EXHIBITIONEXTRASABOUT
“Women needed new clothing to wear while dancing the new dances.”
— Susan L. Hannel, “The Influence of American Jazz on Fashion,” 2005
Fashion designers of the 1920s and 1960s were inspired by each decade's frenzy for energetic music and dancing. During the 1920s, the growing popularity of dynamic jazz dancing encouraged designers to consider freedom of movement when creating eveningwear. Loose-fitting styles with short hemlines were ideal for dancing the Charleston and the Black Bottom. During the 1960s, fast-paced popular music led to dance crazes like the Frug and the Jerk. Such lively dance moves favored the freedom provided by the mini skirt. These silhouettes not only liberated the legs, they also showcased them. Movement was even further emphasized in fashions for dancing through adornments like fringe, sequins, and metallic elements.
The original members of Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five Band
1925,
Chicago, Illinois
Bessie Smith, a renowned Jazz Age singer
c. 1920s
In tandem with the Harlem Renaissance, jazz music and dances gained popularity during the 1920s. Youngwhitepeople flocked to this new music and its fast-paced dances. However, jazz and its African Americancreatorsfaced racist criticism and were described by the mainstream media as “rowdy,” “savage,” and “sinful.”
The Beatles rehearse their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show 1964
1964,
USA
The Supremes, an American female singing group signed to Motown Records, performingonThe Ed Sullivan Show
1966,
USA
Criticism of popular music during the 1960s recalled that faced by jazz during the 1920s. In the 1960s,teenagers adored rock and roll bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The genre emerged fromblues music, pioneered by Black artists such as Chuck Berry. Motown Record groups like The Supremes andThe Marvelettes were also influential in both their music and fashion.
Evening dress
Sequins, bugle beads, and tulle,
c. 1926,
USA (possibly)
Yves St. Laurent set
Beaded silk organza with sequins,
Fall 1969,
France
Both this circa 1926 dress and this 1969 Yves Saint Laurent ensemble show how fashionworked in tandem with music and dance during the 1920s and 1960s. The heavily embellished dresses would haveswung around the body and reflected the light of the dance floor, enhancing the dynamic movements of the wearerdancing to the music. The 1926 dress also captures the archetypal 1920s “flapper” spirit and allows for ease ofmovement.
A step by step guide to dancing the Charleston
1925
A couple dancing the Twist at The Satire Club Duke of York Street
1961,
London, England
In 1965, one teen writer drew attention to the unfairly negative reputation of 1960s dances, comparing them with similarly-viewed dances of the 1920s. She wrote to Seventeen magazine defending the teen dance crazes: “After all, wild dances weren’t invented in the sixties (what about the Charleston?)”
Josephine Baker dancing the Charleston at the Folies Bergère
1926,
Paris, France
Photograph by Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg (also known Waléry, StanislasWaléry,Lucien Waléry, and Laryew)
Hellstern & Sons evening shoes
Leather,
1920s,
France
Adige evening shoes
Satin and leather,
c. 1965,
France
Palter De Liso for Bonwit Teller evening shoes
Silk satin, leather and rhinestone,
c. 1930,
USA
K. Geiger boots
Velvet, sequins and beads,
c. 1969,
England
When hemlines rose during the 1920s and 1960s, legs became more visible, putting emphasis on shoes and inspiringshoe designers to create designs to be noticed. Metallic shoes were worn with sequined eveningwear ensembles tocreate a glistening effect on the dance floor.
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