The Rolling 20's (Coffee Table Book)

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Diya Ahuja Nandini Mittal

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Fig 1: Flapper of the 1920s

Fig 2: Mary Louise

Fig 3: Alphonse ‘Gabriel’

Brooks, 1920s

Capone, 1925

Fig 4: The most famous underground speakeasy: Cotton Club

Fig 5: The 1920’s flapper dancing ‘The Charleston’

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It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing, It don’t mean a thing, all you got to do is sing.

-Duke Ellington

CONTENT 0 1. A PPLE SAU CE 0 2. S O E A RFU L! 0 3. S OCK DOLLAGER 0 4. LA Y OF F, LE T’S BLOU S E !

0 5. I SH K A BIBBLE 0 6. H OOF I NG AROU ND! 0 7. M I N D Y O U R POTATOES 0 8. TH E J A KE ’S JINGLE! JINGLE !

0 9. GLA D( I NG) -RAGS 1 0. H I P T O T HE JIVE 1 1. N OW Y O U ’RE ON THE TROLLY TROLLY!!

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The Government poisoned alcohol during the prohibition to control the alcohol consumption.

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Prohibition made selling alcohol illegal, which gave rise to bootleggers and gangsters.

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Pittsburgh’s KDKA became the first commercial radio station in the US in 1920.

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The Great Migration of African-American happened in the 1920s which introduced black culture.

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‘The most famous gangsters of The Roaring Twenties had a nickname to be deamed’.

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The St. Valentine's Day massacre was the most spectacular gangland slaying.

Illustration by: Diya Ahuja FMC(2018-2022)

‘What passion cannot, music raise and quell!”

-John Dryden

INTRODUCTION

APPLESAUCE The 1920s was a decade of Jazz music (Study.com, n.d.). It was radical, rebellious, carefree and the music of the youth. With the American economy ‘roaring’, new technological advancements and as World War 1 was over, it was a time to celebrate. Further mentioned

by Study.com(n.d.), it was all about defying the traditional norms and moving towards modernism and feminism.

The 1920s were solely a treat in all aspects. Daniel Delis Hill(2012) mentions that the radio-stations began broadcasting. Adding to this, drama and sophisticated comedies brought new ideas of social diversity and change into the living rooms of the people.

Along with this, the motion pictures and the people starring in them also had a huge impact on the public and their fashion.

The strength of America was generated and driven by its vast economic power as stated

by Trueman(2015). Right after World War 1, the youth needed freedom. Women, with their increased number in the workforce, wanted to enjoy life to the fullest and lucky them, the economy then was reaching heights.

World War 1 ending certainly has more to it than the exciting topics such as Prohibition and the gangsters, the Jazz Age with its crazies and Klu Klux Klan(Trueman,2015). When World War 1 ended, the basic thing that everyone wanted was to get back to the normal life with the same lifestyle and comfort. Instead of that what they got was prohibition, post-war recession and financially independent women(Hill,2012). The economy took its turns in 1924 when the stock market increased in value by 20 percent a year, on average (Amadeo, n.d.).

This decade of celebration had its reasons. Women joined the workforce in huge numbers and simultaneously got the right to vote. The freedom was noticeable in their fashion and lifestyle as well. “The new woman of the twenties was a freer, younger, more visible and more active creature than previously witnessed”(Dirix, 2016).

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He further mentions that from 1926 to 1929, the number of people flying in planes increased from 6000 to 173,000.

World War I had hastened the development of the airplane.

The auto industry also greatly expanded and more families could buy on credit too (Amadeo,n.d.).

As there was this huge rise in the economy, it led to consumerism and materialism.

People had money to spend on things other than the basic needs and more importantly, they loved doing that.

These major changes, therefore, had a huge impact on fashion, majorly women.

According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), it is a myth of the fashion history that women abandoned their corsets during the 1920s. The truth is, softer corset substitutes were adopted, such as elastic ‘roll-ons’ and ‘step-ins’ which had zip fastenings at the side.

Some people did shift to loose silhouettes, with flattened chests, bob cut hairstyles to give the women a youthful and an androgynous look.

Study.com(n.d.) further states that shorter hemlines with some

obvious make-up with the bob cut hairstyles, all dancing to the jazz music directly indicates to the icon of the decade; the Flappers. Flappers were American women in the 1920s who dressed freely in waist dropping silhouettes, smoking cigarettes, dancing to the jazz music and drinking alcohol in speakeasies late at night.

Martin (2011) states that this new breed of women had rebellious attitudes and they did possess great style in their choice of clothes with their flapper dress, being one of the most iconic styles of the twentieth century.

Even men shifted towards simplicity in a way. Reddy(2018) states that men moved away from starched collars and formal three-piece suits during the day. Instead, they adopted soft collars and one- or two-button suit jackets often worn without a waistcoat.

Adding more to this, she said that the most significant development in men’s fashion occurred in two unique kinds of trousers: the Oxford bags and the plus-fours. Oxford bags grew in popularity around 1924-25 when undergraduates at Oxford adopted these wide-legged trousers.

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Fig-6 : Four men drinking at a speakeasy

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To conclude, the jazz age did have an end in the 1929. The stock market crashed leading to the Great Depression but this iconic decade leaves a mark on everybody. The music, the rebel youth, the flappers, the pinstriped suits that men wore, the speakeasies, the Charleston dance, and the high economic conditions gist the decade but there’s more to it.

As cited by The Roaring Twenties(n.d.), Coleen Moore states that, ‘They

Fig-7: Women smoking from Berlin 1923

were smart and sophisticated, with an air of independence about them, and so casual about their looks and clothes and manners as to be almost slapdash. I don't know if I realized as soon as I began seeing them that they represented the wave of the future, but I do know I was drawn to them. I shared their restlessness, understood their determination to free themselves of the Victorian shackles of the pre-World War I era and find out for themselves what life was all about’.

POLITICAL ASPECTS

SO EARFUL! The 1920s is a decade of all glitz and glamour but it has its own reasons. The struggles that World War 1 caused weren’t an easy task to get away with.

Even with the economy’s downfall, it did recover but still required strength. Fashion is a part of everything. From cultures to politics, it has an effect on each aspect. This era saw a lot of loose fitting and a lot of menswear inspired clothing. This drastic change was a reaction to women gaining more political and social power.

