In the 1920s was a decade of change, many Americans became prosperity for the new inventions. Women took a big part in the society by becoming independent in the fashion and wearing the most comfortable and prestigious jewelry. However, women’s jewelry had an impact throughout centuries in the living life, the jewelry both have positive and negative aspects of modern life, and there was different types of styles and materials.
In the beginning of the 1920s women’s jewelry had an impact throughout centuries in the living life. It was fashionable for women to wear short hair due to the requirement of working in factories and on farms during World War I, also during that time flappers became very popular for the liberation of style, they were
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recognize as young ladies with bobbed hair, smoked and wore short skirts. According to Trufaux Jewels “by the early 1920s, long, dangling earrings enhanced the neck and contributed to the era’s emphasis on movement.” With shorter hair in style, women’s ears required adornment, they wanted to look elegant and different from everybody else.
From flappers to an ordinary women our society became what it is today. For example, Coco Chanel was an iconic flapper known as the Fashion Queen in the 1920s, she changed fashion by creating looser clothing for women and as a complement she used pearls to maintain an elegant look for women. No only pearls she designed but jewelry made from imitation stones and plastic to accessorize the clothing. Additionally, before that century it was a society full of rules, women were very conservative based on clothing, accessories and makeup. They were the ones that had to accept you. Not only that, upper class woman was seen as a decorative object. Guilat stated that the Hebrew culture was conservative “the jewelry and embroidery that were received as Yemenite-Israel were foreign to the Yemenites themselves, and their reception did not aid the process by which the women were supposed to cross beyond ethnic and …show more content…
include national identity within it”(198). This reveals how the Hebrew culture were strict base on women’s identity of their look. However, things began to change drastically. After the women were given the right to vote, they took advantage to take new ideas that challenged the traditional role of women. The creation of jewelry were one of them, the influence will continue and people will never stop using jewelry now in the present. In the same way, the jewelry both have positive and negative aspects of modern life. As a positive way it was affordable to any social class because of the material they were made of. In reality it was not important to have the most expense necklace, ring, or earring; everything that matter was how it was designed and the colors they were made of. In fact, Precious stones, Emeralds and Sapphires were famous for their vivid colors yet rhinestones and paste were used more frequency and in enormous amounts for those who could not afford the real material. Regardless some artists and writers tried to say that modern life was meaningless and that people were losing their connection. As stated, Fitzgerald criticized society’s superficiality in his famous novel The Great Gatsby (233). This type of literature implied that there was no reason to try to achieve anything. Jewelry was seen as an art that reflected surreal or expressionist, for example surrealism refers to express imaginative dreams or something that is not real. The meaning of the word (expressionist) provided by the Cambridge dictionary is “a style of art, music or writing, found especially in the 1900s, that expresses extreme feeling”. In a few words these two meanings in the 1920s tried to portray the inner feelings of people. Therefore, it used colors, shapes, and lines to portray people’s emotions and relationship to the outer world. It is important to realize, during the Roaring Twenties different type of styles of jewelry were created.
The most common style were the long pearl necklaces in all 1920s jewelry pieces, it was very popular to wear layers of them with 60 inches long. Any women could afford them because of the fake pearls and they were usually light pastel colors instead of plain white. Also the Dog collar necklace was one of the most common necklaces, there was different designs like triangle, square, trapezoid, or pointed oval stones, most recognized as chokers because of how low it was from the neck. Similar, Drop Earring were equally important since women wore short hair, it was necessary to have an accessory to expose and draw attention to the naked neck. Normally it was 2-3 inches long accompanied with a diamond. However, earrings with diamond were usually worn for formal events representing good wealth. Additionally, bracelets also were an item decorative to cover the arm with fully bangles to make it more attractive and fashionable. Most bangles are made from bold colors or are decorated with numerous types of repeating motifs. The bracelet’s design were made of thick or thin wood, bone, shell, metal, or plastic. Last but not least, rings were the style of the day, decorated by a myriad of gemstones. Many rings took on Art Deco shapes but the most popular Art Nouveau style of precious stones like diamonds. They often centered a colored stone or a large emerald diamond in which people
recognize very popular during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Jewelry in general uses the most common styles for example the Art Nouveau and Art Deco. According to Silverman “Art Nouveau design; the free-flowing line. Sometimes referred to as the “whiplash” line, it was used to suggest movement and was an interpretation of the shapes and lines found in plants, a woman’s hair, feminine curves; essentially everything that moved” (61). In other words Art Nouveau is considered a revival flowing through squares, triangles and knots. Art Deco emphasized the uniqueness and originality of handmade objects and featured stylized, organic forms. To conclude, jewelry all came together in perfect harmony to create a unique, and elegant style not previously seen in early decades. There was a big transformation for women after the 1920s, they had more freedom to express themselves by wearing jewelry. Equally important, jewelry came along with the styles of Art Deco and Art Nouveau. The most common accessories they used were the long pearl necklaces, bracelets, long earring, and rings. Along the same with beautiful stones, diamonds and bright colors to make it more attractive. As a result, jewelry has become the main accessory for women representing independence and a big impact in our society.
