. The 90s fashion trend doesn’t seem to be dying down any time soon, so definitely check out Kokorokoko for some pieces straight from the era of your choosing.

Located at 1323 N Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park

Ragstock

Ragstock has a mix of new and vintage clothes at affordable prices, making it one of my personal favorites. They have a wide selection of accessories, vintage leather jackets, 80s/90s windbreakers, and much more. There are racks for both men and women, so there’s something for everyone here. They have stores in all over the city, so swing by one of their locations next time you’re in the thrifting mood!

Multiple locations; Wicker Park (1459 Milwaukee Ave), Lakeview (812 W Belmont Ave), Water Tower (835 N Michigan Ave).

Crossroads Trading

Crossroads has a buy/sell/trade model, making it perfect for anyone who wants to get rid of unwanted clothes and buy some new pieces all in one trip. For any clothing they take from you, you can receive either cash or store credit. Crossroads is known for carrying trendy, gently-worn clothing from top brands. In the past, I’ve found pieces from Nike, Topshop, Rag & Bone, Calvin Klein Jeans, Alexander Wang, and more.

Multiple locations: Wicker Park (1519 N Milwaukee Ave), Lincoln Park (1519 N Milwaukee Ave), Uptown (5127 N Clark St).

Buffalo Exchange

Buffalo Exchange is also known for its buy/sell/trade model and for carrying lots of trendy, branded clothing. Although the store itself is rather small, there are a ton of racks to shop from, making it an essential place to stop by if you’re thrifting in Wicker Park. Speaking of, Wicker is somewhat of a thrifting haven, so be sure to swing by the neighborhood if you’re in the mood for hitting up a handful of vintage and thrift shops.

Located at 1478 N Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park

Goodwill

Goodwill will always be a classic, with its low prices, wide range of sizes, and huge selection of clothing. While it does take a little digging to find something great, it’s almost always a rewarding experience. The one in the West Loop is particularly large, and it has a large selection of books and home decorations as well.

Multiple locations, West Loop store at 1201 W Washington Blvd.

Encore

Looking for a thrift shop close to campus? Try Encore, located on Hyde Park Boulevard, right by Whole Foods. Encore started off as a high school community service project, but since then, they have become a popular thrifting spot in the South Side. The store accepts donations as well, and any pieces that don’t make it to the sales floor are donated to provide clothing to the homeless.

Located at 1553 E Hyde Park Blvd in Hyde Park

Village Discount

Last but certainly not least, Village Discount is a bonafide staple in the Chicago thrifting scene. If you’re willing to comb through seemingly endless racks of clothing, these outlets are an amazing place to find anything from designer coats to mom jeans to tupperware at rockbottom prices. Better yet? On most holidays, Village Discount will provide further discounts and deals, and in most cases, you can nab pretty much anything for well under $5.

Multiple locations.

Feature image via.