An Afternoon of 1920s Fashion

Don’t miss this discussion of the fashion of the Roaring Twenties by costume historian Mary Doering, a noted scholar and collector of American and European fashion. Doering is on the faculty at the Smithsonian Associates-GMU graduate program in the History of Decorative Arts and editor and contributor of Volume I in a four-part series, Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe.

This program gives participants a rare close-up view of exquisite flapper clothing, Art Deco accessories, and more from Doering’s personal collection, which has enhanced exhibits in museums such as the DAR and Historic Montpelier. Put on a pair of curator gloves and have an opportunity to (carefully!) examine the sumptuous fabrics and glittering details of these stunning artifacts. Then see the costume trends of the era in action with clips from the 1928 film Our Dancing Daughters, starring Joan Crawford, described by F. Scott Fitzgerald as: “Joan Crawford is doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living.”

Following the program, walk over to the Beall-Dawson Museum for a special tour of the 1920s exhibit Cocktails, Lipstick & Jazz: Life in the Age of Fitzgerald led by curator Elizabeth Lay. Admission to the exhibit is included with your ticket!