History of Flapper Dresses
Flappers were women who reflected the changing times of the 1920s, as females won the right to vote and more social freedoms. These were women who acted more masculine than their mothers; they smoked in public, wore their hair in short styles, stayed out late dancing and had a freer sexual life. As urbanization and a changing economy provided more opportunities for females, many women were able to work and have more of a social life than women in the past, and their fashions also reflected this trend.
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Identification
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Flappers were defined by their dresses, which were considered modern at the time. They were shorter than in the past, yet shapeless. Flapper dresses were often made for women with small hips and chests because the ideal look at the time was that of a 15-year-old girl. Some women would wrap their chests to create this flat-chested appearance. Dresses were more masculine because they were looser, even though their hemlines were short enough to emphasize their femininity. This look was complemented by their hair styles, which they wore short in the back and longer in the front--the bob style.
Origins
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Flappers had their origins in drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, a Boston artist who depicted women in his 1890s portraits who were independent yet still remained attractive. These Gibson Girls had shorter hair, were spirituous, poised and adventurous and took on more masculine roles than their mothers. These were women who had jobs, attended college and played sports, yet still retained their femininity. Women similar to those in his drawings began to emerge during the First World War, when more women took on jobs when men went off to war; the trend continued when large numbers of men did not come back from war. The term "flapper" was first used in Britain to describe groups of women who were independent working women; the phrase depicted young women as birds trying to leave their homes or "nests."
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Social Classes
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Before the flapper style emerged, fashion had mainly been associated with upper-class women. They were usually the only ones who could afford to own expensive clothing that was intended solely for social settings. Since flapper dresses had simpler designs than those before them, women who were not rich could make them. This is why the flapper culture was associated more with middle-class women.
Famous Flappers
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The flapper style was popularized by a number of film stars who sported the shorter hair and wore the shorter, shapeless dresses that have become associated with the culture.
These actresses were symbols of the Jazz Age, which was a time that was defined by the emergence of jazz music, prohibition, urban living and social interactions between people of different backgrounds and races. One famous flapper was silent film star Anita Page, who appeared in the films "Telling the World," "Navy Blues," "The Flying Fleet" and "Our Dancing Daughters." In "Our Dancing Daughters," she played a flapper who tricked a millionaire into marriage but ultimately fell down the stairs when she drank too much alcohol. Colleen Moore was another silent film star in Hollywood who gained popularity for both her flapper appearance and attitude and comedic style, appearing in films such as "Flaming Youth," "The Huntress" and "April Showers."
Designer
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One of the designers who was important to the development of the flapper dress was Coco Chanel. This designer tried to create a more modern look that would distinguish women of the 1920s while also making them look beautiful. Chanel created dresses out of more durable fabrics, similar to those used for men's fashions, breaking away from the laces that had been used earlier on Victorian dresses. They were often made in more basic colors, such as beige, cream, navy and black. While dresses in the past had emphasized the bottom and top halves of women's bodies, Chanel created dresses that were more fluid and symmetrical. Her designs, including her "Garconne Look," became associated with flappers.
Styles
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There were a number of different styles of flapper dresses. There is a misconception that all flapper dresses were short, when in fact many of them were calf length. It was only during the period from 1926 to 1928 that they were shorter than knee-length. The length of flapper dresses, however, were shorter than earlier styles; it was not until around 1913 that dresses began to be made with hemlines above the ankles. Dipped, handkerchief and scalloped hemlines could create the illusion of dresses being shorter than they actually were. Many flapper dresses were also sleeveless, showing off even more of women's skin.
Effects
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Along with more subversive dress, women in this era also wore underwear and socks that emphasized their mannish figures and femininity at the same time. Many women did not wear the same type of corsets as their mothers, opting for either none at all or elastic girdles that would flatten their stomachs. They also wore underwear that was lighter, sporting cami-bockers or cami-knickers with petticoats. Many young women wore bras that were only meant to be supportive, such as white cotton ones that looked like camisoles or four-sectioned lace bras with net linings. Women also diverted from the long black socks worn by women up until the end of World War I, opting for stockings in flesh and pastel colors and which extended up and over the knee. These stockings were made with either silk or rayon and emphasized women's long legs.
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