The Jazz Age Wardrobe: A Guide to 1920s Men’s Suit Styles

Notably, 1920s fashion has a special place in the history of the evolution of men’s outfits. It was immediately after the First World War that men went impulsive and wanted to come out of the traditional styles desperately. This led to the invention of new and bold styles. Men in those days saw this change as the democratization of fashion design and tailoring. 

This blog post revolves around 1920s suit styles you can replicate today and embrace the Jazz Age wardrobe trends.   

1920s Formal Attire For Men

This period was merely a sartorial trail when it came to formal attire and suits. Men tried striped blazers with plain white shirts and striped ties. Other weird tries are wide-leg suits and cropped overcoats. However, three-piece suits were considered more elegant and respectful. In fact, exposing the dress shirt beneath the waistcoat was not a dignifying style for people. So, men preferred high V-neck waistcoats for all sorts of blazers and suits. Especially black suits were meant for mourning or similar occasions. 

Characteristics of Formal Suits in the 1920s

The fabric of the blazers was heavy wool. Men chose colors like tan brown, pale gray, ivory, gray-blue, mustard yellow, and olive green. These are different from the conventional medium gray and navy blue colors. The trousers were tailored with a high waist, twin pleats, and ankle length. The shirts were mostly striped with monochrome colors.

The pocket style was preferably flap-type. And the lapels were wide and notch-type. This lapel type was first introduced during this period. It was based on a particular button placement (three or four buttons with regular spacing). The collars were designed either with round or pointed corners. 

The regular accessories were printed ties (both bow ties and neckties), collar pins, fedoras, a pocket square, silk scarves, and gloves. 

1920s Casual Attire For Men

Unlike today, there weren’t casual blazers or suits. Moreover, suits were viewed as the perfect formal attire for men in that period. Thus, sweaters, cardigans, jackets, and pullover apparel were referred to as men’s casual outfits. Yet, these were combined with dress shirts to complete the casual attire. The best accessory that men chose was loafers. 

Characteristics of casual attire in the 1920s

The dress shirts were wisely tailored in cotton or linen material. The sweaters or cardigans were tailored in wool or fleece material. The sweater colors were more vibrant, bold, and attractive, like red, blue, green, and yellow. The jackets were particularly worn in earthy shades like leaf green, rock brown, and navy blue.  To make the attire look more casual, the sleeves were customized to short lengths, unlike in formal suits. 

The suspenders were part and parcel of casual attire and they served the purpose very well. The armbands were most famous as they were designed in velvet or silk fabrics. Certainly, these armbands were seen as a 1920s-style statement. Hats were another essential style element that men wore. Some of the noteworthy hat types were ​​bowler hats, homburgs, flat caps, and panamas.   

Removable or detachable collars were first invented during this period. This allowed men to style themselves differently for distinct occasions. These innovations and fashion trends led to the introduction of two exclusive men’s wear collections, namely sportswear and workwear.