1920s Shopping Guide: Fashion, Home And Tech

Beaded dresses, cloth caps, cheap reprints of the great novels and a wind-up gramophone.

Below: what to buy for a 1920s theme, a 1920s birthday or someone who grew up then - clothes, books, records and gadgets, with what to check before you pay.

Straight answer first: we don't sell clothing, books, records or technology. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else here is advice on where the genuine items come from.

Years covered in the 1920s

• 1920 - The first Remembrance at the Cenotaph and a country still counting its losses. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1920
• 1921 - A miners' lockout, mass unemployment and the first British Legion poppy appeal. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1921
• 1922 - The BBC's first broadcast, the Austin Seven and Tutankhamun's tomb. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1922
• 1923 - The White Horse Final at Wembley and the first Radio Times. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1923
• 1924 - The first Labour government, the Empire Exhibition and the Chariots of Fire Olympics. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1924
• 1925 - The Charleston, the return to the gold standard and a summer of dance halls. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1925
• 1926 - The General Strike, the birth of Elizabeth II and Baird's public television demonstration. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1926
• 1927 - The BBC became a corporation, talking pictures arrived and the FA Cup went to Wales. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1927
• 1928 - Votes for all women, penicillin discovered and the Thames flood. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1928
• 1929 - Britain's first talkie, a second Labour government and the Wall Street Crash. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1929
• That is every 1920s year we have written up so far: 1920 to 1929.

1920s clothing and accessories

• Drop-waist beaded dresses and fringing - almost everything sold now is a reproduction, and that is fine for a party.
• A long rope of faux pearls, a feathered or beaded headband and a pair of T-bar shoes.
• For men: a three piece suit with a waistcoat, a flat cap or a boater, and braces worn visibly.
• Long gloves, a cigarette holder as a prop, and a beaded clutch bag.
• Genuine 1920s clothing is fragile and expensive; buy reproduction to wear, original only to display.

1920s books worth buying

• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) - the decade's shorthand, and cheap in any edition.
• Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf (1925).
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie (1926) - Christie paperbacks are everywhere second hand.
• Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne (1926) for anyone buying for a child or a grandparent.
• Lady Chatterley's Lover, D. H. Lawrence (1928) - banned in Britain until 1960, which is half the gift.

1920s music and records

• Shellac 78s - heavy, brittle and unplayable on a normal modern turntable. Check the player first.
• Jazz and dance band names to look for: Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Jack Hylton, Paul Whiteman.
• A wind-up gramophone is the real object of the decade; working ones cost a few hundred pounds.
• Modern CD or streaming compilations are the honest way to actually hear the music.
• Sheet music with original cover art frames beautifully and costs a few pounds.

1920s home and interiors

• Art deco geometric prints, fan motifs and sunburst mirrors.
• Clarice Cliff style hand-painted pottery in orange, yellow and black.
• A wind-up mantel clock and a brass or bakelite candlestick telephone as a prop.
• Cut glass decanters, cocktail shakers and coupe glasses.
• Enamel bread bins, kitchen scales with brass weights and a stone sink brush.
• Chintz and cretonne fabrics, fringed lampshades and a chenille table cover.

1920s tech and gadgets

• A valve or crystal wireless set - lovely to look at, rarely safe to plug in without a rewire.
• Box cameras, especially a Kodak Brownie, which turn up cheaply and look right on a shelf.
• Bakelite telephones - most sold today are 1930s onwards, so check the date before paying a premium.
• Anything mains powered from this era should be treated as decoration unless a professional has checked it.

Where to buy and what to check

• Reproduction for clothing, original for small objects - that rule keeps the cost sensible.
• Antique centres and auction houses beat eBay for 1920s pieces, and you can see the condition.
• Check shellac records for cracks before buying; a hairline means it will shatter in the post.

How to shop a decade without overspending

• Set the budget before you start; period shopping is where budgets quietly double.
• Reproduction for clothing, genuine for the small objects - it looks the same in photographs and costs a fraction.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits beats one expensive present every time.
• Check the year, not the decade. Plenty of what people file under one era actually arrived in the next.
• Music last: a compilation of the era does more work at a party than any decoration.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born - that is the era they actually remember.
• Photograph the label or the pressing before you buy online; reissues and reproductions are rarely described as such.
• Leave the clothing to last. The objects are harder to find and the outfit can be sorted in an afternoon.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1920
• Look back to 1921
• Look back to 1922
• Look back to 1923
• Look back to 1924
• Look back to 1925
• Look back to 1926
• Look back to 1927
• Look back to 1928
• Look back to 1929
• 1920s history: events, politics and culture
• 1920s calendar: year by year
• 1920s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1920s films and directors
• 1920s books, films and TV
• 1920s books: novels and authors
• 1920s art: artists and styles
• 1920s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1920s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1920s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1920s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1920s games: board, card and video
• 1920s trivia: fun facts
• 1920s quiz: questions and answers
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• The decade after: the 1930s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Victorian and vintage parlour games
• Village fete and church hall games
• Card games your nan taught you
• Traditional British party games
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What 1920s homeware is worth buying?

Art deco geometric prints, fan motifs and sunburst mirrors. The home and interiors section above lists the rest, from furniture to kitchen kit.

What should I wear for a 1920s theme?

Drop-waist beaded dresses and fringing - almost everything sold now is a reproduction, and that is fine for a party. The clothing section above covers the rest, including accessories and where to buy.

What are the best 1920s books to buy as a gift?

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) - the decade's shorthand, and cheap in any edition. Every book listed was published in the decade, so the date on the title page does half the work.

What 1920s records are worth buying?

Shellac 78s - heavy, brittle and unplayable on a normal modern turntable. Check the player first. A single or album from the year they turned eighteen is the most personal option and usually the cheapest.

Do you sell 1920s clothing, books or gadgets?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the rest, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.