Identifying Flappers In The 1920's

In the time of the 1920s, a group of women decided that they were done being shown around like dolls and given no respect. These women wanted rights and to have independence, and to not constantly have to rely on a man to get the job done. They decided to get and hold onto steady jobs and became single, young, middle class women. These women were called flappers. They were ones who went to jazz clubs, vaudeville shows, and danced the Charleston. You could also find them smoking and drinking just like any other man would. Flappers extinguished any social double standards about women that was out there in that time. The look of that time was one that has stood out in history since it was first worn. Bobbed, shoulder length hair, loads of makeup,

How did flappers change the role of women? I will tell you what a flapper is. The lifestyle of a flapper. How they dresses and how did they wear their makeup.And how they change the role of women during the 1920s.

During the 1920’s many changes were happening with women's lives. With the end of the suffrage, movement women were finally gaining more opportunities in politics and in the workforce. However, majority of the country still held the belief that a women’s role was to stay home and take care of their children. From their occupation to the way they dressed women were forced to a strict lifestyle. Not only were they pressured to stay home but pressured to dress. The Flappers movement changed the traditional belief people held on women, women were breaking barriers by dressing and acting against the norms. Flappers were known for not acting “ladylike”, meaning they would act against the expected behavior. Women were dancing, smoking and drinking, women were taking risks and finally making choices for themselves. Flappers strived to be treated equally as men and would dress how they please, going against the social construct. Women took this movement to show society that they are more than just a housewife. Through the flapper's movement, women were slowly gaining more independence and freedom in society. The Flapper movement pushed for women’s movement and has inspired several

The flapper had an indisputable look. The long locks of Victorian women fell on the floors of beauty parlors as young women cut their hair to shoulder length. Hemlines of dresses rose fiercely to the knee. The cosmetics industry prospered as women used makeup in large numbers. Flappers constrained their chests and wore high heels. Many women celebrated the age of the flapper as a female “declaration of independence”. Experimentation with new looks, jobs, and lifestyles was incomparable with the woman in the Victorian Age. The flappers chose activities to please themselves, not a father or husband. But critics were quick to elucidate the shortcomings of “flapperism.” The political agenda grasped by the previous generation was largely ignored until the feminist revival of the 1960s. Many wondered if flappers were trying to express themselves or act like men. One thing was certain: Despite the political and social gains or losses, the flappers of the 1920s sure managed to have a good time.

The flapper was a women that did what she wanted, and had lots of fun. The flapper could be recognised by her signature look of bobbed hair and easy to move in clothing which resembled that of a boys clothing. Flappers wore this so that they could easily dance and move about freely instead of being restricted to what they normally could do. Flappers were able to take charge of their lives and do what they wanted and do it when they wanted to, which really made the lives of women during the 1920’s exciting and fun. A great example of this was smoking, flappers started to smoke in the 1920’s which up until this point in time had only been done by man. The image of a women smoking would have shocked anyone during the start of the Roaring Twenties, but by the end of the decade women smoking was just a normal occurrence. Women smoking showed how they now had freedom to do what they wanted and that they did have the right to do what men do, if men are smoking cigarettes why should women not smoke. The flapper girls started to smoke as a way to both rebel and to live a little, it was fun for them and it almost made them more powerful as it pushed the boundaries of what women could do. Smoking for the flapper girls as a result of pushing these boundaries became a fun activity that made their lives much more exciting. Next another new thing flappers started to do was driving cars. Cars were new and were very exciting and fast which was perfect for the fun flapper lifestyle. Flappers loved cars as they were fast and very risky which was a great activity for the flappers as they could now push the boundaries even more because they were doing the same thing that the men were doing. Driving cars truly was able to show off a flapper’s wild side as they just wanted to have the excitement and the fun that comes along with driving a car. Finally flappers drank alcohol during a time when it was prohibited.

Before the 1920s, it was seen as common knowledge for women to have no job besides a wife and a mother. But when World War II began, women had no choice but to take over the jobs their husbands, brothers, and fathers left behind. This sparked a lot of women to want to work outside of the home, even after the war was over. This led to a domino effect of liberation for women. There was a new attitude coming to be in women in the United States ("The Changing Role of American Women in the 1920s"). They were now brave enough to do things women were never “supposed” to do before. For example, women began smoking and and drinking in public, they began driving by themselves and started wearing different types of clothing. They wore revealing clothes for style, or dressed in men’s clothes simply for comfort. And lastly, most of the “New Women” idea came from flappers, but when other women who were not flappers saw their new freedom, they followed. If it were not for flappers in the 1020’s who would have stepped up and changed the roles of women in America? (“Flappers”) Flappers inspired what we call “The New Woman” which came about in the 1920’s, and is the starting point for the ongoing fight for women’s equality.

