Flapper Presentation

I'm Lily

And I'm Elizabeth

A flapper was the embodiment of rebellion. Compared to the Victorian society of older generations, these women changed their look drastically. They wore shorter skirts and heeled shoes. They cut their hair short and wore full faces of makeup. They stopped wearing corsets in favor of brassieres (aka bras) which made dancing significantly easier.

But being a flapper wasn't all about their appearance. Flappers were outspoken advocates for women's rights, and they embraced their sexuality. They danced the nights away and smoked and drank, especially during the prohibition, as the prohibition only made alcohol more popular.

She has!

But she at least wears a corset?

One of the most important movies for flappers was the 1922 movie It, starring Clara Bow as a young flapper who had it. No one knew what it was- charisma, beauty, confidence- but all young girls wanted it. Clara Bow's career was all downhill after that, and she earned the nickname "Crisis-a-Day-Clara" for her scandalous and problematic lifestyle. But fun fact about her: when she was about 16, she was becoming widely known around the country for her good looks, causing her mother to become terribly jealous. Her mother even tried to kill her, but luckily Clara already had friends in Hollywood, so she was able to escape to stardom.

Clara's career was rather messy, but many flappers at the time were very successful. Another famous actress, Colleen Moore, made over $10,000 a week. That's a very high number for a woman in the 1920s, but everyday women everywhere began making decent salaries to support themselves. Lois Long became a writer for the New York paper, and her salary of just $50 dollars a week was incredibly impressive.

They show her ankles!

How scandalous!

My daughter is a flapper!

I'm so sorry dear.

And our presentation is on flappers.

In 1920 the 19th amendment passed, giving women the right to vote. For the first time, women had a voice in the government, and voting was one of many ways they could now contribute to society. World War I had given them the opportunity to fill jobs while the men were off fighting, giving them a taste of what the workforce was like, and they found that they liked it. In fact, when the war ended and men expected to regain their jobs, the women refused to give them up. Women even started going to college, getting an education and learning to think critically and question their society.

Unfortunately, the "old fogies," as the flappers called the older generation, didn't approve of the flappers' behavior.

Lily! Have you read the paper? It says here that the flappers have started wearing excessive amounts of rouge!

Yes!

Not heels! And her skirts?

Motion pictures played a big role in popularizing the free-thinking woman. Movies now had color and spoken dialogue, so they could more easily portray assertive women. With the rise of the Charleston, a popular energetic dance, dancing in general also became hugely popular as a way for young women to express themselves, and with invention of Ford T Model, automobiles were largely accessible, so women had access to easy transportation to wherever they pleased, giving them more freedom than ever before.

Sadly, that freedom also came with the knowledge that life is short. The war and the 1918 flu pandemic had killed so many people and many women realized that they couldn't just wait around for a husband who might never arrive. If they wanted to experience life, they had to go out and live before it was too late. And of course, this desire to live life at its fullest led to the flapper.

She's forgone them entirely!

She wears heels?

That was the general tone older generations had towards flappers. Even though short haircuts and knee length skirts might not seem revolutionary to modern day society, it was a dramatic change from the long hair styles and floor length dresses of the victorian era. All these changes were happening so fast that many older people were not able to keep up. But, why were these changes all happening all at once?

The iconic image of a flapper all started in 1920 with the movie The Flapper. Starring Olive Thomas, it told the story of a bold girl Ginger who did not care for the rules of society. Many women were inspired by her look and attitude, and it was the final push that opened up the wild flapper lifestyle.

Oh, I already know.

What are you saying?

It's dreadful! It's like she's rejected her family entirely!

You can't mean she's truly... cut her hair?