How to Make a Flapper Costume
Materials, Tools and Tips for Making a Flapper CostumeFlapper costumes are a fun way to dress up for a special event or Halloween bash, and can be pulled together with some simple materials and tools. Here's everything you need to create a Flapper costume with basic materials.
The 1920s flapper girl stands apart from the crowd, and the ensemble is a flirty look that embodies the free-spirited lifestyle of the roaring 20s when women attended speakeasies and parties at their leisure. Some of the distinct characteristics of the Flapper look are the loose, sleeveless dress; long strings of pearls; a sequined headband; and fishnet stockings.
Flapper costumes are a fun way to dress up for a special event or Halloween bash, and can be pulled together with some simple materials and tools. Whether you're making a Flapper costume for Halloween or a roaring 20's party, here's everything you'll need to make an eye-catching piece:
Tools You'll Need to Make a Flapper Costume
- Glue gun
- Sewing kit/sewing machine
Materials and Supplies to Make a Flapper Costume
- Sleeveless dress or slip
- Matching fringe
- Long pearls
- Sequined headband with matching feather
- Elbow length gloves
- Flat Mary Janes or rounded booties
- Fishnet stockings
- A garter that matches the dress
- Long strings of pearls
- Feather boa
- Long-stem cigarette holder
Steps to Making a Flapper Costume
The Flapper Dress: A simple sleeveless dress or slip with thin straps serves as the basic Flapper dress. A black or dark red costume is the best match for the traditional Flapper look. You'll need to add some fringe to both the top and hem of the dress, and can do this with a hot glue gun. Just pin the fringe in place first, then slowly attach each section to the dress. If you prefer longer pieces of fringe you can sew the pieces onto the edges of the dress using a sewing machine, or by hand with a needle and thread.
The Flapper Headband: You can make the headband by adding sequins and glitter to a metallic hairband and creating your own unique design across it. Use the glue gun to attach sequins, small pearls and other small accents for a unique piece. The traditional Flapper headband also has a small feather in the front, center area; use a peacock or swan feather for this section, or a feather that matches the feather boa accessory.
Flapper Shoes: Flat Mary-Janes or booties with a rounded toe are the classic Flapper shoes, and you can wear these with a pair of fishnet stockings for the full effect. You'll need to wear the fishnets and then wear a garter over the middle of the left thigh. Some Flappers did prefer to wear heels; in these cases, a pair of high-heeled Mary Janes are the best option.
Flapper Accessories: You'll need to pull together your ensemble with elbow-length gloves that match your dress and a feather boa. Flappers were also famous for carrying a flashy sequined purse; you'll need to select one that coordinates with your shoes or matches the headband. If you can't find an exact match, pick up a simple oversized wallet or clutch and stick or sew lines of sequins onto it.
The long-stem cigarette holder is another must-have item; you can find these at costume stores, as well as some thrift stores.
Complete the look with a few strings of oversized pearls that fall to the waistline; the pearls need to hang loosely and are typically the standard white or a flashy silver metallic. These can be found at most costume and party stores, as well as some thrift stores and vintage shops.
The Finishing Touches for the Flapper Look
You can complete the Flapper costume with the right makeup and hairdo. For makeup, you'll want to emphasize the lips and eyes. Use false eyelashes to create a wide-eyed look, and use extra mascara with an eyelash curler to draw attention to the eyes. For the lips, you'll want to use a bold red lipstick and red lipliner. Flappers were famous for their coy pout, so do your best to accentuate and plump up the lips for a classic look. Finish your Flapper-inspired makeup look with a light pink blush on the apples of the cheeks.
For the hair, you can wear a wig if you have long hair or sculpt short hair into a bob style with a middle or side part. You'll want to wear your hair in a sleek and sculpted bob and secure it in place with lots of hairspray. Since you'll be wearing a headband as part of the ensemble, use the hairspray after positioning the headband and smooth out stray hairs if necessary.
Fun Facts About Flapper Girls
- Traditional Flapper accessories include long pearl necklaces, a small sequined purse, a cigarette holder and a feather boa. Wearing fishnet stockings also completes the ensemble.
- The ideal dress length for Flappers was right below or above the knee. The fringe could cover a few inches below the knee for the more conservative types.
- Most Flapper dresses were designed with plunging necklines, but few women would emphasize their breasts; the classic look of the 20s was simple, streamlined and masculine, so it was better to be flat chested than ‘busty' to pull off the most fashionable look of the era
- Most Flapper girls had short, bobbed hair cut in a ‘bowl cut' or angled bob
- Famous Flappers in history include Louise Brooks and Joan Crawford
- Flappers often had a beauty mark above their lip
- Some Flappers wore an oversized floppy hat instead of a headband to draw attention to their unique look
- The traditional Flapper look didn't emerge until 1926 when more women began to embrace the modern style and distinctive look
- Flappers were usually middle class
- Flapper fashion shortened the hemline of dresses and skirts for the first time
- Flappers embodied a more masculine silhouette; the dresses were loose, shapeless and designed for the flat chested woman
- Even though the Mary Jane ankle strap button shoe was the fresh new shoe style of the twenties, Flappers preferred flat shoes to complete their masculine-inspired look. However, many still preferred a feminine look and embraced high-heeled Mary Janes and pointed booties for their ensemble.
