How did flappers start?
Before World War I women would typically wear their hair long, and loosely on top of their head. They would wear a long skirt to the floor and a shirt with a high collar, to show very little skin. With their skirt they also had many layers. This started to change and women dressed more provocatively. This change occurred for many reasons. The men went off to war, so with all of them gone women had to change their lifestyles. When the war was over and the men returned they were expected to go back to society's rules, but the women did not want this. While the men were gone they started working outside of the home, so they started to dress in lighter clothes and they realized how convenient it was. Also the war had an effect on this change because it made the ladies realize that life can be cut short very easily, so they should have fun and live life to the fullest. So they started acting out. Along with the war a whole generation of men died, leaving a very low number of suitors left for the women. They decided that they didn't want to just waste their life away, so they started to fool around with the men. The term "flapper" started in Britain and was used to describe young women, who wasn't quite a women but not a girl and was in an awkward and foolish stage.