Flappers In The 1920's

The 1920s was the era of the Flapper. Young women started to cut their hair, shorten their skirts, so that they could more easily dance the wild, flapping dances of the age (hence the term 'flapper'). They drank and smoked and wore makeup, and went out with boys without a chaperone. They played sports, golf, tennis, and swimming were all very popular. Sunbathing became popular with women for the first time.

At the start of the 1920s, a new woman emerged. She drank, danced, smoked, and took risks. She didn’t hide her legs behind thick stockings, and she put on as much makeup as she desired. Her voice was loud, her personality anything but conservative. She was known as a flapper. These woman were known for many reasons; such as, their social influence, their behavior, and the way they dressed, but how did they fill these categories?

The Flapper was the most familiar symbol of the “ROARING TWENTIES”. A Flapper was young women with bobbed hair and wore short skirts, who drank, smoked, had “one night stands” to be more sexually “free” than previous generations, and said things that are termed to be “ unlady like”. When really the young women in the 1920’s where none of these things, though many of them dressed liked that, the flapper had an unmistakable look, Hemlines of dresses rose dramatically to the knee and their hair cut to their shoulders, make-up in large numbers, high heels, and Clara bow. Flappers were northern, urban, single, young, middle class women. By night flappers engaged in the active city nightlife.

It was a good time for bootleggers, rumrunners, gangsters, etc. because their life was good and they had everything they wanted. Gangs would cause trouble and the evils of society would come out. Doc B states, “But for the owners of blind pigs, the bootleggers, the rumrunners and gangsters, the roadhouse proprietors, the police, the magistrates, the spotters, the boaters and armies of others, it was a roaring success.” It gave jobs to the people who supported prohibition because they would sell the alcohol. People were becoming rich, owning nice suits, and fancy cars. But for the temperance societies, churches and fanatic evangelists who authored the legislation prohibition was a fail. “ …putting liquor out of the reach of the general population, they had in effect created a monster.” (Doc B). Prohibition did not stop people from getting liquor like these religious groups thought it would. Even though life was good for the people who did not support prohibition they caused too much trouble and the people who supported prohibition were not happy with the outcome of this new law. In conclusion, prohibition is disturbing society and causing trouble because people are desperate for the

The women’s right movement was looking promote an equal place for women in society. The fact that many of the young women of the time were running around drinking, smoking, and partying dismantled all that the feminists were working to achieve. While feminists tried to showcase the ability of women to have a higher, more advanced role in society, flappers showcased a young, foolish desire to be careless and have fun. As stated by Catherine Gourley in her book Flappers and the New American Women, “the flappers’ rebellion was all about having fun in social situation. Few flappers cared who ran the country or the factories” (Gourley 63).

In the vibrant and transformative era of the 1920s, Flappers emerged as trailblazers who gained independence, reshaped fashion, and challenged societal norms. Throughout history, women have been confined to a certain image, to certain roles. They have had to fight endlessly for humanitarian rights and for equality. As the subculture of Flappers emerged, women sought to break the cultural and societal norms that bound them. Flappers had a significant impact on women and significantly influenced society.

Flappers were young women who were just trying to have fun. They decided to cut off their long hair and transform it into short bob or shingle cut. They rejected corset and the hourglass figure it created. They adopted the adrogynous look (partly male and partly female look) called "garconne". Flappers wore loose-fitting dresses with knee length skirts which were more boyish; some women even binded their breasts.

The Unites States went through many changes post World War I in the area to would go on to called the roaring 20’s or the Jazz age, of all the changes that most recognizable and long standing image is indisputably the flapper. The flapper was a new age woman that did things a different way than the Victorian age women before them. flappers were arguably the scandalous women in history. They were free and open about sexuality, drinking, smoking and a party girl. But flappers are much more than that, the embody freedom, self-determination, they were breaking stereotypes and showing that women can be more than care givers and the moral compass like their predecessors.

The decade of the 20 in the United States was a time of great change after exit of the First World War. When the war ended after a fight of 72 years, women had won the most precious right to vote. The Flappers were young urban women, unmarried of middle class that had a job in the changing U.S. economy, especially as secretaries, telephone operators or vendors at the department stores. The flapper went by the nights to jazz clubs where used to dance in a provocative way, smoked cigarettes with long nozzles, aspired cocaine and the flapper had meeting with rich men. The flapper driving motorcycles and cars (fast).

The twenties was a time of drinking, cars, and jazz. At the time, prohibition had officially ended as they had passed the 21st Amedment. Henry Ford's Model T vehicle became one of the most bought items. The introduction of jazz also happened during this period. However, it all came to a sudden end at the beginning of the thirties when the stock market crashed. Overall, the twenties was a time for new life and new opportunities.

The ways of a flapper spread through the United States in the 1920s and changed young girls into a new generation as modern woman declaring a new freedom. The new emancipated women demanded to be recognized as equal to men. The flappers adopted the masculine look and started getting different haircuts and wearing very different clothes. Flappers were known for wearing an excessive amount of makeup, drinking and smoking, dancing, voting, and being very promiscuous. “From these liberating circumstances emerged a caricature: the flapper, symbol of the modern woman” (Info Base).

“The turning point , which is what the era after the war was” ( Gale Student Resources). The 1920s was a time where everything was booming , the market was great. For the first time ever many people could afford things the usually never could. Having fun was important to the people of this time , peace was important. This was called the turning point because people no longer wanted to fight. Happiness was valued so many did what they could to keep in especially in a time after a major war.

As a result of women serving in “The Great War,” the social perception has drastically changed, hence the popular flapper. In 1920 the 19th amendment was passed, allowing all women in America to vote, this was a huge step towards the liberation of women because previously seen as passive and obedient, women are now given rights and respect they deserve. Women wore more convenient garments which allowed for increased mobility for everyday tasks and stopped wearing long skirts and corsets. Divorce was also made easier for women, and for this reason, divorce rates were almost doubled (mainly women who were not content with staying home and dealing with bad husbands). The workforce was also hugely impacted by this new wave of “New Woman”, for the number of working women increased by

The 1920s marked a period of increasing services that were made available to the middle class. By and large Americans as a whole were drained of war and looking for a way to put the horrors of the last few years behind them. New products made chores around the home easier and resulted in increased relaxation time. Products that had once been too expensive were suddenly affordable due to new methods of financing that made it possible for families to spend beyond more available means. New practices of advertising of increased the sale of goods through the capitalization of consumer hopes and dreams.

The 1920’s was a very upbeat and interesting decade. People know it as the “Roaring Twenties”, or “The Jazz Age.” It was the time of Prohibition, the introduction to jazz music, and partying. Prohibition was the illegal production and distribution of alcohol. Many people were against drinking, but there were still the many that enjoyed a drink once in a while. Bootleggers were people who illegally sold and produced alcohol so other people could enjoy it in secret. People went to speakeasies, which were secret hidden bars that sold alcohol they got from the bootleggers. Young women began rebelling by cutting their hair short, wearing dresses