I realized I skipped a decade between this and the last post, but I've been looking forward to doing research on this decade for some time now, and I absolutely had to get it done. Since APUSH last year, when I first learned about American life in the tumultuous 1920's, epitomized by rebellious symbols such as the flapper girl, I've been anticipating an opportunity to look further into the subject. Here's a first look at what I've learned today.
The decade was characterized by a general air of rebellion and daring. Gangsters and bootleggers made use of city streets, and nightclubs became popular with the rise of the nightlife scene. So-called "Flaming Youths" lived day to day with risqu
é mottoes such as "Tomorrow we may die, so let's get drunk and make love." (Lois Long) The middle class also increased significantly in affluence.
"Flapper" fashion
Women's fashion during the Jazz Age was all about liberation. Following the end of World War I (1914-1918), women gained increasing prominence in the social and economic spheres, including winning the right to vote in 1920. Women who had experienced a taste of freedom and opportunity during the war, in the absence of men to control them, now spurned the stiff restrictions of previous Victorianism. Corsets and bustles only hindered their refined, expanded daily agendas. Dress hemlines gradually shrank over the decade, from being floor-length to mid-calf to knee-length, and waistlines also dropped lower and lower over time. The structured, fitted shapes of previous fashions was replaced by a new, relaxed fit, almost to the point that day dresses became entirely shapeless and hanging. Even shoe choice was affected by this new live-free ideal: T-bar heels became wildly popular, because women could dance in them for hours without worrying about them falling off. This new ideal in both social persona and physical appearance was epitomized by the Flapper Girl, who dressed in the
garconne ("little boy") style popularized by the brilliant Coco Chanel and lived on the edge.
1920's Day Dresses
That's not to say, however, that fashion completely lost its elegance and elaborateness. High fashion designers that are still iconic today, such as Chanel, Lanvin, and Patou, had their beginnings in this decade. Fashion icons such as Louise Brooks popularized bobbed hair in the
garconne style. Floral prints, pastel colors, and patterns inspired by the popular Art Deco style of the era were stylish trends, and evening gowns were no less elegant than in the past. Cloche hats, heeled shoes, matching accessories, and stockings or tights with garters were also popular at this time. Women tried to mimic men: girls cut their hair into short bobs, wore suits and sportswear, and lived lifestyles of sexual liberation similar to men's. However, on the other hand, women also began to wear makeup more avidly during this decade, behavior that in the past had only been carried out by loose women.
Fashion icon Louise Brooks
Sources:
http://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/1920s-fashion.html
http://fashionbloglife.com/1920sfashion/
http://glamourdaze.blogspot.com/2010/05/1920s-fashion-womens-dress-and-style.html
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/flappers.htm
