Women
Flappers represented new women because they were more “outgoing” women of the time. They were younger girls who dressed more casual and had higher skirts. They smoked and were with the fashion of the time. They were the new women with freedom. The women were successful in some areas of the women's movement. They got voting rights, and had a higher level of education.
Flappers and Women
Flappers as they were known, changed the influence on women during the 1920's. They symbolized a new freedom for women. The tradition values of womens' dress and behavior were being overthrown and in came this new fashion of the 1920's. This new style included shortened skirts, drinking, smoking, and defying the societies' expectations of proper conduct for young women. This new style required time and money though, so college girls, unmarried women, and independent office workers were the majority of this new flapper group.
Women's Movement
As women were becoming more independent during this time period, they were also fighting for more rights. The most significant gain during this period was women being given the right to vote. This womens' right to vote was done through the addition of the 19th amendment. To continue their success, by the end of the decade, women were accounted for almost 40% of the college degrees awarded in the U.S.
Comparing This new Life Style
Women during the 1920's were slowly, but surely gaining more and more freedom. The difference between this time period and the progressive period was outstanding. Before women had to work more often, and were responsible for the house, kids, and tending to the husband. Now they were becoming more independent and gaining more freedom. Colleges were now a bigger option for women, and many pursued this route. Women were changing from prim and proper, to the now more indecent look. They smoked, they could drink, and they were wearing shorter dresses.
Thinking Like a historian
Through their eyes - To see myself in the shoes of women back in the 1920’s would be a dramatic change than from seeing myself before that as a women. Women before the 1920’s were more proper and courteous than they are in the 1920’s. The new fad is “smoking” and the marriage rates are going down while the divorce rates go up. Women are becoming ill mannered and selfish now that they have their own freedom. To be the more “hip” woman I would have to follow these examples.