1920s Culture Essay

The culture of America changed forever when the 1920’s introduced itself to the public. As the Eighteenth Amendment passed and black culture cross over into white culture, ideas of independence began to sweep across the nation. The Roaring Twenties was an impactful generation that had a culture based on unrestricted ideas of women’s roles in societies, music and dance performance, and alcohol consumption. Before the 1920s, women had a conservative look to the public. Body images required curvy and unattainable figures, style recommended a feminine, soft look, and men wanted a woman who was soft-spoken and gentle. However, as the 1920s passed, a new form of women’s style and behavior came into view. As skirts became shorter and blouses became looser, these unrestricted women became known to the public as “flappers”. Although their new-found

These individuals were focused on a more unhindered approach to style, emphasizing the cat-like or boyish figure of the day. Girls began to cut their hair into the rebellious bob or the emphasized Eton, comparative to a boy of their age. Long hair was seen as a sign of femininity, and simply put, short hair was not, which made it much more desirable. Curls were favored in this day, and soon the kinky, chaotic, big hair was achieved by curling irons made of iron slides and wood grips that were heated over coal. Bangs also came into view, being cut straight across the face or with the middle being shorter than the sides. Billie Dove framed the idea of these bangs well, which gave her a childish, doe-eyed look that many youths were inspired to copy. However, as the fabric in skirts and hairs in the head became less and less, the amount of makeup used began to increase. Women would wear brands such as Maybelline and Posner to achieve a look of flawlessness.