(CBS) Is the "Leatherheads" look in your future?

Thanks to George Clooney and Renee Zellweger, who have been in period costume while promoting the 1920s-era football movie in America's heartland over the last two weeks, there's a chance it might just catch on. After all, who doesn't like Clooney in that dapper tweed cap?

---

Photos: "Leatherheads" Tour

---

So what would this return to the Roaring Twenties mean?

For women, it means cloche hats, chemise dresses, long waists and pearls. For men, it's newsboy caps, vests and knickers.

The chemises of the 1920s look best on those with boyish silhouettes and it is said that some full-figured young women of that era bound their breasts to achieve the look. Hemlines grew shorter, rising to the kneecap, though often sheer overskirts or handkerchief hems made longish hemlines appear shorter.

Loose-fitting suits came with straight skirts and short jackets and other dresses had long waistlines, falling halfway between the hips and the natural waist. Coats were of the wrap style.

---

Photos: "Leatherheads" Premiere

---

Shoes and stockings, previously hidden under long skirts, took on new importance, now that they could be seen. Embellishments like buckles, bows and jeweled or sequined trims were commonplace. This was the era when shoes with a strap, known as Mary Janes, first made their appearance.

Topping it all off was the ubiquitous cloche. The tight-fitting, small-brimmed hats came in a variety of colors and fabrics. It was worn low on the brow, forcing women to hold their heads at a certain angle so they could see where they were going.

And only those with short - or bobbed - hair could wear a cloche. Long hair didn't fit well under it.

Men, for the first time, wore casual clothes in the 1920s. This consisted primarily of sweaters and kickers. Suits were always in three pieces.

In the early 1920s, suit jackets had very high waists and lapels that buttoned up high on the neck, much like military uniforms of the time. Pants were narrow and straight and worn so that the socks showed.

In the late 1920s, the baggy look grew popular and suit jackets returned to their natural waist, with wide lapels. Some suits paired double-breasted vests with single-breasted jackets. Tuxedos were the norm for evening wear.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Back To Top