flapper
What is a flapper?
What societal changes contributed to the rise of flappers?
What were some characteristics of flapper fashion?
What led to the decline of the flapper era?
flapper, young woman known for wearing short dresses and bobbed hair and for embracing freedom from traditional societal constraints. Flappers are predominantly associated with the late 1910s and the ’20s in the United States. They openly challenged expectations of female modesty and dependence, symbolizing the changing gender norms of the time while also reflecting increased personal freedom and the influence of consumer culture in 1920s American society. This occurred against the backdrop of a broader shift toward women’s social and personal autonomy in the post–World War I era.
Origin and background
The term flapper had been in use long before its most ubiquitous meaning came to be of this independent young woman of the late 1910s and the ’20s (the Roaring Twenties); some trace its etymology back three or more centuries. The age of the flapper came on the heels of the primary fashion ideal for young women having been the Gibson Girl, who wore a long skirt, a corset to cinch the waist, and long hair styled in an updo.
World War I (1914–18), however, helped usher in changes for women in the United States. During the war, civilian women took jobs that traditionally had been held by men, who were away serving as soldiers. As such, the women were able to experience social and economic freedom and independence. After the war ended, they had little desire to lose any of it. Furthermore, women gained the right to vote when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920, and they continued to advocate for expanded rights and opportunities. Women’s participation in the workforce during the war and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment expanded expectations for female independence and public presence. These changes contributed to the emergence of the flapper as a visible expression of new social freedoms and shifting gender roles.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Behavior, appearance, and influences
Flappers rejected the traditional social constraints and instead challenged prevailing gender norms. They engaged in activities deemed unladylike at the time, such as attending social events without chaperones, smoking and drinking in public, and being more open about discussing—as well as engaging in—sexual activity. These changes were part of a trend of increasing social and personal freedoms for women and were closely associated with a broader clash between traditional and modern values that spurred societal tensions and public debate.
A typical flapper chose dresses that were of a straight style, sleeveless, and often low-cut as well as short—about knee-length, which was rather scandalous at the time. She wore stockings, often rolled to below the knee; had a bobbed, or chin-length, hairstyle; and used cosmetics on her face in a bold manner. Her typical choices of accessories included a headband, the close-fitting cloche hat, bangle bracelets, and long strands of beads. Her embrace of this style was influenced by the consumer culture at the time. Methods of mass production had made clothing, fashion accessories, and cosmetics less expensive and more widely available, and the growing prevalence of mass media encouraged the pursuit of various styles and products. Automobiles were also more widely available, which provided young women with greater freedom and mobility. Urban areas were at the forefront of all these developments, giving women in cities greater opportunities to take advantage of the changes.
The image of the Gibson Girl as the ideal had faded, and some young women embraced the flapper lifestyle, reveling in the freedom to make bold choices in their appearance and behavior.
Decline of the flapper era
In 1929 the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began, bringing an end to the Roaring Twenties. These developments contributed to the decline of the social and economic conditions that had allowed flapper culture to flourish.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
