Picture a girl holding a lit cigarette with a bobbed haircut and a raised hemline dress, flirting with a young boy as she climbs into the passenger seat of his new car. This is the image of the flapper- the girl who forever changed women’s fashion. Flappers were not afraid to break boundaries and experiment with new ideas. They stretched limits and created trends America had not seen before. Many argue that the time of the flapper, the early 20th century, was a time of female independence (Flappers). Previous to this decade, upper class women were expected to wear physically constricting clothes, such as the corset. Flappers broke this norm and wore baggy clothes that showed off their legs and chests (Flappers). They wore short dresses that swayed with their bodies as they moved them. The creation of sex appeal brought about promiscuity and dismantled the conservative image women previously held in society. In 1919, women’s skirts were six inches off the ground, but in 1927 they managed to work their way up to knee height (BBC). The rise of the flapper created a rise in ideal that was about women’s growth in equality to men. This social reform explains the proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 (Evans). It also parallels the growth of women in political activities, such as the National Women’s Party and American Women Suffrage Association. This association was vital in getting the 19th amendment ratified in 1920, and this amendment assisted greatly in giving women more freedom. Young women were participating in activities that they never had before, such as “petting” parties and riding with boys in cars (McCleary). They created the new image of women that is still seen today. The rise of feminism in the 21st century is closely related to the early 20th century in that women are creating a stronger image of themselves and standing up to men in their fight for equality. The December 6, 1922 article in the Outlook Magazine written by Ellen Welles Page, a flapper herself, epitomizes the intention of the flappers when she states, “It requires self- knowledge and self-analysis. We must know our capabilities and limitations. We must be constantly on the alert” (Spivack). This quote embodies how flappers created growth for women in society, yet also improved self-awareness and opened the eyes of many women throughout the country.
Sources:
BBC News. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/tch_wjec/usa19101929/3culturesocietychanges4.shtml.
Evans, Sara. "Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/womens-history/essays/women-american-politics-twentieth-century.
"Flappers." Ushistory.org. January 1, 2008. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp.
McCleary-Gaddy, Asia, Christi Vasquez, and Christa Mason. "Flappers and the New Woman." Rice University Women's Resource Center. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://women.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=2147483813.
Spivack, Emily. "History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call For Freedom." February 5, 2013. Accessed September 19, 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/womens-history/essays/women-american-politics-twentieth-century
BBC News. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/tch_wjec/usa19101929/3culturesocietychanges4.shtml.
Evans, Sara. "Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/womens-history/essays/women-american-politics-twentieth-century.
"Flappers." Ushistory.org. January 1, 2008. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp.
McCleary-Gaddy, Asia, Christi Vasquez, and Christa Mason. "Flappers and the New Woman." Rice University Women's Resource Center. Accessed December 2, 2014. http://women.rice.edu/content.aspx?id=2147483813.
Spivack, Emily. "History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call For Freedom." February 5, 2013. Accessed September 19, 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/womens-history/essays/women-american-politics-twentieth-century