“If I had to sum up the 1920s fashion in 3 words.... revolutionary, liberating and modern because the 60s were massively influenced by the 20s.”

“The 20s revolutionised the face of fashion with clothing designed to facilitate the lifestyle of the new jazz age woman. She danced, played sports, drank alcohol and this social emancipation and independence forced freedoms in fashion. Corsets were banished and hemlines crept up as the iconic flapper dress became the perfect piece to dance to the rhythm of the Charleston in. The fringed and embellished hemlines swayed elegantly whilst the loose fitting fabric allowed the wearer to move freely.

As French couturier Jean Patou commented it was 'the taste for dancing' that dictated the style of the evening gowns.

Soft, alluring, pastel colour palettes were a breath of fresh air from the repressive tones associated with War era clothing. Accessories and cosmetics also flourished as society girls wanted to flaunt their new lifestyles using creative blushes, statement clutches and daring headpieces.

A blossoming music scene of free jazz heralded by late night speak easies encouraged dancing and social interaction on a level never seen before. The classic style of the ‘flapper girl’ reflected this. A tubular dress with no defined waist and often pleats or gathers to encourage movement from the wearer. “In Britain and America the new styles of the 20s were called the 'flapper look' and in France it was the 'le garconne' . Both styles promoted a new sense of androgyny and modernism reflecting the overall mood of the era.

Breasts were taped down to get rid of unwanted curves and achieve a boyish look to suit the straight up and down styles. Hemlines crept up to the knee allowing more movement, liberating women from the constraining styles of the past”

Embellishment was also used in a new way – all over beading and free flowing, twinkling diamante reflected the allure of city life, new technologies and a newfound elegance in starry nightlife. Smokey streets in metropolitan areas were no longer viewed as just a scene of business and commerce but also an exciting environment where hedonistic crowds could attend jazz clubs and dance parties.

“Coco Chanel was at the forefront of fashion design in the 20s and her modern, minimal approach mirrored the shift in social change. In 1926 Chanel designed the LBD and in October of the same year American Vogue published an article calling it 'Chanel's Ford' comparing it to Henry Ford's mass produced model-T car. Both the LBD and Model-T were accessible; appealed to the mass market and as Vogue said of the LBD it 'would become a sort of uniform for all women of taste”

“The dresses are so symbolic of the 20s that for christmas you tend to notice them on the high streets because it is a bit of a winner. There are key pieces like the Dior New Look, you always see that style about  as certain pieces that are so well designed that they never go out, they are typical of that era but still as relevant today as back then.

There are a lot of retailers that specialise in 20s style,  like Miss Selfridge, who have a designer who actually take 1920s dresses and recreate them - so you can get newly made dresses. if you are going to wear one I wouldn't wear a real one as they are too fragile.

If you are going to wear one you want to enjoy life like the girls did in the 20s so I would wear a reproduction.

The key is not to wear costume from head to toe so don't wear a pearl necklace and a headband, but mix and match and make it your own.

If you are a bit of a rocker team it with leather, if you are a bit curvy you can wear it with leggings underneath. Style it in your own way.

Ostrich feathers are really in, there is lots of fur around this season and there are some ostrich  feather jackets.

There are a lot of accessories that can help create the look but Coco Chanel had a rule -  before you leave the house look in a mirror and remove one accessory so you know its not too much.”

“In all honesty, I loved the book and have my own images in my mind from reading it. Aesthetically the movie is amazing - its just like candy and you want to see  more, more, more. Prada provided the costumes and they are phenomenal, the art direction is amazing but reading the book first I had different characters in mind that weren't Carey Mulligan or Leonardo DiCaprio.”