The Role Of Adolescence In The 1920's

The Roaring Twenties started in North America and spread to Europe as the effects of World War I diminished. In Europe, the years following the First World War (1919-1923) were marked by a deep recession. Europe spent these years in rebuilding and coming to terms with the vast human cost of the conflict. Unlike in the aftermath of World War II, the United States did little to try to rebuild Europe. Instead, it took an increasingly isolationist stance (Answers, 2006).

As the decades change so do the teens. Teenagers from the 1960’s won’t exactly have the same ways of thinking or ways of speaking. The way of life back then was completely different and that has an impact on teens today. Old ways are thrown out and newer ones are brought in, attitudes change. Advance technology changes the way we interact with others compared to the 1960’s. The health concerns may or may not be the same as the health concerns in the year 2014. With teens changing constantly, how will the next generation of teens be like?

Paula Fass’s The Damned and the Beautiful: American Youth in the 1920's delves into the social and cultural climate of the 1920’s middle-class youth in America. Fass observes the multidimensional dynamics of the post-World War I society as citizens adjust to pertinent matters such as industrialization, prohibition and immigration. Amidst the ongoing social, political and economical issues of the early twentieth century, youth played an active role in contemporary life. Adolescents responded to issues through altering their habits, behaviors and viewpoints. Their responses became evident in the public setting and American culture evolved. The transformation of American culture was spearheaded by youth who questioned and went against

To start off, fashion and style changed drastically from the 1920’s to the 1930’s. It is common to think style during the Great Depression would be shabby or trashy, but elegant style was huge during the time period (Sessions). The length of skirts and dresses were way more daring in the 1920’s (Nash). Because of the Depression, clothing was dialed down a lot after the 1920’s (Pearson). Fashion back then was very out there and extravagant, and also gave a more joyful vibe to the decade (Nash). One of the changes was that in the start of the thirties, women wore hats and gloves everywhere, whereas in the 20’s, they were not as popular (Tucker). Also, the catalog market exploded because the Great Depression made ready-to-wear pieces of clothing a lot more popular. This was because some

The stereotypes of a teenager haven’t changed much over the years; nevertheless, the fads have. The fun, lively 1950s era brought poodle skirts, jukeboxes, hot rods, and Elvis Presley; things we don’t normally see unless it is Halloween. Teenagers danced at sock hops, where there was never a night upbeat dance moves such as the twist and the jive weren’t danced. The seemingly large predicaments of the world today were insignificant back then. Life, as it seems, was simpler. Today, many people swoon over the idea of living in the 1950s era; however, I would prefer to live in the time period that I live in now because of fashion, schooling, and technology.

The Roaing Twenties was a time of greatness while the Harlem Renaisance was a boom throughtout the United States for African Americans. Many jobs came as the industries increased and the rich were getting too much money, but when the thirties came around the United States went into a terrible place, offering little hope. For example, families lived in single-bedroom dwellings, people were on the streets, and kids worked in the factories. As a result, the short stories of the Modern Era by Fitzgerald, Welty, Steinbeck, O’Connor, Porter and a poem by Frost all show the good times and the very tough times of these decades.

The political and economic crisis of the 1930’s strongly affected the way women dressed. The harsh situation in the country forced them to abandon fancy trends (in clothing, accessory, beauty department) in favor of the simplicity. Women quite often looked up to the glamorous Hollywood movie stars for fashion and beauty inspirations. However, the upcoming war stripped them of this sole way to escape the grim reality of day-to-day life. The hard times that emerged at the end of the 1930’s with the upcoming war on the horizon translated into simple and practical clothing.

The changes in the the women’s fashion in the 1920s affected women in many different ways including a lot of controversy that came with the big transition of the length of women’s dresses. In 1920, Utah proposed a bill that would have prohibited dresses that were shorter than three inches above the ankle (Robinson 48). The president of the University of Florida proposed the idea of how short shirts and dresses are leading the future generations into chaos and destruction (Robinson 48). In many novels and stories of the 1920s, the dresses remained rather long, specifically all the way down to the ankles, which was very unrealistic compared to the actual transition of the style, which was to much shorter hemlines (Stevenson 123). Furthermore, the result of how women were affected by the changes of the fashion choices, the fashion industry in Paris took a huge turn in the

The Roaring Twenties was known to many as an infamous age of sex, lawlessness, and prohibition. The twenties were much more than that actually it was time where the American society had a dramatic shift from its rural roots to the bustling city. American society was changing from the rural farm days. Many people were moving into the city and buying new gadgets that were being invited. Society was turning into a consumer Society this meant that many people across the country were buying the same products as people in different regions of society. Americans doubled their wealth during the twenties which is what led to this consumer society. Society now also was changing a lot for women. Women would now have the right to vote and more sexual

Typical dresses worn by women in 1930’s “were tube-shaped, sleek, fitting closely through the torso and lacking billows or pleats in the skirt” . In contrast with the loose-waisted dresses that were popular in 1920’s, in the following decade, women accentuated their attires with a belt. Later in the 1930’s, following ladies’ longing for a smaller waist, the corset reappeared. Another quite important feature of a typical thirties dress was a print. Because of a difficult financial situation, women rather refrained from buying dresses with an elegant tailoring, or some embellishments, and therefore a printed dress was a perfect way for not looking too simple.

As times grew more modern, women started wearing less and less clothing underneath their dresses as bare skin was popularized; less corsets, less camiknickers, etc. were worn. The rigid shape of the corset was abandoned for dresses with lines of “soft curves from the shoulder to the waist. ” There were “bobbed hair and skirts above knees. Women redefined the feminine with the sophisticated schoolgirl look of the 1920s.”

In the 1920’s men and women abandoned restricted fashions and turned to more fashionable and comfortable clothing. During this time both men and women’s fashion drastically changed in style, fit and quality. The new fashions during this era were a way people could express themselves and their lifestyles. Much of men’s clothing were influenced by popular athletes and their fashions. As many different

During the 1920’s, youth flourished, rather than deteriorated. The Pop Culture movement kept the youth active whether it revolved around entertainment, materialism, or music. These parts of the Pop Culture movement gave the youth an opportunity to express not only their interests, but themselves as people. Many young people lived carefree and extravagant lives. While some say they took advantage of their wealth and prosperity, I say that the youth tried their hardest to express and prove themselves in society and being able to find yourself at a young age is a grave accomplishment. If being apart of the high class and having money is of benefit to the youth, why not seize the opportunities money has to offer. Buying an excessive amount of

The Roaring Twenties, as this time became known, a period of political and economic change. As the nation’s economy flourished due to economic boom which preceded WW1. This decade also became known as “The Jazz Age”, as this genre became popular throughout the nation. A new idea of women flourished from this era. They were giving the right to vote, expanding their freedom across the country, offering women a taste of unknown independence. “The Flapper” became the idealist women. This new image consisted of a petite figure, “straight- as- as-ironing- board. A flat-chested look was popular… This boyish petite frame showcased its sex appeal by focusing on the legs” (Vashti, 2015). This perfect figure required a woman, to have bobbed hair, their

Women wore clothing that wasn’t very revealing. They wore corsets to give them the hourglass figure, and wide-brim hats. Their clothes were restricting and their skirts were long and had many layers(20th century fashion). The 1920’s brought about a much different style for women. It started to stray from the normal look.