Flappers

=Flappers= toc In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking But now, God knows, Anything goes! - Cole Porter

Introduction
During the 1920's, the flapper arrived on the scene. World War I had taken the lives of almost a generation of young men. Those that survived had suffered and lost their idealism. Before the war, girls were excpected to follow the dictates of society and wait at home until a suitable suitor arrived. The surviving boys could not return to the life they had left behind and the girls refused to sit at home and pray that a young man would appear. The flapper symbolized the Jazz Age and age of rebellion and changing social mores. Before World War I, women wore their hair long and wore long straight skirts with high collars. They followed strict rules in society. After World War I and the horrendous experiences of the young men, the younger generation had a sense of "eat-drink-and be-merry-for-tomorrow-we-die" spirit. Both boys and girls broke with societies structure.

Origins
In 1920, Frances Marion produced a movie called "The Flapper". Other movies using the flapper name and image followed. Young women in America and Europe adopted this new look and attitude. Prohibition created a gray area between the law-abiding citizens and those who had a disdain for authority. Writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald also popularized this new look for women.

Flappers behaved quite differently than their mothers. They took jobs outside home and they danced in provocative ways. They smoked cigarettes, rode bicycles, and drove cars. They drank alcohol openly and dated anyone and everyone. Which was very uncommon in that time frame. They flirted all the time and went out all the time.



Slang
Flappers used different and flirty slang, that wouldn't really sound like a real word. They would say things like: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
 * Bump off - To murder, to kill.
 * Check - Kiss me later.
 * Ciggy - Cigarette.
 * Dame - A female.
 * Dolled up - Dressed up.
 * Dough - Money.
 * Fish - (1) A college freshman, (2) first timer in prison.
 * Gams - A woman's legs.
 * Gold Digger - A woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth.
 * Handcuff - an engagement ring (my favorite.)
 * Hotsy-Totsy - Pleasing.
 * Joe - Coffee.
 * John - A toilet.
 * Juice Joint - A speakeasy.
 * Moll - A gangster girl.
 * Nobody Home - Describes some one who is dumb.
 * Razz - To make fun of.
 * Sap - A fool.
 * Speakeasy - An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor.
 * Stuck on - Having a crush on.
 * Upchuck - To vomit.
 * What's eating you? - What's wrong?
 * Whoopee! - To have a good time.
 * You slay me! - That's funny!



Appearance
Flappers wore loose clothing, had short hair, and showed there legs in there dresses or skirts. They wore a lot of make up and and wore headbands or hats. Before the Flapper Era women wore corsets and under garments. But during the Flapper Era they got rid of the corsets and began wearing "step ins." Coco Chanel began the "little boy" look that we associate with Flappers. Girls would even bind there chests in strips of cloth in order to look more like a boy. The waste of the dresses were dropped to the hipline. The Flapper also wore stockings that were made of artificial silk and rolled over a garter belt. The hem of the skirts also started to rise. A Flapper skirt fell just below the knee. The Flapper cut her hair off and shaped it into a "bob." That was later replaced by an even shorter hair cut called the "shingle." The shingle cut was slicked down and had a curl on each side of the face. Women also began wearing rouge, powder, eyeliner, and lipstick.

End of the Flapper Era
The end of the Flapper era was at the peek of the Great Depression. It ended then because the Great Depression was the time when everyone didn't have any money and they weren't as happy as they used to be. Also they had do money go to bars and clubs so then they couldn't go out and party. Therefore they stayed home and worked. They wore grubby clothes and did not pay attention to the fashions or the latest trends and didn't have time to pretty, they had bills to pay and children and husbands to worry about.