What it meant to be a 'Flapper Girl'
The women of the nineteen-twenties took their new-found sociopolitical freedom in stride, expressing themselves in ways never before seen in America. The "new woman" of america is most commonly known as the "Flapper". Flappers were frequently depicted with a cigarette in their hand as a nod to the sudden increase in cigarette advertisements directed towards the female populace. (1) In light of this, the flapper lifestyle tended to only pertain to "northern, urban, single, young, middle-class women". (2) Flapper women also generally had a reliable job with decent pay; this was almost a requirement, as being a flapper came with quite a hefty price tag. The almost boyish flapper "style" threw away old notions of Victorian-era morals. Long, flowing hair was replaced with short, bobbed styles. Clothes and dresses virtually shrunk up to the knee as the new-age woman adopted more scandalous outfits. And makeup became a commodity as the flapper girl wore more than ever. (3) If you would like to read more about the fashion of the Flapper girl, please click the button below:
The flapper girl was a social deviant, not only did their fashion sense forsake old morals, but the way they presented themselves in public was unlike anything that had been seen up until that point. By day, the flapper girl was a hard working girl; their secretarial or clerical jobs serving as a means of payment for what would come later in the day. When night fell, the flapper girls' true colors shone through. From jazz clubs to speakeasies, the sky was the limit for the flapper girl. No longer chained by societal norms, the women of the 1920s were free to challenge old morals and the prohibition, just as their male counterparts had done before them. (4) With new-found independence, these flapper girls took the next big step in equality with men (at least from a societal aspect).
What is a "Vamp"?
Another commonly heard name for the new woman of the 1920s is the "Vamp". The vamp is identical to the flapp
er girl in almost every aspect, but it is a term generally used only to refer to famous flapper girls from the big screen. From an issue of the Rochester Evening Journal, we can see some Hollywood stars that were considered vamps, namely Clara Bow, Phyllis Haver, and Greta Garbo. (5)
er girl in almost every aspect, but it is a term generally used only to refer to famous flapper girls from the big screen. From an issue of the Rochester Evening Journal, we can see some Hollywood stars that were considered vamps, namely Clara Bow, Phyllis Haver, and Greta Garbo. (5)
The "It" Girl
Arguably the most recognizable name from the 1920s, Clara Bow was famous for being Hollywood's very first sex symbol. (6) She was also known for being a flapper girl, or vamp, rather. Her biographical documentary, Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl, credits her with being a "one woman revolution who shattered social and sexual tabboos". (7) A title that could have very well been given to the flapper girl populace as a whole, but I digress. Clara Bow described herself as a hard working girl and a role model for the flapper era. On the silver screen, she was almost always portrayed as a youthful, energetic and sexual character. The height of Bow's career would come in 1926 when she stared in the movie Mantrap, directed by Victor Fleming. Her role would earn her a five year contract that would, in turn, quadrupled her salary. The following year she would star in the movie It, based on Elinor Glyn's book of the same name. In that era, "it" was sometimes considered some sort of code for the word "sex", but whatever "it" was, Clara Bow had it. The movie was an astronomical success, effectively transforming Bow from a star to an icon. (8) Unfortunately her fame would not last long, as the era of sound movies was just around the corner, and Clara Bow was not prepared. Soon after her breakdown on the set of Kick In in 1931, she would be released from her contract and her fame would end. The "It" girl died on September 27th, 1965 in Los Angeles. (9)
(Below) "It" 1927
(Below) "It" 1927
Recipe for Flappers
A sub heading in an article of the Providence news quotes one Patsy Brooks, who states what she thinks makes up the flapper girl of the 1920s:
"Take two bare knees, two rolled stockings, two flapping galoshes, two plucked eyebrows, one short skirt, one lip stick, one powder puff, 1000 bobbed hairs, 32 cigarettes, and a 'boy friend' with a 'hip.' Season with a pinch of salt and a dash of peep and cover all with a spicy sauce. And you have a flapper,
"Now take the above ingredients and bake in a hot oven two or three years and you have what is known as a 'hot baby.' Then let it cook for another year and you have the modern flapper- two bare knees, two thinner stockings, one shorter skirt, 1000 more short hairs, two lip sticks, three powder puffs, 132 cigarettes and three 'boy friends' with 'eight hips,' and last but not least an expression of utter boredom." (10)
"Take two bare knees, two rolled stockings, two flapping galoshes, two plucked eyebrows, one short skirt, one lip stick, one powder puff, 1000 bobbed hairs, 32 cigarettes, and a 'boy friend' with a 'hip.' Season with a pinch of salt and a dash of peep and cover all with a spicy sauce. And you have a flapper,
"Now take the above ingredients and bake in a hot oven two or three years and you have what is known as a 'hot baby.' Then let it cook for another year and you have the modern flapper- two bare knees, two thinner stockings, one shorter skirt, 1000 more short hairs, two lip sticks, three powder puffs, 132 cigarettes and three 'boy friends' with 'eight hips,' and last but not least an expression of utter boredom." (10)
(1) Benner, Louise. “Women in the 1920s NCpedia.” Ncpedia.org. Accessed on Monday 25, 2013. http://ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/1920s-women
(2) Ushistory.org "Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp
(3) Benner, Louise. “Women in the 1920s NCpedia.” Ncpedia.org. Accessed on Monday 25, 2013. http://ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/1920s-women
(4) Ushistory.org "Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp
(5) Rochester Evening Journal "All Kinds of Vamps, So it Seems, At Hollywood". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i2JGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aykNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4288,5803732&dq=vamps&hl=en
(6) Turner Classic Movies, "Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/136010%7C0/Clara-Bow-Discovering-the-It-Girl.html
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(10) Providene News "Recipe for Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QSNaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1ksNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3070,1593024&dq=flapper+girls&hl=en
(2) Ushistory.org "Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp
(3) Benner, Louise. “Women in the 1920s NCpedia.” Ncpedia.org. Accessed on Monday 25, 2013. http://ncpedia.org/history/20th-Century/1920s-women
(4) Ushistory.org "Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.ushistory.org/us/46d.asp
(5) Rochester Evening Journal "All Kinds of Vamps, So it Seems, At Hollywood". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i2JGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aykNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4288,5803732&dq=vamps&hl=en
(6) Turner Classic Movies, "Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/136010%7C0/Clara-Bow-Discovering-the-It-Girl.html
(7) IBID
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(9) IBID
(10) Providene News "Recipe for Flappers". Accessed on April 7th, 2013. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QSNaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1ksNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3070,1593024&dq=flapper+girls&hl=en