Flapping Fashion from the 1920s

Before world war one, women wore floor-length dresses, the waist was cinched restrained by the corset and arms and legs were always covered. But then the war ended, times changed and the world grandly entered the Roaring Twenties!

The 1920s witnessed many changes one of which was the social position of women. The 19^th Amendment passed during this time gave women the right to vote. Women had joined the workforce during the war and life beyond homemaking appealed to them.

Fashion along with every aspect of the society, had an impact. There were two distinctive styles that ruled the 1920s, the first half had a more conservative outlook, but as the roaring twenties took root women became more liberal. The latter half of the decade saw a new class of women called the ‘The Flapper’.

Flapper was the slang word, which used to refer to young bird flapping its wings while learning to fly. In 1631, the word ‘flap’ was slang for a young prostitute, but over the centuries the meaning underwent a change. In the 1920 when women wore their galoshes unbuckled it would make a flapping noise as they walked. But flappers represented women who rebelled against the norms of the society and adopted unconventional ways.

As the fussiness of prewar years dropped away, women forsook the restrictive corsets and ridiculous petticoats of bygone years. The la garconne became the new fashion, where women desired to have a figure like a teenage boy. To flatten the bust line a piece of cloth was tied around the chest. The waist was dropped to the hip in order to hide their womanly hourglass figures. The typical flappers cropped their hair into boyish bobs, they wore make-up, began to wear shorter, straight loose-fitting garments that allowed far greater freedom of movement.

Once the war ended morals and rule went for a toss. Entertainment gained importance; silent movies were on the rise and fashion magazines like Vogue was started. Instant gratification became the mantra and the night life came alive. The flappers with their new fashioned clothes, red lips and dark eyes frequented the illegal clubs where they danced to jazz music all night long, and had affairs, indiscriminately. 

They drove cars, drank, a defiant act in the American period of prohibition, and smoked through a long cigarette holder. The decade was a reckless abandonment of propriety.  

The morals may have diminished during this period but fashion sense acquired a new sensibility. Stocking attracted new attention. With the dress losing length women flaunted their stockings. 

Women would wear a string of pearls that are typical of that age. The light weight, sequenced dresses are something that still exists. The flappers revolutionized fashion added jazz into it and made the life of the coming generations a lot easier and more colorful!   

Fashion Jazzed Up

One of the most glorious eras in history was the 1920’s. The jazz, the clubs and everything that was prohibited found a voice during this time. By the end of World War One, there was a sense of optimism in the air, but the loss and destruction was immense. The only country to reap any benefits was America. Their contribution of arms and ammunition made America a very prosperous country. And the start of the 20^th century saw drastic changes; it seems that society was purging the war away. Morality blurred and society became more liberal. Fashion was obviously affected, along with ideas, and fashion too became liberal.

One of the factors that influenced this change in fashion was the evolving role of women. With men busy with the war, women started sharing the role of the bread-earner and after the completion of the war this continued. This brought about a change in the way women dressed; trousers crept into their wardrobes, and the dresses lost length, but fashion was still conservative but soon changing.

              

The 1920’s were about living in the moment, instant gratification became the way of living. The entertainment industry accelerated with silent movies and music changed with comets and trumpets creating jazz in the expert hands of Louis Armstrong. Another thing that has gained prominence during this time was a phenomenon called the ‘Roaring Twenties’.

This new found freedom and the need of instant gratification were reflected in the fashion. Clubs were on the rise and no matter the lack of legality of these establishments they became the hub where people exercised this liberalization.

Men’s fashion was known by high waist jackets paired with a belt and hats. 

On the other hand a ‘new class’ of women emerged called the ‘Flappers’ with bobbed hair, who wore short skirts with hair bands with feathers tucked, a long string of pearls, along with dramatically lined lips as a ‘cupid’s bow’ and smoky eyes who listened to jazz and visited the clubs. 

They were considered impetuous because of their excessive makeup, drinking, smoking and having casual relationships. They listened to jazz, danced, drank and wore dazzling clothes.

The fashion style of the 1920s has been so exceptionally stunning that the students of Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion had to recreate it. 

Under the expert guidance of Belinda Bawa and taking inspiration from the ‘The Great Gatsby’, a classic example, the students designed their first shoot for a specific look. The scenario was an underground club. 

The task was more challenging because along with their own designs they had to create looks for models too. The students had a fabulous time and were able to capture the essence of 1920’s fashion beautifully.