Women were experiencing a new sense of and in the 1920s. Who were these women? How did they express this newfound freedom?
Women had gained the in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment seemed to usher in the new decade. A era in which a new breed of , modern woman became one of the most celebrated icons of the time. The new woman became known as a “”.

Flappers were young women who the traditional Victorian-era of their parents and grandparents. The word “flapper” came from the United Kingdom. It was a slang term for an impetuous teenage girl. Flappers were known for a distinctive appearance and manner of dress. They cut their hair short, wearing a known as a bobbed cut. They also wore , loose-fitting dresses with and . The dress length usually stopped just . At the time, such a short dress or skirt would have been considered risqué. This allowed the young women to perform new such as the Charleston or the Shimmy. When dancing, the length of their dresses would allow for an occasional glimpse of the bare knees, which would have been just a decade before.

Large amounts of also made up part of the flapper costume. Several layers of , pins, rings, and broaches were all common. Flappers typically wore large amounts of makeup, including , eyeliner, and blush.

Makeup became increasingly more common throughout the decade as manufacturers continued to make a wider variety of cosmetics. also went out of fashion, and many older women were when they saw young flappers out in public with .

However, being a flapper was more than just a choice of clothing and jewelry, it was a way of life. The flappers engaged in many different types of behavior that, at the time, were not deemed as lady-like. They bicycles, automobiles, they to jazz music, cigarettes, alcohol, and danced.

Not everyone was a fan of flappers. There were many people who were outspoken against them and felt that they were ruining the nation. Some critics felt that their style of dress was not only improper, but “near nakedness”. They were often criticized as being , , and .