1920s Flappers Essay

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In the 1920s, flappers were an important figure. They defined the new, modern woman of the twentieth century dominating the American cultural scene. All American women didn’t emulate to the flapper model. Women began changing their behavior, language, and fashion. They also began encouraging social freedoms for women after World War I.
The term “flapper” originated in Great Britain. It was used to describe women who wore rubber galoshes . The term began spreading from Great Britain, to the United States, and throughout Europe. In northern Europe, in the 1500s, the word “flapper” referred to a teenage girl. By 1631, it was referred to a young prostitute. When the term came to the United States, the meaning of the term changed. In the early …show more content…

Clara Bow was one of those images. She was a film star in the film It. She wore bobbed hair, short skirts, and lipstick. Quickly, young girls began following this celebrity. Other famous young women began taking on this new trend such as Louise Brooks (film star), Dorothy Parker (author), Colleen Moore (film star), and Joan Crawford (film star) . Then, the great film The Flapper came out starring Olive Thomas. Finally, the last step to the beginning image of the flappers was F. Scott Fitzgerald. His novel set a tone for the 1920s ideal flapper to be described as “lovely, expensive, and young”.
The behavior of women was the most disapproved by American society. Women gradually stepped out of the image the society gave them. Women was housewives before World War I began, but the men went to war. This meant women had to come out of their regular routine and get a job to support their families. Women started to work in factories and other jobs that use to be “only” men …show more content…

The appearance of these women was different from previous generations. Women dressed in attire too revealing. They began wearing short skirts, flesh-colored stockings, hats, jewelry, and negligible under wear. They liked their evening gowns sleeveless and flashy. They wanted to catch the attention of young boys and men. They even began wearing skirts with slits on the sides to show more skin. Flappers even began doing strange things such as, flattening their chest with tight bands of cloth to look as young and boyish as

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