Flapper

The term "flapper", which became common slang in the 1920s, referred to a "new breed" of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered "decent" behavior. The typical flapper was unafraid to wear cosmetics or to be seen smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages in public.

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Flappers had their origins in the Gibson girls of the 1890s. Named for the drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, these women maintained their femininity despite participating in what were then considered traditionally male activities such as sports or higher education. World War I forced women to enter the workforce to replace the large numbers of men fighting overseas. By war's end, women were expected to return to their traditional roles as housewives and mothers. The men returned from a raucous life abroad where facing death each day had not left them eager to take on a traditional lifestyle, either. More importantly, vast numbers of men did not return from the war, leaving a significant gap between the numbers of single women and men. These factors prompted many post-war women to forget about tradition. These women were dubbed "flappers" in Britain, based on a perceived similarity to young birds vainly trying to leave the nest. While many in the United States assumed at the time that the term "flapper" derived from a fashion of wearing galoshes unbuttoned so that they flapped as the wearer walks, the term was already documented as in use in the United Kingdom as early as 1912.

Slang: Slang is the non-standard use of words in a language of a particular social group, and sometimes the creation of new words or importation of words from another language. It is a type of neologism. Slang can be described as deviating away from standard language use. Slang functions in two ways; the c...

1920s: Sometimes referred to as the "Jazz Age" or primarily in North America as the "Roaring Twenties"....

Cosmetics: Cosmetics or makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. Their use is widespread, especially among women in Western countries....

Flapper related Images and Photos (experimental)

Flapper Fashion I	Flapper Fashion IV	Betty Boop Flapper Betty Statue	Betty Boop Flapper Betty Wine Glass
Betty Boop Deco Flapper Statue	Fortune Teller Reading Flapper's Palm	Flapper in a Green Dress Dances in Front of a Group of Men in Evening Dress	Typical Flapper with Platinum Blonde Bobbed Hair Green Eye-Shadow Rouge and Pencil Thin Eyebrows