As I stated before, the 1920s are a very appealing time to me. It was a period of economic prosperity for the United States and change--from films introducing sound to women's roles. During World War I women left the household to fill the jobs left by men, when the war ended there was a great disparity between the number of women and men. A combination of these elements led many women to forgo their traditional lifestyles and simply live life up. The led to the emergence of "flappers," some of the original female rebels--and some women I think I could be friends with!
The term flapper comes from a fashion of wearing galoshes unbuttoned so that they flapped while the wearer walks (rebellious living and sartorial skills!). In addition to their unique style they developed their own slang, rode bicycles, drove cars, danced provocatively, and drank publicly despite the Prohibition. Now whom among us is not guilty of this list?
Sartorially they also would commonly bind their chests and went without the traditional corsets. Their makeup was also scandalous since previously only prostitutes and actress wore it. I'm finding the dark lips and dark eyes very appealing in terms of fall, but it might be too heavy for the humid summer I am currently experiencing.
Despite (or perhaps due to?) the dramatic change in women's roles, the flapper period was short-lived. The reckless lifestyle couldn't survive the severity of the 1930s. It's fascinating to think a period of time, really just barely spanning 10 years (though the official "start" of the flapper period might be considered earlier) has had such lasting effects and influences so many years later. I'm not certain how I will make this style my own, but I'm currently very devoted to adding it's style to my wardrobe some way.
These illustrations are all by John Held Jr. a cartoonist who captured the era in his memorable drawings of flappers and are currently offering me more inspiration.
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