A post on the Independent Fashion Bloggers site inspired me to share a little history of the fashion era that has always appealed to me the most: the Roaring 20’s!

Source: Tumblr

Let’s start off with some background, shall we?

Source: Tumblr

The 20s marked the age of birthing feminism. No pun intended. Margaret Sanger fought for birth control. Alice Paul argued until an equal rights amendment was added to the U.S constitution. Carrie Chapman Catt colored up minds with voting awareness. In that era, women finally won the right to vote! There were so many great leaders during this time, so many women to aspire to be. However, young women were uninterested in the bigger causes because…well, because girls just wanna have fun.

These girls are what we call “flappers”. Flappers were young, middle-class women from the north. Though the economy was fluctuating, a lot of them had stable jobs. They were operators, clerks, saleswomen. Department stores were expanding and of course women were needed to connect to others.

Source: Tumblr via flapperfromthefuture

At night, it was a whole different story. Flappers were all about the night life. Vaudeville, jazz clubs, speakeasies were the places to be. The flappers drank (which was totally illegal because of Prohibition). The flappers smoked (an activity “for men”). They were flamboyant women, women that weren’t afraid to experiment, women that were out to get rid of double standards.

Source: Tumblr via deraleek

The looks of the flappers were very distinct. They chopped off their hair, caked on the make-up, bought higher heels and dressed “provocatively” (knee-length dresses was hot then).

Source: Tumblr via flapperfromthefuture

Source: Tumblr via its-the-idealist

I found some really cool pictures that can help anyone accomplish the “flapper”  look on Tumblr! Check them out:

Even though the 1920s is one of my favorite ages, I think If I were living then, I wouldn’t have gone as far as “acting” like a man and I really doubt I wouldn’t just think of pleasing myself. I find the “me, myself and I” mindset rather selfish. But, being a flapper also meant being an individual. I think that’s what I love most about that era. I’m all about that “embracing me” fashion.

What fashion era do you embrace most?

Source: http://www.ushistory.org/