Flappers Roaring in the Twenties

One of the enduring images of the 1920s is of young women with bobbed hair wearing loose-fitting dresses and dancing the Charleston. These “flappers” were breaking the restrictive Edwardian styles and norms that embodied the previous decade. Where fashion had once featured full coverage and constricting gowns, flappers embraced dropped waists, uncovered arms, and knee length dresses with rectangular silhouettes. Previously, women wore corsets to emphasize their curves, but flappers chose undergarments like step-in chemises that flattened their chests and backsides.

Step-in

The flapper lifestyle was about more than fashion. Women gained the right to vote in 1920. More young women worked outside of the home and had disposable income. They were able to drive cars, attend dances at speakeasies that flourished under federal Prohibition, and date without chaperones. Some smoked and wore heavy makeup. Although this was a time of flourishing female independence, there were still societal standards of…