Strange Bedfellows: Consumer Goods in the Bedroom
Consumer goods issued for the bedroom further purported the idea of the 1920s being a transitory period in American History. Issues like family size and interworkings of the modern marriage were intertwined with newly marketed goods. The master bedroom is a key space in within the walls of the middle-class home during the 1920s. Historians argue that the “The master suite (today at least a bedroom and bathroom but possibly additional rooms) has not been much studied, however, despite its importance as a cultural reflector of contemporary marriage and family.”
Handmade Dropwaist Velvet Dress, 1920s, Second Skin Vintage
The drop waist form became one of the most popular cuts for dresses and separates in the 1920s. For women of the mid-to-upper-middle class, these forms were easily purchased through the new wave of ready-to-wear clothing and easily fashioned with readily available sewing machines and dress patterns.
Hand-beaded Purse, 1920s, Second Skin Vintage
Hand-beaded purses were highly decorated to match evening and flapper dresses of the era. Usually small enough to carry makeup compacts, purses contained a small amount of cash and cigarettes. Flapper bags served as fashion accessories more than practical handbags.
Metal Pillbox, 1920s
Pillboxes of the early twentieth century were meant to be kept on bedside tables or atop vanities. Many were miniaturized to be kept in a purse or for travel. Due to their small size and often ornate exterior, pillboxes of the period gradually came under the heading of “jewelry.”
Assorted Beauty Creams, 1920s
Hair removers like Del-A-Tone Hair Remover became increasingly popular by the 1920s, with skimpier styles of swimwear, women were already becoming conditioned to think of body hair as repugnant and unfeminine.
Stacomb was one of the more popular lines of hair cream of the interwar period. Hair cream was a means to give hair a greasy quality, allowing it to lay flat on the head. Many of these lines were marketed as unisex products.
Cold creams formed the basis of early twentieth century beauty regimens. Cosmetic companies crafted entire lines of skin creams, hoping to increase usage of their product and widen consumption of the lines.
Celluloid Jewelry Box, 1920s
A product of the late nineteenth century, celluloid launched the modern age of man-made plastics. The “eternal substitute” was an inexpensive imitation of ivory, tortoiseshell, and even linen. Some women had celluloid “toilet sets” on their vanities: mirrors, combs, hairbrushes, etc. Ultimately, celluloid flaws, particularly its flammable nature, outweighed its virtues of cheapness and versatility.
Celluloid Bangle and Costume Necklace, 1920s
Celluloid bracelets, often embellished with rhinestones, were especially popular in the 1920s. The availability and low cost of plastics allowed designers to experiment and achieve styles that did not imitate precious jewelry and produce trendy, whimsical jewelry in an almost limitless range of colors.
By the mid-1920s, costume jewelry had gained respect, thanks in large part to French clothing designer Coco Chanel. Often made from imitation stones, costume pieces became not only acceptable but highly desirable