1920s Plus Sized Flapper Dress

This entry is part 16 of 23 in the series Carondelet Historical Society Project

It was very fun to photograph this green plus sized 1920s dress! SO many times, surviving dresses from this era are petite. I’m not sure why, because plus sized women surely existed in the 1920s. I am guessing that clothing got re-purposed during the Great Depression, and worn longer. A dress made with lots of fabric could be repurposed more than a more narrow dress with just 16 inches or so across the front. I am not sure what I did with it, but I did come across one “plus sized” dress (which I sold) which was clearly hemmed from drop waist to the more fashionable natural waist of the 1930s.

Anyway, it’s always fun playing dress up!

I especially like the portraits at the end of this session. The green cape, from the 1920s or 30s, really made the model’s eyes shine. I love the finger waves she did, it all came together so perfectly!