The Flappers Research Paper

Flappers were not in fact only concerned with standing out and being noticed. They were not simply fashion and image-driven, selfish women, but were strong, self-willed, independent young feminist citizens who were fighting passionately for their right to stable equality amidst a prominently male-driven world. These women pushed aggressively for their social, professional, and sexual freedom which they felt were hard-earned and well overdue. Many flappers wished to pursue positions in careers which would otherwise be deemed unacceptable for the average women of the time. They hoped that by breaking away from social normality's that they could eventually obtain equality in all important aspects of life while hopefully also allowing them entry into many professional fields which would normally be unaccessible to women.

Before flappers came along women were very modest. They were brought up to be "lady-like" and did not even date men unless their parents came along. They would wear clothes that were long and fancy and would cover their bodies head-to-toe, because they were not allowed to even show their ankles. Flappers went against all theses customs. Their irresponsible actions included: around kissing men, dancing on men provocatively, and just not caring about what the rules were. Women had limited freedom in the 1900s until the Flappers came along and changed many things for women through the way they dressed and acted, creating the "New Woman" or the 1920s.

The 1920s was a very special time for woman. Women started standing for up for themselves and making points to men that women can do just the same as them, and that women should be equal to men and have the same rights. That’s where flappers came from. Flappers were basically woman who stood out and did what they wanted. Women's rights were changed drastically because of flappers, now women are more equal to men. Flappers had a large impact on the American culture going from woman’s right, music and their fashion.

The chaperone and her gender identity often conflicted with the fast paced consumer culture of flapper America, causing much friction in the areas of personal appearance, hetero-social behavior, and a woman’s

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.

A flapper’s daily routine is going to a jazz club or a burlesque and even speakeasies. In society flappers were being looked upon as defying their gender roles which were traditional, commitment to being religious, and commitment to hard work and also modesty. Flappers thought that they were making a difference because they were called “New Women”.

From coast to coast people were reading the exploits of a new type of woman called flapper. Prior to World War 1 Victorian ideals still dictated the behavior of American women and girls. Frederick Lewis Allen describes the traditional role of women. Women were the guardians of morality. They were made of finer stuff than men. They were expected to act accordingly. Young girls must look forward in innocence to a romantic love match which would lead them to the altar and to living happily ever after. Until the right man came

Flapper by Joshua Zeitz is a book that tells an epic story about the American women during the time of the 1920’s. For a better understanding, a flapper would typically be a young girl who blurred the gender roles by taking on a more masculine lifestyle. They wore their hair short, drank and smoked frequently, and explored their sexuality. With this behavior, it didn’t destroy their femininity; it just simply provided the society’s perception of what a woman should and should not be.

Frederick Lewis Allen, in his famous chronicle of the 1920s Only Yesterday, contended that women’s “growing independence” had accelerated a “revolution in manners and morals” in American society (95). The 1920s did bring significant changes to the lives of American women. World War I, industrialization, suffrage, urbanization, and birth control increased women’s economic, political, and sexual freedom. However, with these advances came pressure to conform to powerful but contradictory archetypes. Women were expected to be both flapper and wife, sex object and mother. Furthermore, Hollywood and the emerging “science” of advertising increasingly tied conceptions of femininity to

“Of all the things that flappers don’t like, it is the commonplace” (Critoph). Following World War I, changes in the political and social climate during postwar prosperity--the Volstead Act, prohibiting the production, sale, and possession of alcohol in America (History.com Staff); the 19th Amendment, allowing women to vote (Spivack); and the increased technological development making automobiles more accessible (Cellania), fostered the emergence of the flapper (Hearon). Assertive flappers boldly took a stand to challenge authority after experiencing the freedoms of leaving home and having greater mobility in the workforce (Mowry), earning enough for a disposable income, and prioritizing personal fulfillment (Spivack) by “determining to have both, to try for everything life would offer of love, happiness,

War is often followed by change; World War I is no exception. World War I is often labeled the cause for the rise of a feminine revolution-“the flapper”. Before the term “flapper” began to describe the “young independently-minded woman of the early Twenties” (Mowry 173), the definition that is most prominent today, it had a 300-year long history. The young woman of the 1920’s was new and rebellious. In her appearance and demeanor, she broke the social constructs of her society.

Though the original idea of “flappers” were “poor working girls” who waited for someone to marry them, the standard quickly changed. Flappers became women who wanted to make their own money and didn’t want to marry man to support them. Flappers appearance wise, iconically they had their hair short to a bob, wore short dresses (an inch above the knee), wore makeup, and didn’t wear corsets. Flappers were not only iconic in the roaring twenties, but also in feminism and

The twenties, back in the day people would dress up all the time. The most famous clothing back then was the Flappers. Clothing back then was sort of like lady Gaga’s, but much milder. Back then, the people’s culture was different, so much so, that you might think it’s creepy, wired or perhaps cool. The people, of course, started trends old and new trends. The main problem is the supporters, like the people who want to wear the clothes or not.

The reason I chose the flapper movement is, I’ve always been a fan of the 1920’s time frame. When I found out we had to do it about a movement I immediately thought about the flapper movement because I’ve also been a fan of fashion and once the flapper style had come in style I’ve usually been a fan of most of women’s fashion in history so I really found it interesting being able to see where the non traditional clothing started. I conducted my research by, looking at the flapper movement and seeing if it would contribute to taking a stand in history. I selected this category because it was apart of the curriculum. The theme of my stamps is the flapper movement. My stamps start in 1910 and work their way up to 1925 to show how the flapper had

A typical flapper had short, bobbed hair, and wore a short baggy skirt with turned down hose and powdered knees. Their dresses often exposed her arms as well as her legs from the knees down. Flappers were thought of by their elders as being a little fast and brazen, since they were no longer confined to home or tradition. However, Flappers did not just symbolize a revolution in fashion and way of life; they more importantly embodied the modern spirit of the Jazz Age—they symbolized, “an age anxious to enjoy itself, anxious to forget the past, anxious to ignore the future”.