World War 1 was finally over.

While men were off to fight, women took on jobs formerly filled by men. Women and girls who previously worked as domestic servants took jobs in munitions factories, performed administrative work, worked as drivers, nurses, and on farms, as mentioned by Monet(2018). She further states that they volunteered for organizations like the Red Cross and joined the military. A new image of freedom and self-respect led women away from traditional gender roles. They drove cars and demanded the right to vote.

In between the war, according to Mendes and De la Haye(1999) in her book, by 1916, a shortage of domestic labor meant that clothing required elaborate cleaning and therefore it became impractical which led to the change in the designs to accommodate wartime shortages and more modest lifestyles. Dark and dull colors predominated and proved entirely appropriate to the sombre times. There were some set rules that governed the funerals and mourning but the etiquettes were relaxed because many women working for the war effort were unable to adhere to them.

This was a way out. Working women couldn’t dress up the same way they used to in the Victorian era because the clothes then weren’t comfortable for them to work in. Gender dictated clothes weren’t dominated over the new roles of women anymore.

Pitogo(2014) writes that , World War 1 not only caused a scarcity of food but also in the clothing materials. This was the reason that the Victorian style clothing had to give way to a more loose fashion. They had to get over with the elaborate clothing.

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Fig-8 : Prohibition Protestors, 1923

Fig-9: Revenue agents during a raid in an underground club.

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The work that the women did during wartime required more functional and practical clothing and that could include trousers. Therefore, throughout the war, workshops and factories started to make standardized army uniforms (Mendes and De la Haye,1999).

Women’s fashion of the 1920s were heavily influenced by World War 1 as well as the women’s suffrage.

A straight look was basically a cut sleeved dress with a dropped waistline.

On the other hand, the women’s suffrage gave women a sense of power and confidence that led to the rebellion outlook of the youth which included majorly women.

Another impact of the World War 1 was that the products were manufactured in mass-production which played a major role in boosting the economy.

Fig-10: Women working in fields after the revolutionary phase in 20s.

World War 1 gave them the position to work and they needed their clothes to corporate with that. Therefore, their clothes became more at ease. According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), what was to dominate postwar fashion however, was the “Garconne” look; the very antithesis of the romantic style.Even Hill(2012), mentioned that in the 1920s, Vogue reported that ‘straight lines will be the rule of daytime, and fantasies from all parts of the world and all periods of the mode will prevail for evening’.

Monet(2018) states that a new feeling of freedom mixed with disillusionment created a new kind of culture; a live-for-today which lead to the Roaring Twenties.

Haight(2014) wrote that because of the work that the women used to get, their new income was largely enough that they could now afford the more extravagant side of fashion. This is one reason that the women used to dress up really well with long, beaded necklaces and some obvious makeup.

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The economy boosted up and the party didn’t end until 1929. It happened all of a sudden. The stock market crashed and it led to The Great Depression. Dirix(2016), further writes that on 29th

October, 1929, the Wall Street Crash ensured that the party was well and truly over, and the fashion would not escape its consequences. This is how the ‘Roaring Twenties’ came to an abrupt close in the 20th Century.

Fig-11: A woman smiling while holding various types of lethol and other substances.

Postcard by: Nandini Mittal : FMC(2018-2022)

18 | ECONOMICAL ASPECTS

SOCKDOLLAGER The 1920s, was a decade of increasing conveniences for the middle class. New products started coming up, making household chores easier and more reliable, which led to more leisure time. (The Balance, 2019) Products previously which were too expensive to be bought became affordable.

Subsequently, new forms of financing came along, which allowed every family to spend beyond their current means.(Study.com, 2019)They were advertising capitalization on people's hopes and fears to sell more and more goods.

However, the 1920s was the decade of ultimate growth and booming prosperity! It was the time when America's economy grew 42 percent from its initials.(The Balance, 2019) Eventually, Mass production spread new consumer goods into every household. The modern auto and airline industries were born. The U.S. victory in World War I gave the country its first experience of being a global power. Soldiers returning home from Europe brought with them a new perspective, energy, and skills.

Everyone became an investor thanks to easy access to credit.

The U.S. victory in World War I gave the country its first experience of being a global power. Soldiers returning home from Europe brought with them a new perspective, energy, and skills. Everyone became an investor thanks to easy access to credit. That hidden weakness helped cause the Great Depression.

The economy grew 42 percent during the 1920s. (Ushistory.org, 2019)The United States produced nearly half the world's output, because the World War I destroyed most of Europe. (Study.com, 2019) While, new construction almost doubled, from $6.7 billion to $10.1 billion. (The Balance, 2019) Aside from the economic recession of 1920-21, where by some estimates unemployment rose to 11.7 percent, for the most part unemployment in the 1920s never rose above the natural rate of around 4 percent. Average income rose from $6,460 to $8,016 per person. But this prosperity wasn't distributed evenly. In 1922, the top 1 percent of the population received 13.4 percent of total income. (Ushistory.org, 2019) By 1929, it earned 14.5 percent.

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Fig-12: Mass-production of the automobiles.

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The United States transformed from a traditional to free market economy. Farming declined from 18 percent to 12.4 percent of the economy. Taxes per acre rose 40 percent, while farm income fell 21 percent. By 1929, average annual income was only $273 for farmers, but $750 per person. At the same time, new inventions sent the manufacturing of consumer goods soaring. According to a presentation by the California State University, Northridge, real gross domestic product was as follows.

U.S. prosperity soared as the manufacturing of consumer goods increased. Washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators became everyday household items. (The Balance, 2019) Sixty percent of families bought radios. By 1922, 60 radio stations broadcast everything from news to music to weather reports. Most of them used expanded credit offered by a booming banking industry.

The airline industry literally took off. In 1925, the Kelly Act authorized the Post Office to contract out airmail delivery. In 1926, the Air Commerce Act authorized commercial airlines.

From 1926 to 1929, the number of people flying in planes increased from 6,000 to 173,000.

(Study.com, 2019) World War I had hastened the development of the airplane.

Many returning veterans were pilots eager to show off their flying skills with nationwide "barnstorming�. The auto industry also greatly expanded.

