Flapper

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Sensitive Content Notice ⚠️

The following article contains and discusses content that may be distressing to some readers.
Reason for Warning: This page contains mentions of alcohol, smoking, and sex, as it is revelant to the era. Reader discretion is advised.

Flappers were young Western women in the 1920s who embraced a free lifestyle. They were known for their short skirts (here meaning knee-length) and above-shoulder-length hair. They also listened to jazz. Smoking, drinking, driving automobiles, and casual sex were another part of the lifestyles of Flappers. Essentially, Flappers made their disdain for socially-acceptable female behavior known.

History[]

Flappers came out of the increasing freedoms throughout the 1910s. Due to large numbers of men fighting in WWI, a significant number of women entered the workforce, exposing them to freedoms that many wanted to keep. Women's freedoms were further expanded with the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving them the right to vote. Improvements in birth control also contributed to the growing freedoms of women.^[1]

Then the men came back from war. As Frederick Lewis Allen says in Only Yesterday, "(Women) found themselves expected to settle down into the humdrum routine of American life as if nothing had happened, to accept the moral dicta of elders who seemed to them still to be living in a Pollyanna land of rosy ideals which the war had killed for them. They couldn't do it, and they very disrespectfully said so."^[2]

Fashion[]

In summary, flappers defied the previous norms by wearing short(er) skirts, makeup, and having short hair.

Examples of flapper clothing include:

Straight, up-and-down, knee-length or above, shift dresses, with no cleavage showing
- For day: Heavy wool and tweed
- For night: Fur, velvet, quilted satin, shimmering/shiny textured silk/rayon
Highly visible, sheer, light-colored silk/rayon stockings fastened just above the knee with lace-adorned garters
2-3 inch Mary Jane heels with button fastenings in black, gold, silver, or nude
Colossal sparkly chandelier-style earrings
Cigarette holders
Hair cut in a shingle bob cut with bangs or an eton crop (a modern equivalent would be a pixie cut)
Close-fitting, pulled-down bell-shaped cloche hats to keep hair in place
Bar arms with bangles layered up each arm
Long ropes of pearls or glass beads
Close-fitting beaded caps
Toques with gigantic fake flowers or beaded motifs attached
Narrow, sparkly scarves worn cravat-style or around the head, secured at the side
Shawl-collar, wraparound coats
Velvet/fur opera coats
Fox/mink stoles complete with heads and eyes attached
- Feather boa is an acceptable substitute if you are ill at ease with wearing fur
Small beaded bags
Horn-rimmed glasses
Kohl rimmed eyes, dark crimson cupid's bow lips, and bright cheeks with bright red blush

Regional Variants[]

Garçonne[]

The Garçonne style emerged in France in the 1920s, a period marked by the rise of a "New Woman" who exercised her right to vote, express herself, and advocate for gender equality. The Garçonne, alongside the flapper, represented a prominent aesthetic and cultural shift during this era. At the time, prevailing aesthetic norms for women centered on long hair, corsets, and dresses. Women with short hair were often stigmatized and marginalized due to societal homophobia.^[3] However, figures like Coco Chanel, an influential designer who embodied the "New Woman" through her independence, freedom, and embrace of previously male-associated clothing such as trousers, challenged these norms.

This cultural shift was particularly visible in cities like Paris, where women with short hair, independent attitudes, and assertive personalities advocated for gender equality, with some openly expressing bisexuality or homosexuality. The term "Garçonne" itself is derived from the French word "garçon" (boy), with the feminine suffix "-ne" added to create a new word signifying this androgynous style.

Initially, the Garçonne style was considered scandalous and provocative. For example, Marlene Dietrich's adoption of the style was met with threats of arrest. However, it eventually gained mainstream acceptance as a fashion trend. Despite its widespread popularity, the Garçonne style eventually faded, but left an influential legacy in fashion and cultural history. Themes of aviation, racing, and boating also influenced the fashion of the time. The Garçonne look was about women's power to choose what they wore, rather than being confined to traditional feminine roles.

Key Designers[]

Coco Chanel - knitwear
Jeanne Lanvin
Edward Molyneux
Jean Patou - important for knit swimwear and women's sportswear
Paul Poiret
Elsa Schiaparelli - knitwear
Callot Soeurs
Madeleine Vionnet - designs naturally emphasized shape of women's bodies

Activities[]

1920s_dances_featuring_the_Charleston,_the_Peabody,_Turkey_Trot_and_more — 1920s dances featuring the Charleston, the Peabody, Turkey Trot and more

This is a list of activities commonly associated with Flappers.

Dancing
- The Charleston, Black Bottom, and Shimmy were popular.^[4]
Drinking
Driving cars
Sex
Smoking

Locations[]

This is a list of general places where Flappers went.^[5]

Jazz clubs
Speakeasies
Vaudeville shows

Notable Figures[]

Clara Bow
Louise Brooks
Josephine Baker
Colleen Moore
Gilda Gray
Zelda Fitzgerald
Dianna Cooper
Nancy Cunard
Tamara de Lempicka
Tallulah Bankhead

Media[]

Books[]

Fiction[]

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (as well as many of his other books)
Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald
The Forgotten Flapper: A Novel of Olive Thomas by Laini Giles
Flappers (series) by Jillian Larkin
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes by Anita Loo
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Nonfiction[]

Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell
Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz