All Things Vintage: Flapper fashion era #AprilA2Z
Good-morning, kittens and dawgs! Let me point out that if you voted in the April 1st BoTBs, then you’ll find the outcome listed in my side menu on a sticky note. Thank you joining me for today’s edition of All Things Vintage!
The roaring 20s was full of mischief, but I am 99.9999% sure my grandma or great-grandma was NOT a flapper girl.
For a long time, I thought flapper was some sort of fashion statement from the 20s. However, it was more than this, it was a lifestyle. Flappers girls were a new kind of women who wore short skirts, bobbed hairdos, makeup, consumed alcohol, smoked, listened to jazz, sexually promiscuous, and other unsuitable behavior for women of that time.
With any group, there are those who live by the rules and there are those who break the rules. People come and go through time, but the same scenarios play out from one generation to the next.
Liberalism is fueled by discontent and never passes a chance to promote disharmony. The basic truth is that women and men are both different and equal; men do something better than women and women do some things better men and there are things both sexes do equally well. Life would be for us all, if we all can see this for what it is.
The Flapper era gave us a girls gone wild period, but I like it for the fashion, hair style, makeup, and music. Unfit behavior is never right regardless of your sex and should not be glamorized or glorified.
Thinking about the Flapper girls make me think of another more recent era. Look at the woman in the first picture below with the flowers in her hair. Now, what other generation comes to mind for doing this and having loose morals?
The Dandy wrote Flappers and the Roaring 20s that include a good source of history reads surrounding this topic.
I always said God uses bad situation to bring about good and this is one of those incidents. Flapper girls were synonymous with naughty living, but out of this rebel women were granted the right to vote, the option to attend college, and to work outside the home. God knows better than anyone what a woman is capable of doing. After all, He is the creator!
What comes to mind when you think of the Flapper fashion era? If you lived in the 20s, would you be a conservative Victorian lady or a Flapper girl or maybe a hybrid?
A special thank you to my good friends the incredibly gifted A2Z Team…
Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Heather M. Gardner
Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts
AJ Lauer
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian
Damyanti Biswas @ Daily Write
Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary
Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot
John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing
Now, I invite you to hop with me in checking out some of the amazing A2Zers playing along this year and I hope you’ll come back tomorrow to read about GSMNP.
35 Comments
XmasDolly
Lovin’ your Flapper Girl segment here… the video was the best, but pictures are totally cool too. I have a few of my mom back then, but she was no flapper girl that’s for sure. My grandpa would’ve really got on her case no matter how old she was. Thanks for sharing my friend and have a great weekend.
Cathy Kennedy
Marie, oh yeah, my great-grandparents would have NOT tolerated their daughters misbehaving. It would be such a shame on the family and you know as much as boys liked that kind of girl, they didn’t want to marry any of them. I never got why these young ladies ruined their reputations to lose out on the chance of the love of a good man. Oh well, we see this kind of behavior even today and I’m left scratching my head.
randommusings29
I love comparing old photos to modern day ones, great piece 🙂
Debbie
Cathy Kennedy
Debbie, I love vintage photos! And seeing how fashions or landscapes change over time is almost mind blowing.
Liz A.
When I was younger, I lamented not having lived in the 1920s. I don’t think I would have been a flapper, as I’ve never been that wild. But now I get to look forward to living in the 2020s, so I get my wish. Sort of.
Cathy Kennedy
Liz, that’s a good point. We may have missed out on the Roaring 20s, but in a few years we can almost say the same with 2020. Putting aside the wild living, we can bring back the flapper fashion for that decade. That would be really cool!
Birgit
I love flappers and I think I would have been a hybrid. The flapper was further enhanced by Hollywood due to the likes of women like Clara Bow, Louise Brooks and Colleen Moore who made a film called Flaming Youth( now considered lost). She cute her hair in the mop top we all know which she grabbed from a Chinese doll. F. Scott Fitzgerald said of her ” I was the spark that lit up flaming youth, Colleen Moore was the torch. What little things we are to have caused all that trouble”.
Cathy Kennedy
Birgit, I always tease every time I’m watching a movie and something goes wrong, I say, “Well, what do you expect…she’s a girl!” lol Of course, boys carry on their share of troubles, but it’s kind a funny to laugh at the female sex as the trouble maker. After all, wasn’t it Eve in the garden whose head was first turned? 🙂
Rorybore
Oh I would love to say I’d be the prim Victorian Lady, but I know I’d have some Flapper tendencies for sure!! I never agree with being promiscuous either; but I love their fashion and the music would have called to me – absolutely! My roommates in college and I all dressed up as Flappers one year for our Charity Ball, and it was a blast!