That was due to Henry Ford's mastery of the assembly line.

That lowered Ford's price 80 percent between 1909 to1929.

A Model T only cost $300. Also, more families could buy on credit. By the end of the decade, 26 million cars were registered. For the first time, women got behind the wheel.

On average, the stock market increased in value by 20 percent a year. It began rising in 1924. The number of shares traded doubled to 5 million per day.

Fig-13: Women listening to the radio after its advent in 1920s.

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One reason for the boom was because of financial innovations. Stockbrokers began allowing customers to buy stocks "on margin."

(Schoolshistory.org.uk, 2019) Brokers would lend 80-90 percent of the price of the stock. Investors only needed to put down 10-20 percent.

If the stock price went up, they became millionaires.(Ushistory.org, 2019) This same innovation became a weakness when stock prices fell during the 1929 stock market crash. Only one-third of the nation's 24,000 banks belonged to the Federal Reserve System.

Non-members relied on each other to hold reserves. That was a significant weakness. It meant they were vulnerable to the bank runs that occurred in the 1930s. Another weakness was that banks held fictitious reserves. Checks were counted as reserves before they cleared.

As a result, these checks were double-counted by the sending bank and the receiving bank.

The expansion of the auto industry created economic benefit for all. Governments spent $1 billion to build new roads, bridges, and traffic lights.

Gas stations, motels, and restaurants sprang up to service drivers who now covered longer distances. The insurance industry added expensive protection for the vehicles and their owners.

Banks also profited by lending to new car owners.

(Schoolshistory.org.uk, 2019) On January 16, 1920, the Volstead Act prohibited the sale, manufacture, or transport of any alcoholic beverages.

That led to an underground economy as people flouted the law. It also created a monopoly for gangsters such as Chicago's Al Capone. (Ushistory.org, 2019) On August 18, 1920, women won the right to vote in America. That's when the states ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. That empowerment trickled down to many levels of society.

So-called flappers cut their hair, dressed in less constrictive clothing, and became financially independent.

(Schoolshistory.org.uk, 2019) The 1917 Russian Revolution instilled fear of the spread of communism and instability. In September 1920, a terrorist attack on Wall Street occurred.

An Italian anarchist organization was believed to be the perpetrator. In 1921, the Italian-born American anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death for a robbery and murder in Boston.

The evidence linking them was not ironclad. But they were members of the same Italian anarchist organization.

Fig-14 Modern woman listening to radio.

“There is no cause to worry, The tide of prosperity will continue.�

-Andrew W. Melon

Postcard by: Nandini Mittal : FMC(2018-2022)

24 | CULTURAL ASPECTS

LAY OFF, LET’S BLOUSE!

It was a decade of art, lavishness, economic prosperity, political changes, women’s liberations and what not. Art Deco, Orientalism, Jazz music, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the origin of Flappers as a subculture and famous icons who started a fashion trend are some of the various aspects that defined the 1920s.

According to Courses.lumenlearning.com (n.d.), the Jazz Age was a post-World War 1 movement in the 1920s from which jazz music and dance emerged. It further states that the birth of Jazz music is credited to African-Americans, but both black and white Americans alike were responsible for its immense rise in popularity. The Prohibition of alcohol helped this culture grow in various directions. It brought a huge cultural shift in this decade and as people wanted to escape the dreadfulness of the war, they found their comfort in this music.

(Musicedmasters.kent.edu(n.d.) mentions that New Orleans was the home to many of the early Jazz musicians but

due to racial violence and tension there, many musicians fled to other cities such as Chicago and , Kansas City and New York. This movement of musicians coincided with jazz music being played across on national radio, spreading the style to new audiences across the United States. The Jazz music led to the dancing. The youth wanted to feel free in every way possible and the clothes of the previous decade weren’t doing any good. Then came the shift in the hemlines and a much more comfortable silhouette. With the increase in the economy, people had money to invest and therefore they started investing on the style and the fashion of that time.

Then came the discovery of the Tutenkhamun’s tomb in the year 1922 as mentioned by Martin(2011).it was discovered by a British archeologist , Howard Carter. This discovery triggered an interest in the Egyptian designs. As mentioned

by Dirix(2016) in her book, High Fashion, even products ranging from Singer sewing machines to chocolate tins now came decorated with ‘traditional’ Egyptian columns.

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Even Herald(2016), mentions that after this discovery, there were Egyptian inspired accessories- tiny combs for short hair, powder compact, cigarette case and pendant.

This discovery was an inspiration to a lot of women’s jewellery.

The Egyptian’s art and motifs also influenced a lot of fashionable dress fabrics.

Herald(2016) further stated that the Ancient Egypt was suddenly popularized through cheap imitations of ‘Cleo’ earrings and scarab-shaped jewellery and the lotus motif became the logo of a brand new footwear.

Art Deco was another movement that had a huge impact on the cultural aspect of fashion. Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.) describes Art Deco; also called ‘style Moderne’ as the movement in the decorative arts and architecture that originated in the 1920s and developed into a major style in Western Europe and the United States during the 1930s. Art Deco design represented modernism turning into fashion.

It was all about elegance that symbolized wealth and sophistication. It was clean shapes in geometric or styled form in a symmetry maintaining balance throughout.

Art Deco wasn’t just limited to fashion. It was also about art, paintings and architecture.

1920s-fashion-and-music.com(n .d.) writes that it was under the designer Paul Poiret, that the Art Deco flourished. Further stating, Art Deco fashion relied heavily on beautifully textured richly dyed fabrics that lent depth to the simple angular lines of the dresses. These dresses relied more upon simple shapes combined with the bold colors and textures textiles to the depth, beauty and overall effect of the fashion.

Even the flappers; the icons of this decade will be considered as a sub-culture all together.

Their ideas of freedom and rebellion were all a reaction to the restrictions they faced in the earlier times. This was their way to escapism. The speakeasies, the glitz and glamour and all the lavishness in the 1920s has to be linked to the women of the youth. They just wanted to celebrate life in all ways possible. Martin(2011) also states that the term ‘Flapper’ began in America when the silent comedy film, ‘The Flapper’ starring Olive Thomas was released in the 1920s.

Illustration by: Diya Ahuja FMC(2018-2022)

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Even the movies had a huge impact on the public in terms of fashion.

According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), the introduction of sound in 1927 was a good move towards greater realism.

When stars such as Joan Crawford, Louise Brookes and Gloria Swanson were cast[casted] as fashionable flappers, they inspired millions of women to copy their clothes, hair and cosmetics, as well as their mannerisms.

Fig--15: Flapper screen actress, Clara Bow

This decade ended with the economy’s downfall, brining everything down but the culture was somehow still there. The Jazz culture that started in the 1920s, later grew extensively with some of the best emerging singers and has made a mark on everybody. Even the Art Deco architecture in New York is still there. Culture has always played a huge role in a society, directly or indirectly. It can never end and never stop inspiring people around itself.

Fig-16: Norma Talma

MODERN WOMEN | 29

ISH KABIBBLE The decade of the 1920s was a rebellious one, majorly for women. They experienced liberation in so many ways that it was visible. It was all about the change in their attitudes and their difference in perspectives. Women made the most out of this era, politically and luxuriously in all the possible ways. World War 1 was one of the major political reasons that lead women to the freedom that they were experiencing in that decade.Martin(2011) also stated a fact that in 1918, women were finally given the right to vote in a general election, equality that the suffragette movement had been campaigning for since 1891.

As men were out to fight in World War 1, women had to take their places in different sections of the workforce.

Women and girls who previously worked as domestic servants took jobs in munitions factories, performed administrative work, worked as drivers, nurses, and on farms, as mentioned by Monet(2018).

The ratio of men and women in the workforce wasn’t equal but then at least women

were beginning to enter the male-dominated professions.

This was a huge step that was leading to equality in some way or the other. In America, the women’s suffrage also played a big part in dominating the fashion of the 1920s. However, as stated by (Herald, 2006), only women who were over 30 could vote according to the 1918’s British fight.

Even Martin(2011) in her book of Collectable names and designs in Women’s Fashion wrote that the clothing now had to be practical and comfortable to accommodate the new activities that women had become interested in so their lifestyles were suddenly reflected in the fashions of the time. Now, because the women started working, they started getting the freedom to spend.

As World War 1 was over, the economy started growing. It wasn’t a sudden growth but it did boost up over the years.

That increased the spending power and consumerism hand by hand. This is when fashion and style came in.

Fig-17: A flapper flaunting her ‘gaudy beads’.

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself.

Aloud ”.

-Coco Chanel

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Peacock(1993) writes that the ‘designed’ proportions of what was considered to be perfect.

The fashionable 1920s female body evolved from the elaborately trimmed dress with its high waist position and ankle-length skirt, at the beginning of the period, to the simple, sparsely decorated, shapeless tube with a hip-level ‘waistline’ and a skirt barely covering the knees, the decade’s end.

The 1920s gave rise to power dressing and flappers as well.

Power dressing came as a feeling of freedom and liberation from a different point of view. It freed women from the corsets of the previous decade. It was open to choices now depending on a woman to woman. It is not like all the women abandoned corsets all together. A softer version came in place of that which was much more comfortable than its previous versions. Another clothing style that came into the trend was the loose, flowy silhouette, usually cut sleeve.

This silhouette was so comfortable for the movements while dancing that it helped them loosen themselves.

It was a huge shift in the hemlines in the women’s silhouette if we see through the clothing aspect. In the spring of 1920, as mentioned by Hill(2012), Vogue assured readers that,’ street clothes remain short,’ which at that time were mid-calf. Barely ten months later, though hemlines descended almost to the ankles-about ‘eight to ten inches from the floor’, advised Vogue- which is where designers tried to keep skirt lengths over the next couple of years.

The ‘modern’ women of the 1920s wanted to pave their way in every section possible and that included the sports section too. Hill(2012) writes that women broke through the barriers of competitive sports, setting records, winning Olympic medals and excelling in the high publicized championship. Coco Chanel, one of the leading designers of the 1920s, revolutionized sports-wear by designing comfortable jersey knit suits which were further widely copied.

The 1920s is mostly signified by the glitz and glam of the flappers; one of the iconic women of the decade.

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The flappers were women of the youth who believed in all sorts of freedom. It was shown by the lavish dresses that they wore with the silk stockings rolled up on their knees.

Gaudy, long necklaces and ample amount of obvious make-up were the key elements. These bunch of women usually completed their evenings getting dresses for a party that usually included dancing on the fast, energetic beats of the jazz music.

They used to smoke and drink,

Fig-18: Modernwomen getting ‘tattoed’

with no societal burden and free from all the psychological pressure, just believing in enjoying their today's with as much fun as possible.

The modern women of the twenties earned their respect and freedom after all their struggles that they had to go through. The freedom didn’t last long but gave them way more power than what they had in the decades before.

The 1920s was about escapism. A delusion or reality, who knows?

Postcard by: Nandini Mittal : FMC(2018-2022)

L

34 | THE FLAPPERS

HOOFING AROUND! In 1920s flappers were considered as the foremost ideals- who broke away from the Victorian image of womanhood. Splintering through, from the shackled version of a ladylike demure, they were perceived as the trendsetters for the decade, who blatantly denied the idea of corsets, lusious long hair, and tons of layer! Instead, they went for bobbed cut hairstyles, dropped-down layers of clothing. wore makeup, created the concept of dating and moreover, practiced sexual freedom that shocked everyone.

At the dawn of the 1920s, while the world was still reeling from the First World War, nearly a whole new generation of younger women were pushing away the barriers for the economic, political and sexual freedom of the women! Ideally, the classic image of a Flapper was that of a stylish party girl, who was unafraid to defy the norms and engage in rebellious activities. While the conservative Victorian values, started breaking down, Flappers were on the roll! Their attire constituted of a rakish type effigy,

which was often donned with fashionable dresses of shorter, calf-revealing lengths and lower necklines, though not typically form-fitting; but straight and slim was the preferred silhouette.

Flappers were unabashedly rebellious. They also wore high-heeled shoes and threw away corsets in favor of bras and lingerie, gleefully applying the rouge, lipstick, mascara and other cosmetics. Flappers romped through the Roaring Twenties, enjoying new freedom it ushered. By the end of the First World War, as the dawn of a new era of prosperity, urbanism and consumerism rose, their image as the ‘new’ or ‘modern’ women formed. (Vegera, 2019) Other factors that gave rise to the Flappers were politically, culturally and technologically influenced, as during WWI women started entering the workforce in large numbers, receiving higher wages that many working women were not inclined to give up during peacetime. (Pruit, 2019) The origin of the term ‘flapper’ first appeared in Great Britain after WWI, which meant a young girl, still somewhat awkward in movement

“The flapper with her scanty dresses and casual approach to morals epitomized the youth culture of the Roaring Twenties�.

Seeling(2014) quotes,

Fig-19: Flapper at a party.

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and who had not yet entered womanhood. Meanwhile, Authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and artists like John Held Jr. first brought the term to the US reading public, half reflecting and half creating the image and style of the flapper, Fitzgerald described the ideal flapper as ‘lovely, expensive, and about nineteen’. Held accentuated the flapper image by drawing young girls wearing unbuckled galoshes that would make a ‘flapping;’ noise when walking. (Vegera, 2019) If Fitzgerald was considered as the chronicler of Flapper, his wife Zelda Fitzgerald was considered the quintessential example of one.

The Flapper clothing was influenced by the new, energetic dances of the Jazz Age, that required women to be able to move freely, something the Ironsides; of whalebone didn't allow.

Replacing the pantaloons and corsets with underwear called step-ins. The outer clothing of the flapper was still extremely identifiable.

The ‘Garconne’ look which was popularized by the renowned designer Coco Chanel, helped to embraced masculine features of the women- tightly

wounding their chest with strips of cloth to flatten it and make it appear more androgynous. While the designers like Jean Patou’s invention of knit swimwear and women’s sportswear like tennis clothes inspired a freer, more relaxed silhouette, while the knitwear of Chanel and Schiaparelli brought no-nonsense lines to women’s clothing. The hems of the skirts rose drastically, overlapped by a faint fraction of rolled and twisted stockings.

Earlier, the Gibson Girl, who prided herself on her long, beautiful, lush hair, was shocked when the flapper cut hers off. The short haircut was called the ‘bob’ which was later replaced by an even shorter haircut, ‘the shingle’, or ‘the Eton’ cut. (Rosenburg, 2019) Flappers often finished the ensemble with a felt, bell-shaped hat called a cloche. (Rosenburg, 2019) Apart from their attire modeling after a little boy’s outfit, flappers not only flaunted their sexuality but also owned it.It was indeed a radical age! Their attitude was characterized by shorter truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior.

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Coming, to the most famous icons of that decade was Clara Bow, who was popularly known as the ‘IT’ Girl, which referred to her 1927 film. Bow was the most successful screen flapper, who was beloved for her unpretentious manners of portrayal and her frank sex appeal.

Not everyone was a fan of women’s newfound sexual freedom and consumer ethos, which provoked an inevitable public reaction against them.

The critics all over the decade accused and issued remonstrance against them.

One of them was Utah, who attempted to pass legislation on the length of women’s skirts.

Fig-20: Chorus girls in a dressing room,1928

While other orthodox women like Virginia and Ohio tried to ban dresses that revealed too much of a women’s throat and form-fitting outfits. The criticism was endless- women who populated beaches in bathing suits were deemed inappropriate and were escorted off to beach by police or arrested if they refused to.

Popular clergymen like Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Baptist Pastor Dr. John Roach Straton became known for their tirades against women’s fashion.

Surprisingly, they also received the criticism of women rights activists like Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Lillian Symes, who felt flappers had gone too far in their embrace of licentiousness.

Fig-21L Modern young women wearing strapped shoes and headband.

The age of the Flapper came tumbling down suddenly on Oct 29, (1929) with the Stock Market Crash and the beginning of the Great-Depression Period. No one could afford the lifestyle any longer, and the new era of frugality made the freewheeling hedonism of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ seem wildly out of their touch with grim new economic realities.

While the spirit of the Flapper continues to live on. Some changes that occurred in the 1920s endured.

Though the Depression wiped out much of America’s prosperity and consumer confidence, the nation's mass consumer culture eventually reemerged stronger than ever.

The transformation of sexual mores and family life that occurred in the 1920s also persisted, “Changes in the family, the movement toward smaller families, birth control, fewer restraints in private life" (Pruit, 2019)

Fig-22: Flapper, with a lock in her gather.

40 | SEXUAL REVOLUTION

MIND YOUR POTATOES! The concept of the new woman during the 1920s underwent a sexuality connotation that was likely conspicuous in the minds of the youth. In fact, the 1920s was the decade that delineated the monumental change in nearly every aspect of American life, which was accompanied by unprecedented growth in the public expression of sexuality, shifting the focus from glamour and leisure in the 1910s to an underworld of prostitution in the 1920s. It focused more on the evident changes of the sexual propriety which was unlikely different from the ‘Victorian Era’ demure.

The portrayals of scantily dressed flappers swigging illicit liquor from flasks, and racy advertisements for silk stockings showing off women’s legs, were so blatantly amusing that it became socially controversial later. While an abyss of prostitution was already in existence, a popular and sexualized urban environment emerged, as new forms of entertainment and communication contributed to an evolving popular culture.

However, an interesting phenomenon became clear-

people were interested in sexual behavior. They would pay to see it.

Hence, Motion pictures and theatres were on the roll!

Capitalizing by the growing acceptance of heterosexual flirtation and imagery, not only grasped the attention of the young generation but also proliferated ideas and practices originating in cities to smaller towns across the country.

Subsequently other plays, songs, novels¸ and advertising all reflected the market for sexually-themed entertainment.

Also, the growing popularity of the automobile facilitated increased sexual activity among young people because of the privacy it provided. Since the arrival of the Puritans, polite society in America gave the impression that human sexuality was acceptable only within the bonds of marriage, and only as a slightly distasteful means of procreation.

It was often seen as the culture which was heavily influenced

by Protestant values, including chastity, modesty, and the link between sexuality and original sin.

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In spite of the constant presence of prostitution, pregnancy outside of marriage, pornography, homosexuality, and other examples of “deviant” behavior, it appeared that the majority of society had overwhelmingly accepted the idea that sex was a private matter between a married man and woman, and not a source of recreation but a necessary evil for the serious business of procreation.

There was doubt about the propriety of sexual education even when limited to informing young brides and grooms about what to expect on their wedding night, and it was not unusual for new brides to be shocked and disgusted when they discovered what was expected of them. Religious and conservative leaders alluded to a total collapse of morality and blamed popular entertainment for degrading America’s youth.

Fig-23: Kissing at a night club, 1920s.

Subsequently, Birth control was condemned by the church and the media, who could not justify preventing conception within marriage and certainly would not condone sexual activity outside of marriage. Moreover, Vice police, media, churches, and reform groups tried desperately to reign in the production and consumption of material they deemed to be obscene, but their efforts were met with limited success. Their dire warnings about the degeneration of America’s youth not only went unheeded but were met with increasing instances of the establishment defending the younger generation.

Challenging conventions of sexual reticence, sex educators and birth control advocates, Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett risked arrest and prosecution by countering ‘I do not believe that universal knowledge of contraceptives would lead to immorality.’

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Sanger defiantly opposed the position of the Catholic Church and the Comstock laws by publishing her opinions in her magazine, The Woman Rebel, and with a manual named Family Limitation, describing how to prevent pregnancy using contraceptives and advocating the right of women to limit their pregnancies or prevent them altogether. Birth control, these women thought, provided the key to women's liberation because it separated the demands of reproduction from sexuality. Moreover, Condoms and diaphragms were fiercely opposed by religious groups. This caused a decline in the Victorian’s new woman social realm of activity.

Not all attention to sex was affirmative, however; concern about the epidemic of venereal disease among the American soldiers during the First World War grew and led to a crisis in values regarding prophylaxis, which shed light on Fig-24: Queer Subculture

some realities of sexual behavior. An estimated 96% of cases of venereal disease were contracted before a soldier's entrance into the service, illustrating the prevalence of sexual activity even before reaching the brothels of Europe, in spite of mainstream America's reluctance to acknowledge it.

As men with sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea began filling infirmaries and seriously affecting the military’s available manpower, the reality became impossible to ignore.

Distribution of the “male sheath” and sexual education for soldiers became a necessity of war for many nations, and just one of many dirty secrets of military service not to be discussed in polite company. As the war ended, however, the national discussion about prophylactics and birth control was just heating up.

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birth control was just heating up.

The increasing acceptance of contraceptive use likely began before the twenties, but open discussions and the campaigns led by Margaret Sanger to remove legal barriers and provide education led to shrinking of family size and almost certainly lowered the rate of illegitimate births in unmarried relationships.

Frederick Allen describes the twenties as an “uneasy time,” when the initial breakdown of sexual taboos led to complete sexual obsession for a time, followed by the realization that some limits and restrictions may not be a bad idea. His ideas were borne out over the following years when a general public backlash led to a reigning in of overt sexuality in motion pictures and other forms

of entertainment.

As the younger generation matured, they retained some of the changes ushered in during the "roaring twenties," no longer connecting women smoking or drinking with men with moral decline, or considering the use of cosmetics a sure sign of prostitution. Men were generally more tolerant of the idea of "experienced" women, and marrying a young lady who was not a virgin was no longer an outrageous concept. Over time, their actions, along with the behavior of youth on city streets and in public places, wore down the stigma attached to public discussion about sex and even sexual experimentation before marriage. Hence, sexual liberation was superfluously roaring in the1920s!

“Although the obscenity laws were not formally overturned until the 1960s, by the 1920s, the federal government loosened its enforcement on mailing birth control information, and when Ben Reitman offered a course in “Making the Grade in the Jazz Age” at the Dill Pickle Club in the mid-1920s he devoted one of his lectures to sex and birth control.

In addition to open discussion of birth control and women’s sexuality, Chicago’s bohemian clubs were known as welcoming to gay men and women by the 1920s. Chicagoan Henry Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights in 1923, but the organization made little headway, and Illinois law criminalized homosexuality until the 1960s. In 1931, the Dill Pickle Club sponsored a well-attended lecture by Magnus Hirschfeld, an openly gay German physician and long-time advocate of human rights for sexual minorities.”

44| MUSIC INFLUENCE

THE JAKE’S JINGLE!

Fig-25: The famous Paris Cabinet, 1929

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From Duke Ellington’s houndstooth blazer to Billie Holiday’s signature gardenias, jazz musicians and singers were always on the roll! They were the most prominent fashion icons who not only challenged the stereotypes gallantly but also defied them. Fashion and Music go together hand in hand since it gives the visual and sensory experience of a time that can be relived over and over again. The Jazz Age happens to be one of the most influential fashion eras of the time, with its remnants still resonating with our runways and sidewalks. It eventually started gaining recognition when women began expressing themselves on the dance floor, which meant looser clothing and hemlines a bit shorter.

The 1920s opened with an explosion of color and the wailing sounds and fast rhythms of jazz and energetic dancing.

It was a period of escapism, which was a youthful reaction against the dark and serious clothes, behavior and the mood of an older generation that was still clinging to an old Victorian and Edwardian values.. One of the final junctures in the emancipation of women and the freedoms they affirmed, assured the sense of an assault on what was considered an ‘uptight old world’.

As the roaring 20’s were gaining traction, jazz became the music which many of the new age liberals began to relate with, shifting from the Victorian violin and harps, jazz was what they called the pop music of that time. Young women and men would gather at exclusive underground clubs, like the Cotton Club, to enjoy live music and dance to the tune of their newfound freedom.

However, Jazz grew out of African-American experimental music, which emphasized on strong rhythm and syncopation, often featuring improvisation later. The syncopated rhythms of it also influenced the designs of everything from visual art to housewares (especially decanter sets), soon evolving through changes in society as blues and ragtime and swingwhich became an appropriate form later.

Jazz gained mainstream popularity during a volatile period of racial segregation and gender inequality. (D. McClendon, 2019) It was in these adverse conditions that jazz performers discovered the power of dress as a visual tool to voice their defiance against societal construct.

Fig-26: Bessie Smith dancing on the stage.

Thus, shaping Fashion and Jazz into a symbol of camaraderie.

The Jazz Age recordings were often called ‘race records’ and were sold and played only in the black neighborhood of large cities like New York and Chicago.

