The End Of World War I Enhanced Americans

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,

Fashion in the early nineteen twenties was all about comfort. Men’s pants got wider and women stopped wearing their corsets and tight dresses, while older women of the age considered this scandalous and still held the thought that women should not show their ankle. Though the majority of adults disagreed with the fashion revolution, young women continually hiked up their skirts, stayed out late, and kept up with fashion trends. Times were changing, and thus the flapper age was born. Hemlines rose to the knee, and then later above it- exposing the muscular

The "flapper girl" trend peaked in 1926, leaving materials such as silk, chiffons, georgettes, crepes, and voiles in high demand. Beads, sequins, and feathers also adorned the fashionable dresses. Coco Chanel, a role model for the flapper, provided many styles, including the popular single strand of pearls. Corsets were no longer popular, but instead the "sexless" figure was favored. Scarfs were often draped over the shoulders if one could not afford a dead fox neck piece. However, the one thing that distinguished the flapper from anyone else was the bobbed haircut. Although, efforts were made to revive long hair, the bob remained stylish.

Before the 1920’s, women’s attire was considered fairly modern. Women would have worn clothing with more of a silhouette than clothing that was loose and flowy. The length of their dresses never revealed more of their leg than just their ankle. Women received bad reputations when showing their knees or even their calfs. Women in the 1920’s also had a different ideal figure than most women do today. The body types women wanted to achieve also transformed into a more feminine look. This look consisted of low bust lines, higher hems lines, and showing off more curves than ever before. These women became unapologetically fearless.

Thanks to Coco Chanel, the iconic flapper image most closely associated with the roaring twenties came about. The flapper and flapper image didn’t actually come to be until around 1926 and even then was only in style for about three years. Typical flappers were women who appeared to have a bold attitude and were independent women who didn’t adhere to the previously innocent housewife image. A flapper usually had a bob haircut, a shorter than average dress, a flat chest, wore tons of make-up, drank illegal alcohol, smoked with a long cigarette holder, exposed her limbs and danced the Charleston. This was a drastic change from the typical American housewife to the reckless rebel. The flapper dresses stressed above the knee hemlines and construed straight, sleek shapes. This was the first time in centuries women’s legs were being seen in a garment. (1920s Fashion 1) Flappers loved to jazz up their costume and even their image. Many flappers’ dresses were adorned with jewels and intricate beading. The main object of the flapper image was to appear almost boyish rather than looking feminine. (1920s clothing 1)

Fashion in the early nineteen twenties was all about comfort. Men’s pants got wider and women stopped wearing their corsets and tight dresses, while older women of the age considered this scandalous and still held the thought that women should not show their ankle. Though the majority of adults disagreed with the fashion revolution, young women continually hiked up their skirts, stayed out late, and kept up with fashion trends. Times were changing, and thus the flapper age was born. Hemlines rose to the knee, and then later above it- exposing the muscular dancer’s legs-toned

The reputation and culture of women changed substantially with the emergence of the Roaring Twenties. Gone was the traditional, and sheltered All-American girl who aspired to a housewife. It was seen as inappropriate for these women to even show their ankles out in public. The new “Flapper” girl was a young woman who wore short and relaxed dresses, used makeup, smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol, and attended glamorous parties (Document 2a). Flappers were liberated and bold, and were the complete opposite of the traditional American housewife. The Flapper girl

Fashion changed the mentality of Americans in many ways as well. The most common type of girl in the 1920s was flappers. The term “flapper” first appeared in Great Britain after World War I, it was a word used to describe young girls (Rotenberg). It then began popular in the 1920s. Flappers were northern, urban, single, young middle class women, many held steady jobs (“Flappers”). Flappers engaged in active city night life. Speakeasies were common destination for the flappers (“Flappers”). It was a place where they could completely be themselves. The flapper movement began when young women decided that they were not willing to waste away their young lives waiting idly for spinsterhood; they were going to enjoy life (Rosenberg). Many people disliked flappers. The flapper attitude was characterized by stork, truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior (Rosenberg). Flappers were usually younger women. The flappers were viewed disdainfully by an older generation as wild (“1920s dress fashion rise and fall”). The flappers’ style was very rare and

Flappers did not emerge until 1926 (“Skirts only revealed the knee briefly between 1926 and 1928, and this was the only period when evening dresses were short in line with day dress lengths. This was the flapper fashion era.”)

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

The media sold movie stars’ life-style to Americans. A woman had several outfits instead of a few. Silk replaced cotton. Fashion went from wearing big long dresses to short skirts to show off their legs. It was the time of the “flapper” who wanted clothes that didn’t restrict their movement.

Sauro, Clare. "Flappers." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 88-89. World History in Context. Web. 16 Nov.

Another area in which women made changes was with their appearance. Women used their attire and style to show an independence, a certain freedom in which they alone had control. Starting with the “Gibson Girl”, women dressed in long, slim dresses, freeing themselves of the poufy petticoats of yore. Women started wearing shorter dresses and shorter hairstyles, leading to “Flapper Jane”. “Women started wearing “less” clothing, shorter dresses, cutting off their hair, and just being more “sensual” than normal”, (Bliven, 1925).

Women’s fashion was a social controversy in the 1920’s. This controversy was influenced by women’s clothing, swimwear, hairstyles, makeup, and attitude alone. This attire and new found character traits added a certain attitude and confidence to these women, starting what would eventually be remembered as a revolution.

The 1920s was a period of change and reform in many things ranging from entertainment, consumerism, and fashion. Fashion, one of the greatest changes in the 1920s was influenced by designers such as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, Clara Bow, also known as the “It Girl” all influenced fashion for both women and men in the 20s. Previously, women had to behave polite and modestly and had to wear long dresses down to the ankles. But some women started to go past those social boundaries that were set by society. These women would go to speakeasies and smokes in public. The women who did these things are referred to as flappers. Men and some women saw flappers as a disgrace and were disgusted by their way of living. Slowly, as the years began to pass, women such as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, and Clara Bow came into the fashion and entertainment industry changing the fashion and women’s ideas.