Cathy Kennedy
Les, I’m with you I would be a prim Victorian Lady with hidden desires dance and listen to that wild jazz music. I’m sure there were some tame Flapper girls who liked only these things, too.
Robin
Had I lived in this era, I would’ve likely secretly admired these flappers, but that would’ve been in it. I like the idea of being wicked, but not so much the reality…;’)
Cathy Kennedy
Robin, I think we are all drawn to the dark side a wee bit, but most of us have enough good sense to steer clear of it and know the dangers that await us. However, it’s harmless to have fancies of being a bad girl. It sparks the imagination for the writer within us all, right? And, that’s by far a lot safer life to live than one of reality. 🙂
Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin
What a great theme. I scrolled back through all the post so far. Great presentation. Love the flapper info and photo support. If you have time or interest, join me for some arm chair travel through historic hotels and inns. We’re only up to the letter F, but already having fun!
Cathy Kennedy
Stepheny, thanks for visiting. I’m finding it tricky to keep up with the visits and commenting on the comments. I’m always on my toes, but some days I slip a little. I’ll certainly join you in the A2Z challenge and will be by soon!
greyzoned/angelsbark
I love the Flapper fashion! I love the hats and how most of them fit so tight to the head. And the fringe! LOVE the fringe. And the long beads. I went to a Roaring 20s party back in February: it was a fundraiser for the greyhounds. The greyhounds even wore costumes! It was fun dressing up for the occasion and I so wish hats would come back in fashion, the way they were in years gone by. They’re so sexy and fun!
As for who would I have been? Well, I would probably be a hybrid. I don’t think I’d go full Flapper but I’d probably lean that way… 🙂
GREAT post Cathy!
Michele at Angels Bark
Cathy Kennedy
Michele, oh that sounds like a gas a Roaring 20s party! I believe I recall that post and thought, what a coincidence because I figured out my A2Z theme early on this year.
Myke Todd
I love how you documented and summarily put this all into context. Life in the Pre-Code era gone by, where seemingly there was never a dull moment…
Cathy Kennedy
Myke, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for popping by for a visit.
Janie Junebug
I love the flapper look, especially the hair jewelry. When I was young, I would have been a flapper. I’m a bit old for it now, but I’d probably be a hybrid today. I loved the flappers in the most recent movie version of The Great Gatsby, which is my all-time favorite book.
Love,
Janie
Cynthia
When I think of the flapper era, I think of big parties and The Great Gatsby.
Cathy Kennedy
Cynthia, yes big parties, very prominent in the 20s and oh yeah, The Great Gatsby!
Jeffrey__Scott
When I think of the 20’s I think of prohibition and how sad it would have been to live in a time when have an adult beverage would be against the law. Not that I HAVE to have a drink, but it’s nice to have the option.
If you know what I mean.
Cathy Kennedy
Jeffrey, I don’t drink, but I think it’s up to the individual and not the government to control one’s actions. Of course, I don’t want to step into a trap with my answer here because somethings do need to be controlled like drug use, etc. It would be nice if good common sense and judgement dictated ones action, but both these elements have nearly vanished from our society. Oh well…I don’t need to get on my soapbox about these matters now, do I?
celticmama36
Ooops! I forgot to answer your other questions. I would probably be a mix of Victorian and Flapper. I am ultra conservative generally, definitely in the way that I dress, but I love the music of the 20s. And, as mentioned before, their head-wear. 🙂
celticmama36
I love that flower headband. When I first saw it, boho style is what came to mind, but to answer your question, the free love era of the 1960s. Thank goodness I was only a baby in the 1960s!