The leaders of the jazz music were King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, who were the haunts of gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. King Oliver was the leader of ‘The Creole Jazz Band'', which was famously known for their biggest hit ever the ‘Dippermouth Blues', the band played the song nightly at the request of the crowd. While Louis Armstrong who was known as America's most influential Musician began playing with King Oliver's Band at the beginning of the 1920s, which later on prompted him to be the most successful artist of that decade around the world.

While Duke Ellington’s nonchalant charm and elegance

elevated life superfluously amused the 1930’s with high-end glamour designs. It was the swing decade that found Jazz and American popular music as one in the same swing becoming the commercialized product that could be heard on radios across the nation.

Are you not hearing the constant serenade of the great period jazz music in the background yet?

Jazz music was a propelling force of this new culture. By 1925, the wild and primitive sound of Jazz music filled the streets of every major city in the United States. (D.umn.edu, 2019) It supplied females of all ages with a socket for rebellion.

It helped to provide jobs for women inside the audio industry and expanded the foundation of girls as the customer target market. Androgynous was the term coined for ladies to bind their bosoms so they did not appear too feminine then.

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The influence of Jazz upon popular culture is perhaps the most apparent (through different states civilization) one when looking at the development in the fashion industry during the 1920s. It can be chiefly seen on-trend developments across the years.

Moreover, Changes in the fashion industry accompanied the evolution of jazz music during the 1920's. Geometric patterns placed onto fabrics reflected the improvisational aspect of Jazz and the small parts of clothes that could be swing around freely when dancing was also its contemplation. Jazz and its influence on fashion reached even further, with both jazz and dance motifs making their way onto textiles.

(Strikeforcemechanical.com, 2019) States also incorporated images of both jazz bands and people dancing to jazz. The print Rhapsody shows a textile produced in 1925 representing a jazz band in a polka-dot like manner. Not only did textiles take motifs of people dancing and playing jazz music, they included designs that were based on the overall rhythmic feel and sound of jazz music and dance.

Albeit, the precarious hairstyle of this pre-war age were unsuitable for Jazz dance,

the bobbed hairstyle wasn't only a sign of rebellion, but it was a practical style for the favorite dance music. The Charleston was a really strange and vigorous dance that involved the full movement of the body by feeling free in whatever they wore with torso binding while seeming bizarre to some people, nut compelling to many. The nature of jazz helped bring about a new style of dance, a more vigorous and animated variety. Earlier, dances like the One-Step, from an entirely different era, went out of fashion through its simplicity was valued and carried forth into the Fox-Trot, which was appropriated to a much more vigorous version, The Toddle. (Hennell, N. 2019) Most exciting of all though was the Charleston, which compelled activeness and dancer's ability to exercise freedom of movement of every limb.

At the dawn of the 1920s, the world was still reeling from the First World War, which helped spark a jubilant sense of freedom in the West, liberally spearheaded by the youth and embraced by all.

Jazz encouraged sexual and primitive behavior during the uninhibited and improvisational feel of their music.

(Crisscross-jazz.com, 2019)

Postcard by: Nandini Mittal : FMC(2018-2022)

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GLAD(ING) RAGS From Jeanne Lanvin, who began her empire as an entrepreneur before the 19th century, to the greatest sartorial inventors of the time Gabrielle ‘Coco Chanel, who not only carved out a successful niche of fashion meets art, but also empowered liberation through her clothing, these power women were indeed the true fashion influencers of the decade, that continues to inspire us now! (Fashion Insiders, 2019) Poiret, one of the most iconic designers at the turn of the 20th century was born before this time. He set the tone for the period that was to be known as the ‘Roaring Twenties’. After the devastation of the Great World War in 1914, the 20s was an era of decadence, exuberance and celebration.

(Fashion et al., 2019) Starting from the ultra-glam flapper girls to the first waves of cool androgyny, 1920s fashion was truly about liberation! The constraints of the corset were blatantly dismissed by the young along with tiny waists, layers of lace and petticoats and the heaving bosoms symptomatic of the Edwardian period.

Restored by a somewhat boyish, cylindrical and less restrictive silhouette with its dropped waistline and more fluid shaping. 1920 gave the freedom of all! Infact, the look also supplied as a homage to Poiret’s pioneering vision of liberty and solace afterwards.

(Fashion Insiders, 2019) Shoulders were revealed through the wearing of spaghetti strapped dresses, with subsequent exponential rise in hemlines, was a firm declaration that the shoulders and ankles had become the new erogenous zones.

Considered by most fashion connoisseurs to be the century’s most important couturier. Coco Chanel, as a mistress of a sportsman and horse breeder, she was determined to project a fashion image of a liberal women. (Fashion Insiders, 2019) Chanel did much to further the emancipation and freedom of women’s fashion by marking the greatest sartorial inventions of the time; The LBD’s, tweed suits embellished with pockets etc, which not only liberated androgynous styles but also reflected progression.

(Vintage-couture-fashionblog.bl ogspot.com, 2019)

Fig-27: Chanel in her androgynous style.

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Subsequently, Chanel gained recognition with her foremost creation of LBD’s, which became a staple in every women’s wardrobe later on. It truly was a masterpiece that got its eminence from its application technique of using embroidery, applique, beadwork, sequins and lace altogether. (Fashion et al., 2019)Moreover, Chanel was probably the first women to wear trousers, cut her hair short, and reject the idea of corsets, which turned out to be extremely revolutionary!

As the most famous ‘garconne’ look which was an exquisite adoption of male clothing and other male themes like sailor outfits and mechanic’s dungarees played as an inspiration for her fashion.

(Harper's BAZAAR, 2019) Similiarly, Men’s sweater which was worn with a belt around the waist, took hold on women wear of the tailored suits completing it with a shirt and tie in the precise way. Short knickerbockers and baggy trousers were

Fig-28: Cloche hat worn by a woman.

also in flare and became in vogue enabling women to enjoy comfortable sports clothing for golf and bicycling.

(Vintage-couture-fashionblog.bl ogspot.com, 2019) Chanel was credited with liberating women from the constraints of ‘corseted silhouette’, and introducing sporty, casual chic to the modern women of the era.

