Hairstyle

Previous to the 1920s, women always wore their hair long. But soon after the war, a new trend of short hair began. Women adopted the "bob" hairstyle, which was short and simple. This drastic change was another reason the Harlem Renaissance was so famous. The new look of very short hair was a reflection of the "masculine look". Women also began wearing Cloche hats which allowed the women to hide their hair in it. 

Masculine Look

During this time in the 1920s, women began to rebel. They started behaving in a manner than many considered to be "masculine", such as smoking, drinking, driving, and having sex, as well as wearing the men's clothes. Even though the women adapted to many boyish habits, they still presented themselves with grace and style as many believed a woman should. This new trend and style helped the women of the 1920s  redefine the meaning of "sexy". 

Construction

Before the 1920's fashion movement, women were constructed. Women were forced to act a certain way and also forced to dress a certain way. Not only were tight, heavy and layers of clothes constricting them but also society. Fashion and their daily lives were a direct parallel to each other...but it was time for them to break free from their constricting clothes and their constricting lifestyles.

 

https://www.uvm.edu/landscape/dating/clothing_and_hair/1910s_clothing_women.php

Before the Renaissance

Prior to the Renaissance, women were a lot more conservative. This was a direct parallel to their current gender role and way of life. Women were taught to act and look a certain way to portray a woman of substance and morals, not a woman of freedom or choice.

https://www.uvm.edu/landscape/dating/clothing_and_hair/1910s_clothing_women.php

Real Women

History defines us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t__RhUyZMDM&feature=youtu.be

1920's vs. 1930's

If anything could bring the eccentricity of the 1920s to a screeching halt, it was the Great Depression that arrived in the 1930s.  For one thing, people were feeling much less frivolous when they were enduring the worst economic collapse in the nation's history.  

As opposed to the 1920's, the following decade embraced a romanticized approach to fashion, emphasizing feminine beauty.

Image URL

http://www.thefinertimes.com/The-1930s/big-changes-came-to-fashion-trends-in-the-1930s.html

The flapper changed women's posture drastically. The previous fashion style, known as the Gibson girl, portrayed women with very straight posture. The flapper had a boyish posture that even though it looked disorderly, it was carefully executed.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fd/6c/7b/fd6c7b8fb1b2f7428fa1094917037749.jpg
http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/data/13030/m7/ft9k4009m7/figures/ft9k4009m7_00014.gif
http://image.glamourdaze.com/2015/06/1920s-Fashion-Correct-Postures-for-a-Flapper-1928-f.jpg

The Evolution of Undergarments

The 1890's Corset

Before the early 20th century, corsets were a staple of female undergarments. Often made with metal boning and worn so tight that women needed "fainting couches" they could pass out on when they became light-headed from having their lungs compressed.

The 1920's Step-in's

The loose fitting slips or "step-ins" of the 1920s created the desired "boyish" figure required for the drop waisted dresses of the Flappers. 

The 1930's Panty Girdle

In the 1930s, women begun to wear pants. the slips, bloomers, and corsets of the past were not practical for wearing trousers that were often related to sports and outdoor activities.

http://collegecandy.com/2012/11/09/history-of-underwear/

The Evolution of Women's Fashion 

Image URL

Since the start of her career, Coco Chanel, has been an influential figure in the fashion industry. She is very well known for her creation of the Chemise dress. This is what we know as the typical flapper dress that allowed women to dance comfortably.  

                                                                                                  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gF1D5_eIprCTkPS4KC3y7ghSRdL59AP-7q-IYdx0fSCLNQtWTuttw_dxJcLANr0He1DiCNns0eU8kdgmWhzNfwT0YY73r-zMR2AsV_ZCCvZO-G2m4_p1lrIYBfqypcN_9yOFtU9ft0n4/s1600/Coco-Chanel-1929-2628507-b.jpg 

As author Joshua Zeitz mentioned in his novel Flapper, achieving 'THE' flapper look was not something all girls could do. It was an expensive task, a luxury that only wealthy middle class women could afford. 

http://juliapetit.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/whatitcostswelldressedflapper.jpeg