The Significance Of Flappers In The 1920's

Sassy, Jazzy, and a Little 1920

“They were smart and sophisticated, with an air of independence about them, and so casual about their looks and clothes and manners as to be almost slapdash. I don't know if I realized as soon as I began seeing them that they represented the wave of the future, but I do know I was drawn to them. I shared their restlessness, understood their determination to free themselves of the Victorian shackles of the pre-World War I era and find out for themselves what life was all about.” Colleen Moore captured the essence of women in the 1920’s astonishingly. Many women found life tedious, dull, and boring, so they decided to make a change. These women were generally known as “flappers.” Flappers were young women who flouted the everyday standards of women. With their new style, behavior, and political views, it was clear that this was the new age of women.

Skin, skin, and more skin!

Showing off your body was the new trend of the ‘20s. Flappers of the 1920 era started wearing shorter dresses and sleeveless tops to seem keener. Before the 1920’s, it was rare for women to even show their ankles let alone their knees. Not only did women start to wear “skimpier” clothing, but they also garnished themselves with accessories. It was all about that bling. Girls were obsessed with pearls, diamonds, and just about anything that looked expensive. They hated cheap dull accessories and wanted the real McCoy. Clothing was not the only change during this time. The way women did their hair and makeup changed. Flappers started wearing a lot of makeup and styling their hair differently. “Flappers raised their hemlines, bobbed their hair, and applied make up with abandon.” (Armburst, Lloyd) No one wanted to be considered a bug-eyed Betty, and they did whatever it took to make themselves more alluring. This new style of women was the bee’s

knees.
No time to clean it’s time to party! Flappers loved the idea of independence and joined in, dancing, drinking and having a good time. Young women started to spend a majority of their time at clubs, and speakeasies. The way the danced was considered provocative to many of the men there. Flappers not only drank in public, they also started to flirt a lot more. Flappers were the biggest vamps around. Although many women loved this new sense of independence and adventure, other women despised the idea. They thought partying was boloney. Among these women was Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie made her opinion clear when she said. “Now I am old-fashioned. A woman, I consider, should be womanly. I have no patience with the modern neurotic girl who jazzes from morning to night, smokes like a chimney, and uses language which would make a billingsgate fish woman blush!” The behavior of these young women was flabbergasting to the old fashioned gals who believed all they were good for was serving their husband and kids. That is not what flappers wanted. Women of this era ceased to fulfil their usual role as the “house wife.” Instead these women partied like there was no tomorrow. They did not sit and wait for opportunities, they went out and made their own. It was time for women to be independent and live life the way they wanted and that’s exactly what they did.
Up until this point women fought for their political rights. In the ‘20s however, women changed their focus. Instead all they wanted was to be able to smoke, drink and party. Their whole idea of feminism changed. “A widespread attitude was that women’s roles and men’s roles did not overlap.” (Benner, Louise) They no longer cared about politics or working. They cared more about partying and having fun than they did politics. They thought that women should not have anything to do with voting and that it was a man’s role to worry about politics. It was a new age for feminism.
New style, new attitude, and new political views, it was clear that this was the new age of women. “Flappers represented a dramatic change in women’s behavior.” (Armburst, Lloyd) These changes did not only affect the women of the Jazz Age, they affect women for years after. Even todays women are different then just 10 years ago. We will continue to change. This change may be subtle, or it may bes dramatic, much like the flappers. Change is inevitable and cannot be stopped, but we can control what changes we make to our lives just like flappers did in the 1920’s.