10 Ways Flapper Girls of the 1920s Changed Fashion, Freedom and Fun Forever

Stacey Cokan
Sep 21
2 min read

Two Flapper Girls in pink and blue talking to one another

Did you know.... The Flapper Girls of the 1920s were once accused of being reckless, immoral and unladylike?

But their boldness helped reshape ideas about women’s rights and personal freedom. Here's how...

They challenged gender roles: Flappers drove cars, worked office jobs, and openly pursued independence in ways that shocked their parents’ generation.
They were rebels of fashion: Flappers cut their hair into stylish bobs, wore shorter skirts (often knee-length, shocking at the time), and embraced looser clothing that defied the restrictive corsets of earlier decades.
The bob wasn’t just a hairstyle, it was a statement: Cutting their hair short symbolised freedom from traditional femininity. Some salons even refused to do it at first.
They smoked and drank in public: Activities that were once considered scandalous for women became part of the flapper lifestyle, especially during Prohibition speakeasy culture.
Makeup went mainstream thanks to them: Flappers weren’t afraid of bold lipstick, kohl-rimmed eyes, and rouge. Carrying a compact in public became socially acceptable because of them.
They danced the Charleston and shocked society doing it: The Charleston and other jazz-inspired dances became wildly popular among flappers. With energetic kicks, swinging arms, and syncopated rhythms, the dances were seen as wild and indecent by older generations, but to flappers they embodied freedom and fun.
They redefined dating culture: Before the 1920s, “courting” was a formal process often supervised by family. Flappers flipped the script, embracing casual dating, going out unchaperoned, and exploring romantic independence.
They popularized slang and jazz-age lingo: Words like “the cat’s pajamas,” “bee’s knees,” and “hotsy-totsy” became part of flapper vocabulary, spreading into mainstream culture. Their playful slang gave the era its jazzy, carefree voice.
They had a love affair with jazz: Jazz music was the soundtrack of the flapper lifestyle. Many flappers flocked to nightclubs and speakeasies to hear live performances, helping fuel the nationwide jazz craze.
They challenged beauty standards with a new body ideal: Unlike the curvier Edwardian silhouette, flappers embraced a slimmer, boyish figure. Drop-waist dresses and straight lines celebrated a new ideal of modern femininity, emphasizing youth, energy, and liberation.

Flapper girls helped pave the way for women’s rights by boldly rejecting old social norms and showing that women could claim independence, freedom, and self-expression on their own terms.

Here’s to the Flapper Girls!! 🎉

Scroll down to see my lovely products inspired by the amazing Flapper Girls of the 1920s.

In the meantime, you might like to see these Flapper Girl fashion sketches from the 1920s...