Women's fashion and lifestyles changed dramatically in the 1920s as a result of social and cultural shifts after World War 1. Young women, called "flappers", rebelled against traditional values by smoking, drinking, wearing revealing clothes like short dresses and no corsets, and dancing provocatively. Flappers cut their hair short, wore makeup, and sought independence, freedom of expression, and sexual liberation not seen in prior generations of women. Their unconventional behavior represented the social revolution of the Roaring Twenties era in America.

1. Flappers of the Roaring
Twenties

2.  Women's’ styles have
been very uptight and
proper. Women wore floor
length dresses, long hair,
no make up and corsets…
 Ideal style in 1900 called
Gibson Girls

3. Americans wanted to rejoice and redefine
themselves
Rejected the past
Led to new lifestyles and social values

4. 25% women worked outside the home
Automobiles
New social values
Voting rights
Freud: New ideas about sexuality (It’s
normal and healthy)

5. •Young women in the 1920’s who
rebelled against tradition
•―Author F. Scott Fitzgerald describes
flappers as ―Lovely, expensive and
about 19‖..
•One dictionary says ―Giddy,
attractive, slightly unconventional,
somewhat foolish girl full of wild
surmises and inclined to revolt against
the precepts and admonitions of her
elders‖.Flappers had the image
and the attitude to match.

6. •Wild partying
•Smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol
–unheard of if you were a woman!
•Lived reckless lives and clung to
youth
•Flappers were the first of the women
to flaunt their sexuality
•Their lifestyles were shown in the
way that they dressed and danced

7. •Wore heavy make up
•Clothes: a dress just below the knee,
stockings, heels no corset
•The look was influenced by Coco
Chanel
•Gender bending—tightly wrap their
chest to flatten it
•The ―Tube‖—Lower hipline and
straight from shoulders to hem

8. •―The Bob‖ is the famous hair of the 20’s.
•Cut very short in the back
and a bit longer in the front.
The Cloche Hat: Fit snuggly over short
hair and reached the eyebrows

9. Drinking
•Drinking was a favorite
pastime of the flappers.
Before 1920’s, only men
would drink publicly
•Seen as ―Giddy
Flappers‖ due to
drunkenness
•Many carried a flask
www.silentladies.com

10. Dancing
•Charleston, Black
Bottom and the
Shimmy

11. ―In the 1920’s, a new woman was born. She smoked,
drank, danced and voted. She cut her hair, wore make-
up, and went to wild parties. She was giddy and took
risks.‖
History1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/flappers.htm

12. www.silentladies.com