Top 10 Roaring 20s Costumes to Jazz Up Your Wardrobe!

By Shrey Sankalp

With the popularity of 20s costumes, it's hard to imagine that the 1920s were almost a century ago. But they somehow stay fresh in the collective consciousnesses of the public.
That popularity can be attributed to the heavy featuring of the decade in everything pertaining to contemporary entertainment, from books to TV shows, to movies, and even video games.
And why shouldn't the decade be featured as heavily as it is? Known for its over the top aesthetic, if nothing else, setting your work in 1920 sets you up for employing some of the most creative and stunning costumes known to man.
Baz Luhrmann's visually stunning adaptation of The Great Gatsby will all too happily confirm that, brandishing its two Academy Awards, one each for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.

Really, when you think about it, the reason for the 1920s standing tall over the other decades in terms of popularity is its aesthetic pizzazz.
The 1920s revolutionized the definition of style across the board - architecture embraced Art Deco, women embraced the flapper when it came to costumes, and jazz, the most stylish of all music forms, was born.
And while everything else evolved with time to suit the changing tastes, when it came to costumes, the 1920s retained their signature look, often in the charming anachronistic way.
Perhaps it is this refusal to let their unique identity melt away with time that has made 1920s costume so popular even today, and seeing their popularity, we thought it wise to run down the best of the best for you.
Let's begin.

1. Classic Gangster Costume - Product #: WC52849

Locked and loaded.

The Gangster Men Costume is exactly the type of 1920s costume that comes to mind when the phrase is mentioned, and it's not hard to see why.
A look that has been immortalized by countless gangster movies made over the decades, an ensemble of suspenders, a loose fitting shirt, an even looser fitting pair of pants, high sheen shoes and a fedora paired with a slick tie and optional Brylcreem-ed hair is almost synonymous with the traditional idea of male fashion in the 1920s, to the point where there is no mistaking this for any other costume by a long shot.

2. Roaring 20s Blazer Men Costume - Product #: WC5380

Put a little song and dance in your heart.

We've all seen a barbershop quartet, haven't we? And if we've seen it, we've loved it.
The costumes worn by the performers are almost as important as the act itself, and unsurprisingly enough, the 1920s laid down the template of the ideal costume strongly enough to make sure it remained unchanged well into the future.
The Roaring 20s Blazer Men Costume is a celebration of that aesthetic and features the same instantly recognizable red and white striped design. Pair it with the right hat and a period appropriate cane from our accessories section, and you have a real winner on your hands.

3. 1920s Beachside Clyde Men Costume - Product #: WC40996

For just another day of sun.

How do we put this? Back in the 1920s, men's beach fashion was more complicated than the Speedo or trunks we're more accustomed to today.
No, back in the 1920s, a day at the beach called for a beach costume, not unlike the 1920s Beachside Clyde Men Costume seen here.
Characterized by light colored striped tunics, shorts, and socks, these 1920s costumes have their own charm, a charm that you only add to by pairing with the right shoes, hat, the quintessential beach ball, and of course, an optional but recommended mustache.

4. 1920s Beachside Bettie Costume Women - Product #: WC40995

Baywatch would so not have been a thing in the 1920s.

Yes, you guessed it - just as men's fashion trends for the beach were different in the 1920s, so were women's. While today we're more accustomed to...well, something akin to Alexandra Daddario in Baywatch, the 1920s beach costumes were different.
Combining the same pleasant colored stripes and whites across a tunic, shorts, and socks, but with added lace trim for added impact, the 1920s Beachside Bettie Costume Women makes for an ideal companion piece to the 1920s Beachside Clyde Men Costume.

5. Sophisticated Flapper Lady Costume - Product #: WC44924

Did somebody say party?

Humans have never been a species to say no to a party, and the 1920s were no different in that regard. Yeah, The Great Gatsby did not exaggerate those aspects of the decade.
Anyway, just as a party aesthetic is noticeably different to an everyday one today, so it was in the 1920s, a fact visible upon the lightest of comparisons between a typical 1920s costume, and a typical 1920s party costume. The Sophisticated Flapper Lady Costume belongs to the latter category, and one look at it is enough to tell you this is a costume that's going to be breaking a lot of hearts.

6. I Am Not Misbehaving Women Costume - Product #: WC39790

All that's missing is some Lana Del Rey.

Looking like a costume that might as well have been a part of The Great Gatsby's Academy Award-winning costume rack, the I Am Not Misbehaving Women Costume is both a typical flapper costume and one with the most potential for customizing.
With this costume, you get the option of choosing your own feather boa, jewelry, and footwear, and the creatively inclined in the costume department could dole out endless stunning costume combinations after spending just 5 minutes in our accessories section!

7. Snazzy White Flapper Dress Women Costume - Product #: WC53499

You can never go wrong with bright whites.

Yet another stunning example of the typical short skirt, loose fit, sleeveless design that we call the flapper, the Snazzy White Flapper Dress Women Costume might just be the defining flapper costume thanks to its bright, nearly all-white design.
The feather headpiece is simply the cherry on top of the cake, and all you need is a traditional cigarette holder and a pair of era-appropriate shoes (might we suggest white?) to complete the look.

8. Gangster Doll Costume- Product #: WC52035

It's all about the aesthetics.

Now, to be fair, this isn't so much a traditional 1920s costume as it is a modern, highly stylized reinterpretation of one, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing, does it?
The Gangster Doll Girls Costume might not be something you'd see in a typical 1920s set feature film (or an episode of Boardwalk Empire, for that matter), but it's still a stunning 1920s costume, and its popularity among the surrealist retro crowd and themed party aficionados is a testament to the same.

9. Zoot Suit Riot Men Costume - Product #: WC36158

You wanted a 1920s costume? You got a 1920s costume.

Yes, this is it. This is it. The Zoot Suit Riot Men Costume is officially the most 1920s costume a 1920s costume can get, and we're not complaining.
Oh no, not at all.
A sharply cut costume, the bright white hue makes it near impossible to miss, while the little things like the pinstripes and the dollar sign accents snazz up the whole affair.
And just so your creativity is not stifled, the costume allows you to pick your own shirts and shoes to go with the costume, which can only further enhance its style.

10. Brown 1920s Fedora - Product #: WC37307

Hats off.

Now now, we know what you're thinking, but we assure you, this isn't cheating. Yes, hats might technically be an accessory rather than a costume, but come on, these are 1920s costumes we're talking about!
Hats are an indispensable part of nearly every men costume in the 1920s category, and its only fair the best of them get some recognition.
And the best of them Brown Fedora Men Hat is!
A hard felt hat, the Brown Fedora Men Hat is remarkably era-accurate, and its color and design are sure to go with and enhance any of your costumes.

...and that does it!
That was our list of the top 10 1920s costumes you could get right now, and boy, was it difficult to put together. Since almost all 1920s costumes are equally great, it was a bit hard to put together a top 10 list (and even harder to not just put every other costume in the Honorable Mentions section), and we urge you to take a look at all 1920s costumes too, so they get the recognition they deserve.
Visit the 1920s costumes section of Wonder Costumes for more 1920s costumes and accessories to pair your costumes with.