Flapper fashion did not emerge suddenly. It developed as a result of gradual social and cultural changes. During this period, youth and beauty became a valued commodity. For the first time women were being marketed to in high volume, which boosted the sales of cosmetics and perfumes. Americans had more expendable income, so they were able to purchase more consumer goods.
The typical silhouette of a flapper was thin with bare arms and ankles, but a covered top. These women embraced the “boy body” with flat chests. Beginning in the early 20th century, women began “working out” at health and beauty clubs, which helped them slim down and achieve the fashionable slender body. Smoking also came into fashion for women during this period, as cigarettes were marketed as an appetite suppressant.
Cloche hats and cropped hair were quintessential features of the flapper. Bobbed or shorter women’s hair was a huge change not only in fashion but as a significant form of female assertion. Some women did not bob their hair but pinned it up with bobby pins to be trendy. Cloche hats were important because they were worn only by women who truly had short hair.
Take a look at these vintage photos to see what teenage girls looked like in the 1920s.