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 along they must allow no male to kiss them. Flappers did the opposite. Flappers danced the Charleston, kissed their boyfriends while they played golf and sat behind the wheels of fast cars. The liberated usually young female disdained the traditions of her mother and grandmother before her. Flappers would smoke and drink alcohol, she cut her hair and wore short dresses. They also changed their views on courtship rituals, marriage, and child rearing. With these they could have the same freedom as men could. The time period also saw a highly physical change in women’s lives like how they dressed and looked. For the first time in American history women could choose to be free from long hair and voluminous clothing. Before the women changed they wore very restrictive clothing consisting of long skirts with layers of petticoats over tightly laced corsets that produced an hourglass figure with wide hips and a narrow waist.
Like most trends, it starts by an icon and others follow their lead. The trend of flappers was started by the famous 1920s icon, Zelda Fitzgerald. Zelda was the daughter of the richest man in the South and she could get away with whatever she wanted. Zelda loved to drink, smoke, spend nights with guys, speak her mind and break society’s unwritten rules on women. American women copied her by wearing short dresses, wore make-up, dancing nontraditional, layering beads over their dresses and partied, “desperate to be as cool” as Zelda (Fabulous “Zelda Fitzgerald: The First Flapper”). The beginning of the flapper era was expectable because most American men went off to war, leaving the women to work in factories, do industrial work, and work like men, so in order for women to relax and have fun, they went to parties and dressed the way they wanted. US History states that “Many held steady jobs in the changing American economy” including “clerking jobs that blossomed…increasing phone usage required more and more operators… women were needed on the sales floor to relate to the most precious customers — other women. But the flapper was not all work and no play. By night, flappers engaged in the active city nightlife. They frequented jazz clubs and vaudeville shows. Speakeasies were a common destination, as...
Imagine walking in the streets where all other women and girls are dressed in long dresses, look modest, and have long hair with hats. Then, there is a girl with a short skirt and bobbed hair smoking a cigarette. This girl makes a statement and is critically judged by many people for dressing this way. Women during the 1920s were not to look “boyish” in any way, so when short hair and short skirt were introduced, it was seen as shameful. The girls wearing this new style were known as flappers. Their style was introduced in the early 1910s but did not spark until the 1920s. The style was said to be more comfortable, but was not appealing to the more conservative. Before the change of style, most women were dressed modestly; however, women's
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 a specific standard of physical beauty attainable by few. By 1930, American women (especially affluent whites) had won newfound power and independence, but still lived in a sexist culture where their gender limited their opportunities and defined their place in society.
The 1920’s was a period of extremely economic growth and personal wealth. America was a striving nation and the American people had the potential to access products never manufactured before. Automobile were being made on an assembly line and were priced so that not just the rich had access to these vehicles, as well as, payment plans were made which gave the American people to purchase over time if they couldn't pay it all up front. Women during the First World War went to work in place of the men who went off to fight. When the men return the women did not give up their positions in the work force. Women being giving the responsibility outside the home gave them a more independent mindset, including the change of women's wardrobe, mainly in the shortening of their skirts.
Early on in the 20s woman began to change both in actions and appearance; they had short hair, had dresses showing ankles,began smoking and drinking in public. There was an uproar, especially from the conservative woman. Up until this time women were portrayed as perfect home makers that only cared for the home, their children and their husbands. But the era changed and with it the style too, the 1920s brought along a new desired fashion, the flapper. Flappers were portrayed as rebellious youth who had short hair, flashy clothes, bold make-up and listened to jazz. While many women of the 1920s were not flappers, the fashion did catch on, therefore the “scanda...
In the 1920s, a new woman was born. She smoked, drank, danced, and voted. She cut her hair, wore make-up, and went to petting parties. She was giddy and took risks. She was a flapper.
