Story

1920s Parisian haute couture at Longchamp

black and white cropped photograph, two women wearing fashionable clothing standing side by side.

Fashion at the races in Roaring Twenties Paris

by
Europeana Foundation

Where better to show off your new outfit than in a chic neighbourhood in the west of Paris?

Longchamp was a popular horse racing track in the French capital. Races were first run there in 1857. By the 1920s, it was the perfect place for designers and fashion lovers to show their new outfit.

The early 1900s saw the flowering of Parisian haute couture as the arbiter of styles and silhouettes for women of all classes. Designers would send fashion models or mannequins to the Longchamp races, wearing the latest styles.

During the event, fashion photographs were taken to identify and celebrate the creators of individual gowns. Take a look below to enjoy Paris fashion of the 1920s.

black and white photograph, a woman wearing a striped dress, coat and hat.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long white striped and feathered coat.
black and white photograph, a women wearing a sleek black dress and hat.
black and white photograph, two women pose for a photograph at a racetrack.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long black outfit with a polka-dot bodice.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long dress with a striped skirt and fur collar.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long black dress with a light embroidered overcoat.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long black dress.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a long heavy coat and hat.
black and white photograph, a woman wearing a dress which has two rows of buttons on the skirt.
black and white photography, a woman wearing a two-piece outfit, a dark skirt and a buttoned-up jacket.
black and white photograph, a woman wears a long, dark outfit with decorated cuffs and hem on the jacket.

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