Slouch Hats in the 1920s

Wearing a hat can add flair to an outfit.

As women began to lead more active lives in the 1920s, their clothing styles changed, often imitating men's fashions and inciting controversy. Women scandalized conservative society when they wore knickers for hiking and trousers while boating. They dared to sport flat, rubber-soled shoes while playing golf and tennis. Women's large feathered hats, still popular at the start of the '20s, faced a similar transformation to a simpler style.

Changing Styles

Hats were necessary accessories to every woman's wardrobe in the 1920s because they were worn while attending most social events. However, the new shorter hairstyles of the '20s influenced evolving hat styles, as wide hats decorated with exotic plumage that were fashionable before women bobbed their hair were replaced by simpler cloches, a close-fitting style, which remained in fashion throughout the decade. Other popular styles of headwear included the turban, beret, and ribbon- or rhinestone-bejeweled headband.

Hollywood's Influence

In his first year at MGM, Hollywood clothing designer Adrian added the slouch hat to Greta Garbo's wardrobe for the film "A Woman of Affairs" (1928). His designs caught the attention of the fashion trade newspaper Women's Wear Daily, which depicted Garbo wearing the new hat style to complement a belted trench coat. According to the book "The 1920s," Garbo's slouch hat created a nationwide demand among American women for copies.

A Signature Style

Garbo continued to wear the menswear-inspired slouch hat throughout her career. The soft felt fedora with its high crown and slouching brim -- usually pulled low on one side of her face -- became part of her trademark mysterious look. Other women tried to copy it, but no one ever did it with quite her style.

Retro Style

During the '20s, the "boyish" look of women's fashions was considered sophisticated in some social circles and scandalous in others. Although hats are no longer considered a necessary accessory to every woman's outfit, certain styles have lasting appeal. The slouch hat is still seen once in a while and the fedora has come back into fashion in recent years; straw fedoras are popular with celebrities because of their style appeal and the fact that they provide protection from the sun.

References

• "The 1920's (American Popular Culture Through History)"; Kathleen Morgan Drowne, Patrick Huber; 2004
• "The Great Fashion Designers"; Brenda Polan, Roger Tredre; 2009
• Beauty & The Bath: Greta Garbo Hats, Scarfs, and Finger Waves
• Trend Hunter: Fashionable Fedoras
• Trail End Historic Site: Fashionable Folk