In the 1920's the term flapper referred to a "new breed" of women. They wore short skirts and dresses which were straight and very loose. The arms were left bare and the waistline was dropped to the hips. By 1927 the length of the skirts had rose just below the knee which when they danced would be shown. The chests appeared to look very small and women would tape themselves to look even smaller. Bras were also sold to make them appear very small. Their hairstyles were cut very short and were known as a bob, another popular style that was later introduced was the "Eaton" or "Shingle". These styles had slicked the hair back and covered the ears with curls. Women started wearing "kiss proof" lipstick in shades of red, their eyes were ringed a dark black color, and their skin was powered to look very pale. One of the big things with the flappers were that they smoked cigarettes through long holders and drank alcohol openly in public now. They also started dating freely and danced all night long very provocatively. Jazz music was rising in population and the flappers brought it out even more. Not all women changed into becoming a flapper, yet the little numbers impacted the 1920's in a huge way.
The 1920’s was an era of dramatic political and cultural change, where many Americans lived in cities rather than farms. Many inventors came to be noticed as new cars were invented and as music entered the entertainment industry. A new style of music was invented mainly in the African American community, creating the Harlem Renaissance; which was an evolution of music and entertainment in Harlem, New York City. The women of America began to evolve in the 1920s, adding new styles to our fashion industry and changing the way women dress, act, and are portrayed in society for generations. Women were viewed before the 1920’s as innocent housewives, who made little to no money, as they often relied on their husbands’ income.
Gaudy vs. Glam: Your Guide to the Right Costume Jewelry - (I like this title bet as it fits the rest of the article)
There was a change in traditional clothings. A new fashioned group of women started to appear in the 1920s. Flappers are women who appeal to more modern and fashionable way of dressing and living styles. Women wore short skirts instead of long dresses. The short, bobbing hairs took place of long, tight buns. “Manly” actions such as smoking and drinking are becoming more common within women. Women are totally turning the tradition upside down during the twenties.
Women used to dress very conservatively and strict before the turn of the decade. Clothing consisted of fitted dresses, long skirts, and corsets in lady like manners. Since the 1920’s brought women’s rights along, young women decided that they were not willing to waste away their young lives anymore being held down to the rules; they were going to enjoy life. The younger generations of women were breaking away from their old habits and their fashion statements changed their roles in society completely. Women were modeling their lives after popular icons...
Women of the 1920's Women during the 1920's lifestyle, fashion, and morals were very different than women before the 1920's. Flappers became the new big thing after the 19th amendment was passed. Women's morals were loosened, clothing and haircuts got shorter, and fashion had a huge role in these young women. Women before the 1920's were very different from the women of the Roarin' 20's. Gwen Hoerr Jordan stated that the ladies before the 1920's wore dresses that covered up most of their skin, had pinned up long hair, were very modest, had chaperones and had men make all of their decisions (1).
In the early 1900’s the ideal woman would be dressed with long dresses and would normally have long hair. Several events such as World War I, in July of 1914, changed women’s role in society. They were not only taking care of the children and the household but they were also taking the role of a man. As men went to war, women replaced them in factories. This caused woman to be more independent. Women realized that having a job was something that could be done; their sex didn’t restrict them from taking this action. This was extremely important as it lead to women being more confident and capable. In the 1920s young women began to change. They went from having long dresses and long hair, to a short haircut and wearing dresses that were above the knee. Women developed a greater interest in looking attractive. According to Russell L. Johnson, the beauty industry grew rapidly as cosmetic expenses sky rocketed from 750 million to 2 billion dollars (Johnson 3). This was one of the causes of the sexual revolution. Women became “ less formal but more expressive (Mag...
According to the book Flappers: a Guide to an American Subculture written by Kelly Boyer Sagert, “Early in the 1920s, flappers epitomized the battle for freedom in terms of self-expression, female equality, and indulgence in pleasures.” The first of these three components of this fight for autonomy was conveyed through fashion and beauty choices highly popularized by flappers, such as bobbed hair, bold makeup, short skirts, and rolled stockings; all of which redefining the perception of the feminine form and silhouette. Significant gains were also made towards the battle for gender equality when women were granted suffrage, therefore permitting their opinions and ideologies to be present in political decisions and allowing women to be more involved in local, state, and national affairs. In addition, flappers went against societal norms for women and began indulging in pleasurable activities, such as attending speakeasies, dancing the Charleston with numerous male suitors at jazz clubs, and engaging in casual sex as opposed to remaining reserved and modest as women in earlier generations had (Sagert, 2010). As said by author Jonathan Zeitz in his book Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern, “They believed that life should be lived moment to moment, not according to