The look of the flapper was drastically different from that of the earlier generations of women in the United States. Their hair was cut into a short “bob” and they wore much more make-up than previous women. The hem line of the flapper’s dresses rose to the knee and they began “bounding” their chests and wearing high heels. Along with the rise of the hem line, nude colored stockings were favored over the former black; the flapper also bared her arms; this gave off a much more “naked” look than any previous generations. They did away with the corset and instead adopted the girdle, which simply flattened the abdomen rather than emphasizing the waist. The infamous Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s clothing designs became the epitome of 1920’s style.1

flapper wardrobe but in reality would not do the things flappers did, they did it for the

Flappers were women of the new decade who were known to assert themselves in society and began to create their own identities. They started to drink and smoke in public, and talked about sex openly, all of which were highly frowned upon during this time. While smoking, a woman might wear a Turkish-inspired “smoking suit” along with a turban. They began cutting their hair shorter into bobs, which was often considered boyish. Fashion designer Coco Chanel and actress Louise Brooks helped to popularize this look. The style became the staple hairstyle of the flapper. Aspects of menswear were also inserted into women’s fashion, with looks such as tailored vests and pants, but were prohibited in some areas. This boyish look was often referred to as the “garconne” look.

As the role of the women in society changed, so did fashion. With the emergence of a new, daring woman (the flapper girl), garments reflecting the liberated lifestyle that she led appeared.

In the 1920s, women’s fashion and how they were seen were changing. The hemlines rose above the knee, where as before it would reach below their ankles. Having a “boyish” look with “bobbed” and “shingle” haircuts, were really popular in the 1920s. With this new look it showed that women became freer and were equal to men. Many women became flappers who lived non- conformist lives. These women did not follow the traditional views of women. People thought they were immoral and wild. They wore heavy makeup and perfume, used inappropriate language, wore revealing clothing, smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol. Many disapproved of this lifestyle, but it allowed women to start expressing themselves. This movement affected me. The fashion made me feel like I was about to express myself. I felt free in some way and I thought changes were about to happen to the views of women. Flappers were significant since they were showing

In historical context, the term “roaring” can be defined as a time for prosperity and innovation. In the 1920s, referred to the “roaring twenties”, the economic giant, United States of America experienced tremendous cultural, social, and political change. Emerging from one of history’s bloodiest wars unharmed, the United States experienced a decade of peace and prosperity, hence the term “roaring” is paired with the 1920s.

“Lovely, beautiful, and about nineteen,” is the words F. Scott Fitzgerald used to describe the modern day flapper girl. Flapper girls came out of nowhere it seems, and now they seem to be everywhere! Except, we flappers did not come out of nowhere at all, we are all a little girlish and wild on the inside, and while the men were off at war it was time to break free of our shell. See while they were gone a lot changed. This including us women rising up, and doing things as big as getting ourselves the right to vote or as small getting a job. During this war of ours, all of these women losing their husbands made all of us realize.. Life is too short to be boring. So while we are here let's make it a little interesting shall we?

In most culture, women are shaped as either weaker than men or controlled by men. Once, the ideas of the flapper reached the United States, it had gone uncontrollable and became a fashion simultaneously. Of course, some things helped to increase the popularity of Flapper because by only having a belief in independence and freedom for women is just not enough to becoming a huge influence in society. So, the right timing, creative style, and the sense of attraction will play a huge role in this. First, the reason the Flappers became popular is because it shows up at the right period, just after three major events in history, World War One [chap 19, Littell],the 1919 Woman’s Civil Right movement [Littell] and 1920s American golden age[]. These

However, women's clothing changed more drastically than men’s becoming more daring and fashionable. Women's fashion in the early 1920’s experienced great changes after World War I. Women unlike men completely changed their style of clothing. They went from wearing constricting fashions to more comfortable and loose clothing. The 1920’s was the era of the flapper. Flappers were a huge fashion icon that influenced a new style of fashion that gave women more opportunities and freedom to express themselves through their clothing and new lifestyles.