Flashes of Fashion from the Roaring '20s Quiz

Answer: Cloche

The cloche hat was introduced to the fashion world in the mid-1910s by Parisian milliners Caroline Reboux and Lucy Hamar. Its name was derived from the French word for "bell". The hat was a popular haute accessory from about 1922 until the early thirties. Cloches were close-fitting, and usually made of materials that conformed to the wearer's head. They often featured a brim and/or accents such as brooches, feathers, applique, etc.

This question was fashioned by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.

Answer: Stiff petticoats to 'puff out' the skirt

Jazz music with its roots in West Africa took off in the twenties. This was partially due to the need to put the staid Victorian era and WWI behind them, and the rebellion against prohibition which created a new paradigm in lifestyle. The need to dance to the fast tempo of Jazz music dictated fashion change: Hemlines became shorter; decorative fringes swung in time to the music; and glossy fabrics reflected light to the tempo of the music.

Stiff petticoats were a feature of the fifties, not the twenties.

This question was jazzed up by Team Phoenix Rising Cat 1nn1.

Answer: Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel

The dress in question was "Coco" Chanel's famous "little black dress" (LBD), which Vogue called "Chanel's Ford". This was in reference to Henry Ford's alleged quote, "they can have any colour they like so long as it's black", but as a salute to the dress's simplicity of design and the fact that it was readily available to women of all social standings. Vogue would expand on their comment by calling the LBD "a sort of uniform for all women of taste." The LBD would prove to be a wonderful example of Chanel's vision, power of design and business sense. To this point black was seen as a very Victorian concept as it was the colour of mourning. At best, it was the colour of the uniforms of service staff such as maids. Chanel turned it into something chic. There was also economy here without the loss of elegance and this ensured that the dress still sold well, even when the stock markets crashed at the end of the 1920s and the world was plunged in the Great Depression.

This questioned was sewn together by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: On the head

The "finger wave" is a hairstyle created by combing the hair in alternating directions in between pinches of hair. This creates an "S" shape wave. The arrangement was held in place with a gum lotion or, in modern times, hairspray or styling gel. The finger wave is similar to another style that was popular during that era, the Marcel wave. However, the Marcel wave is produced with a curling iron, and lasts longer than the finger wave.

This question was coiffed by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Ribbed corset

The tube or boyish look was in: No curves, no layers of underwear, no ribbed corsets to emphasise a tiny waist and increase the bust and hips. Underwear to allow dancing often included just a chemise and a newly designed pair of camiknickers. Brassieres were becoming more established but they were designed to flatten the bust not enhance it. Lastex (rubber textile) girdles flattened the hips.

This question was made up by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Answer: Qipao

The qipao, or cheongsam (Cantonese), is believed to have been derived from the Manchurian dresses of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The original qipao was a loose, wide robe that covered the woman from neck to ankles. In the 1920s, the qipao was modified to suit modern trends and this new style has endured until today: figure-hugging with high slits in the skirt. The new look quickly caught on among the upper classes and soon spread to other regions with large Chinese communities such as Hong Kong, (then) Malaya and Singapore.

This question was fitted out by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Very pale pinks lipsticks outlined with a pencil

Make-up for 'ordinary' women (not prostitutes) became fashionable in 1909 when the first make up counter opened in an American department store. The twenties look was exemplified by Clara Bow with bright red lipsticked bow shaped lips, heavy mascara on the upper eyelashes and pale powdered skin.

Pale pink lipstick was a feature of the Carnaby Street look from the '60s.

This question was fashioned by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who isn't old enough to remember the '20s.

Answer: Daniel Swarovski

Daniel Swarovski patented the machine that would mass-produce his diamond look-alikes in 1892; but it wasn't until Coco Chanel utilised these stones in her creations that their use really took off. They looked expensive, but the lavish use of them in brooches, earrings and sewn onto fabric was affordable. At around the same time, Elsa Schiaparelli also used the stones in the pieces she made for clients. Popular pieces included arm bracelets (also known as 'slave' cuffs), chokers and, due to the recent discovery of King Tut's tomb, many items displaying Egyptian motifs.

Fred Harvey and Lorenzo Hubbell were also prominent in the jewellery trade in the 1920s, but mostly for their development of the Native American market.

This sparkling question was produced by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid

Answer: Fedora

French author Victorien Sardou wrote the part of Russian Princess Fedora Romanoff for Sarah Bernhardt in 1882. She wore the hat in that role and it quickly gained popularity. By the 1920s it was widely worn by men on both sides of the law as well as ordinary men of the time. Its popularity lasted into the 40s due in large part to the influence of movies depicting the gangsters of the '20s and '30s. It as seen several renaissances throughout the decades and seems to come back into style every twenty or thirty years.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Had two colours

Spectator shoes are shoes in the style of oxfords or brogues that are made with two contrasting colours. The most common colours are white for the main shoe body and a darker colour such as brown or black for the toe and heel. Spectator shoes first appeared in the 1800s but gained the height of their popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.

Spectator shoes were also called co-respondent shoes. This is because spectator shoes were also a favourite of womanisers, making the nickname a pun on the shoe's dual colours and the legal term for a person caught in the act of adultery.

This question was shod by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.