I don’t have the right body shape for the flapper dresses, but I think that most of them are cool What I really love about that era, though, besides the Charleston, is the hair adornments. They were great! Who can resist a feather? 🙂
Cathy Kennedy
Suzanne, I was born in 1961, but all that hippie, flower-child stuff that went on didn’t affect me. I was kinda clueless to those going-ons. The hair pieces worn in the 20s were really pretty and oh so stylist! I’m a huge fan of music and dance, but not loose morals. Unfortunately, during that era many thought music and dance were devices of Satan. So, my fondness of these would be frowned upon and I’d most certainly be scolded for giving room to the devil in my heart for liking these things. I remember when I turned 13 and began experimenting with makeup, my grandma called me Jezebel. I was horrified that she said that to me, but brushed it off. I would like have a flapper dress. Sometimes you can find dresses that sort of have that feel. It would be fun to wear to a nice restaurant. Who knows, maybe I can wear a feather in my hair, too! 😉
celticmama36
I was born in 1965. I ‘woke up’ in time for Granny dresses and bell bottoms. haha
I’m ultra conservative, too, and don’t like loose morals either.
How awful that your grandma called you Jezebel. That would have totally devastated me. How did you brush it off?
I bet you’d rock a feather headband. 🙂
Mary B
Those dresses! I think I would have worn them well. And in my younger days, I probably would have made a good flapper. not so much now that I’m older. LOL
#AtoZChallenge F is for Fitzgerald
https://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/2016/04/ella-fitzgerald.html
Cathy Kennedy
Mary, the flapper era fashion is rather cool and I would love to wear one of those dresses, too. You’re only as old as you want to feel, so slip into one of those roaring 20s designs and have fun. 😉
Srivi
I guess I might have ended up being a hybrid 🙂
Another interesting and lovely post Cathy … 🙂 Thanks for introducing me to Flapper girls!
Cathy Kennedy
Srivi, In retrospect, I think the reason today’s woman might think she’d be hybrid flapper girl is because of what we are exposed to and what we know. So, I thought about this and am convinced that if I lived in those days, then I probably find myself more like the Victorian women with the high collars and skirts that touched the ground. I say this going on the way I started in life with a very strict upbringing and detail for modesty. I’m sure I would have thought everything about a flapper era was bad. Although I love the romance and sense of excitement from that golden era, I’m glad that I did not live in that period.
JaniceTrinh | GatheringGraces
Interesting info! I’very always thought that flapper was a kind of fashion style too, and maybe the whole jazz music bit, but nothing more. I’ve learned something new today! Thanks! And for the record, I think I would be a hybrid!
Cathy Kennedy
Janice, when I found out that the flapper era was more than a fashion statement, I was sure I was only person who didn’t know this and yet I’m finding most people were also under the same false notions. But, as I told Tom learning something new is one of the amazing parts of researching a topic and I that’s why the A2Z challenge intrigues me the most. Meeting and making new blog friends and sharing with my loyal readers is the bonus I get from this undertaking; it always makes me happy when others such as yourself takes something new away from what I bring to my blog.
Thomas Anderson
Hi, dear Cathy!
I enjoyed learning all about flapper girls. I was also under the mistaken impression that the term referred primarily to the fashions women wore during the Roaring Twenties. Thank you for explaining all that it encompasses, including taking baths in tubs filled with gin and other types of wild, decadent and promiscuous behavior.
The timing of this post couldn’t be better because, 12 days from now, I will be introducing to you and other new blog friends, my dear friend Margaret Schneider – “The Oldest Living Dell Rat” – who will be celebrating her 104th birthday. Margaret was age 8 to 18 during The Roaring Twenties and she and her family were the very first residents of The Shady Dell, built by Margaret’s father. I hope you will join me in wishing Margaret a happy birthday over on SDMM that day – April 18.
Thank you very much for another fascinating and educational post, dear friend Cathy!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom, I am finally getting around to responding to you from yesterday! I’m sorry for the delay. One of the best parts and often times the most amazing thing is correcting my perspective through research. Digging into the flapper era revealed itself about behavior than fashion,as I always allowed myself to believe and apparently others, too. That’s incredible the oldest living Dell Rat will celebrate her 104th birthday soon. If my paternal grandmother was living the she would be 108 in June, so Mrs. Schneider and my grandma experienced the roaring 20s. Have you ever talk to her about growing up during the prohibition and depression era? Did she live near a big city where the action was at or did she live in the country? My grandma lived in southern WV, but I say a young person could get into a lot of mischief with buying or running Moonshine, as that was a hot commodity during the prohibition years. I now wish I had known to talk to my grandparents about these things, but I didn’t. *sigh* Oh well, maybe my daddy can fill in some details or tell me his own experiences. He was born in the late 30s, so his rambunctious years were in the 50s and I’m sure he has plenty to share. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment always, my friend!