After the personal freedom allowed them during the World War 1, young women go out to work, get permission to vote, play sports and demand to leave the house unchaperoned. New financial independence and emancipation followed and cutting long hair became a symbol of independence and strength equal to men.
Hair may have been worn up, but it was always, always long. Part and parcel with the rebellious flapper mentality, the decision to cut it all off was a liberating reaction to that stodgier time, a cosmetic shift toward androgyny that helped define an era.
A sure sign of a flapper was their short hair! In the 20s, most homely women sported long locks while the flappers flaunted their brave short tresses. If you want to let your fierce side loose, there is nothing quite like trying a glamorous flapper hairstyle.
It is symbolic of letting go of the past, getting out of our hair whatever has been troubling us, cutting old ties and lightening the load to go forwards into a new future.”
The flappers continued to wear their hair in updos, or as they liked to call their styles, “do's.” The look was common for almost all flappers, but the most popular flapper hairstyle was the “loopy curls,” also known as the “clipped curls.”
The bob cut
Bob cuts were a huge deal for 1920s hairstyles and signified the roaring twenties like no other hairstyle. Women who got bobs were symbolically throwing away the old ideas of femininity that were tied to long, flowing hair from the Victorian era.
As fashion historian and writer Marlen Komar points out, "Whether it was the '20s or '60s, women turned to knee painting to not only flex their creativity and have a bit of fun, but also to assert their autonomy, own their sexuality, and label themselves as a new generation of modern women.
“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” Coco Chanel wisely uttered this quote, as she knew the power of a good haircut. That power she referred to is the confidence and sharpness of a new look and feel. It has become synonymous with breakups, new beginnings and the transformative power of change.
Many women today maintain long hair when they're single, and then cut it shorter when they have kids, due to its impracticality. So in a way, that cutting of hair is a ceremony that mirrors that of an Edo period Samurai: an end to an era of someone's life, and the beginning of another.
Popularized by the actors Audrey Hepburn and Jean Seberg, who boldly rejected the long waves and coifs of their silver-screen counterparts, the pixie became a symbol of nonconformity and empowerment.
In the decades before the Roaring Twenties, nice girls didn't wear makeup. But that changed when flappers began applying cosmetics that were meant to be noticed, a reaction to the subdued and feminine pre-war Victorian attitudes and styles typified by the classic Gibson girl.
1920's Flapper Hairstyles Revolution
Known as the Castle Bob it was simply a tousled straight round cut that was level with the lobes of the ears. As the 1920's advanced, it became synonymous with the flapper look. To wear your hair short was a major statement by a woman, one of independence.
In the twenties, flapper girls would apply blush to their knee caps to draw attention to this part of the body (which was frowned upon to reveal at the time.) The way to wear a blushing knee was peeking out from a mid-length skirt and accompanied by a pair of rolled down stockings.
The 1920s flapper dress was versatile and appropriate for partying, having a night on the town, or going to work. They could be both feminine, fun, and professional simply by changing the type of fabric used or adding or removing accessories.
The real origin of the word comes from a fledgling – a young bird flapping its wings while learning to fly. By the 1890s the term was surfacing in England as a reference to high-spirited teenage girls.
Rocking the Ice Age
“People have been styling their hair since time began,” she said, “for the same reasons that we do today. Practicality, decoration, tradition or customs, and to show allegiance or involvement in a particular group or part of society.
What are the common modern Japanese beauty standards? Modern Japanese beauty standards tend toward light, flawless skin, a slim, petite figure, slender legs, and a quiet personality—although those “standards” change over time and may be largely ignored by future generations.
In traditional Korean society strict distinctions were made between married and unmarried people. Even if a boy married very young, he put his hair up in a topknot and was treated like an adult. For this reason, some men wore a topknot on purpose to come across as a married man.
The prevalence of hair removal salons for both men and women, and in recent years, even for children in Japan reflects a commonly held belief in Japanese society that hairless bodies look better than hairy ones. In Japanese, body hair is often referred to as ムダ毛 mudage, meaning "unwanted hair."
The Bible says that any woman who cuts and styles her hair to be so short as to look like a man's might as well be shorn (shaved) to symbolize a fallen woman. God views a woman cutting her hair short as a sign of open rebellion toward her Creator (verse 6). Cutting one's hair is not the same as shearing or shaving it.
As writer Erin Blakemore explained for JSTOR Daily, “Cutting hair—and thus resisting traditional ideals of feminine beauty—is a classic way to gain distance from subordination.” When some women come out of a breakup they don't just want new hair, but a way to express their power and individual freedom —something they ...
“For a lot of people it's a quicker fix. It's easier to change something that you can do immediately because the other stuff can take longer,” says Beck. Our appearance can serve as an armor of denial when we're feeling particularly hurt or vulnerable.
Typically, women wore a bandeau brassiere to flatten the bust. In the early 1920s, some structure such as light boning was still utilized. As the decade progressed, however, these bras became less structured and considerably smaller.
Flappers were the first women of history to get tattoos!
All straps on society shoes were thin and even thinner as the decade progressed. The pump with a single strap across the vamp was called a “Mary Jane” and was the most popular shoe of the roaring 20s. Fancy “flapper” models as well as practical low heeled comfort shoes and summer sandals appeared.