Women and Fashion of The Roaring 20's
By: Rebekah Skinner
The Roaring 20’s, as it is known,
was a period full of new experiences and ideas. Not only was the music style
evolving but also the way women dressed. Before the 20’s women were seen in
long A-line dresses that were very modest. Women were to stay in their homes and act like the perfect housewife.
Their skirts were long and fit them to show off some curves in order to
identify them as being a woman. Modesty was key in this early era.
As the times began to change so did
the way women acted and the way they dressed. F. Scott Fitzgerald described the
image of a flapper as being “lovely, expensive, and about nineteen.” Another
described them as someone young who revolts against society. Women “linked
fashion to women’s progress, managing changing ideas of femininity and feminism
as well as their role in a national consumer culture.” (Cleave). It is said
that jazz music created a spark that set this new way of life into motion and
one large aspect to the jazz era was dancing. In order to dance women could not
feel constrained by their clothing and therefore cut down on the amount they
wore. Flapper attire looks very light and easy to move in. Their dresses
sometimes included fringe that would flow as they were dancing. Flapper dresses
no longer showed off their womanly curves. They would try to flatten their
chests in order to look more like a boy. This also inspired them to cut their
hair short, also defying their parents. Dark eye shadow and eyeliner, powder,
and lipstick became popular as well. This new look for women was everywhere. Hollywood
sort of promoted this new way for women; this was the way actresses were
carrying themselves now. When shown in movies it is said that there was a
strategy that “eased the threat of the representation of them as sexual beings
by making light of and/or satirizing their behavior.” (Ross). They would joke
about it in order to not offend anyone.
Not only did women begin looking a
certain way, they began to act differently as well. They began smoking and
drinking in a time where only men smoked and drinking was prohibited. People
didn’t like seeing tipsy young ladies. They would carry flasks around for their
convenience. Because it was the Jazz Era they began dancing for fun. They did
dances such as the Charleston, Black Bottom, and the Shimmy. These dances were
seen as wild to older generations. Flappers also experimented with sexual
activity. However this fast paced way of life soon came to an end. With the
crash of the stock market and the entrance into the Great Depression, women had
to slow down and the flapper era was forced to come to an end. Although the era
did end, it did create a new way of life for women. In a way a it created a
modern woman.
Media Sources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAOHtmy4j0
“The Roaring Twenties-Dance Craze” –This video shows some of the dancing that
the flappers did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gvrHl3okfg
“Beautiful Flapper-1920’s Color Fashion Movie” – Shows different styles of the
1920’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFRG_B--1v8&feature=related
“Women of the 1920’s” –Allows you to see various styles and concepts of the
1920’s
Primary Sources
Ross, Sara. 'Good
Little Bad Girls': Controversy and the Flapper Comedienne. 4th ed. Vol. 13.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web.
Van Cleave,
Kendra. "Fashioning the College Woman: Dress, Gender, and Sexuality at Smith
College." The Journal of American Culture. 1st ed. Vol. 32. Oxford:
Blackwell, 1993. N. pag. Web.