While, Jeanne Lanvin who is best known for her signature design the ‘Robe de Style’ whose silhouette, dropped waist with a full skirt was a precursor to her 20’s flapper style dresses. (Fashion et al., 2019) For the 1920s fashion, the skirt became shorter and less full, more tubular in keeping with the modern flapper silhouette. (Harper's Bazaar, 2019) Lanvin, was a mastermind when it came to her designs, renowned for her exquisite embellishments, she also created an ‘Illusion of Narrowness’ by using fine, sheer fabrics which was an immensely appreciated.

Fig-29: Androgynous Clothing

Other designers like Elsa Schiaparelli, became famous for her series of sweaters featuring Surrealist ‘’trompe l’oeil’’ images. Trompe l’oeil meant ‘trick the eye’ in French, which Elsa used optical illusions in her stunning designs.

Other most prominent designers of the time were MadaleineVionnet and Norman Hartnell. Vionnet styles were characterized by the handkerchief dress, the cowl neck and the halter top,

while Hartnell’s designs were marked by expensive and lavish embroidery that created a highly luxurious effect.

(Harper's Bazaar, 2019) The decadence of the twenties took its lead from the work developed bt ‘the father of Haute Couture’ Poiret.

However, this exuberance was to be short lived due to impending economic global recession of the thirties.

Fig-30: Evening dress, 1924 (Silk, Rhinestones)

Fig-31: Jeanne Lanvin(Robe de style,Fall/winter

Fig-32: Jeanne Lanvin(Robe de style,1922)

Fig-33 : Jeanne Lanvin,evening dress, 1925

TRENDS | 55

HIP TO THE JIVE This decade of 1920s was all about freedom and liberation. It was both; freedom from corsets and hobble skirts or freedom from the restricted mindsets of the people. The 1920s women’s fashion went through some slow and subtle changes but the results were radical at the end of the decade. As far as men’s fashion were [was] considered, development in style, color and cut during the 1920s were painfully slow, as stated by Peacock(1993) in The complete fashion source book. There were a lot of trends that started off really well in the 1920s.the loose silhouettes ruled over this decade for women. The corsets didn’t end of course but now it was a matter of choice.

According to Hill(2012), in 1920, Vogue reported that, ’straight lines will be the rule of daytime, and fantasies from all parts of the world and all periods of the mode will prevail for the evening’. The straight silhouette was basically a dropped waist line with a few inches short hemline. The evening wear was all about lavishly dressing up comfortably which was mostly suited for speakeasies.

Hill(2012) also mentions that some styles even featured the barest of deep decollete neck-lines with thin, spaghetti shoulder straps. According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), the introduction of sound in 1927 was a good move towards greater realism. When stars such as Joan Crawford, Louise Brookes and Gloria Swanson were cast[casted] as fashionable flappers, they inspired millions of women to copy their clothes, hair and cosmetics, as well as their mannerisms.

Another trend that came a lot into highlight was sportswear.

According to Hill(2012), during the 1920s, the women were encouraged to participate in all forms of athletics for which designers created comfortable, easy-care clothing. She further stated that pleated skirts were favored for the ease of the movement. Even knickerbocker suits for women remained a common outfit for golfing, hiking, canoeing, camping and other country activities.

Jodhpurs also became a fashionable pant style for women when hunting was a mixed social event, such as shooting grouse.

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Even men wanted to pass their time and therefore indulged in sports. Hill(2012) states that among the fastest sports of the period was golfing. The standard apparel for playing golf was the full-cut plus fours, stockings, and a loose-fitting shirt, often worn with a pullover.

The sports clothing was a sign of modernity. Mendes and De la Haye(1999) states a fact Patou, was designed for professional sports people. His most famous client was the French tennis champion; Suzanne Lenglen, whom he dressed both on and off court.

Cloche hats, which complimented the bob haircuts of the women also came out as a hug trend of the 1920s.

Hill(2012) writes that the close-fitting cloche hats had emerged during the First World War when working women cropped their hair. As the bell-shaped cloche evolved in the mid-twenties, some styles lost their brims entirely and others extended the narrow brims well down over the brows.

Fig-34: Lowe Waistlines

The hemlines rose as we moved forward with years and therefore there was more visibility of the foot-wears that were worn during that time. The foot-wears were supposed to be comfortable for the women to work and dance to the Jazz music. They were usually buttoned or strapped and that could hold the feet and not slip off. According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), the most common footwear styles were Cuban-heeled court shoes and shoes with cross straps and T-bars.

Men’s fashion wasn’t moving forward with the same pace as of the women. It was slow but then there were certain trends that started in that decade and continued further. Hill(2012) mentions that the two or three button, natural shoulder suit with its trim V- line jacket, snug vest, and narrow, leggy trousers was the popular attire for both young and mature businessmen of the 1920s. The Oxford bags were a huge trend among the youth.

Fig-35: Chanel’s LBD

Hill(2012), further says that the Oxford bags in the second half of the twenties also brought home a new type of knickers: the plus fours. They were a longer form of golf knickers with wide, baggy legs that would blouson over four inches above the knee-band.

Coco Chanel, the designer of that time who helped the 1920s with the basics of fashion created the most iconic piece: The Little Black Dress.

She also released her Tweed suit which had been inspired by her visits to Scotland with the Duke of Westminster as mentioned by Martin(2011).

Trends come and go but what’s important is how one is actually influenced by it and till how long. Fashion is all about change and trends are therefore a part of it. The 1920s was a bag of everything all together which brought about changes in so many ways.

58 | END OF THE 1920s

NOW YOU’RE ON THE TROLLY! The fun had to end someday.

The decade of enjoyment and living in the moment came down to a sudden halt when the stock market crashed in October 1929. It was disheartening. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 was further followed by The Great Depression and that was the hardest situation to handle.

only the manufacture and sale were classified as crimes. This drove the liquor trade underground–now, people simply went to nominally illegal speakeasies instead of ordinary bars–where it was controlled by bootleggers, racketeers and other organized-crime figures such as Chicago gangster Al Capone(History.com, 2019).

The twenties are mostly recognized as The Jazz Age in America and as Bright Young Things in Britain (Herald,2016).

This wasn’t all to it. This decade faced a lot of things behind all the glamour. The African-American community, the Klu Klux Klan, The Prohibition, and even the gangsters played a vital role in the 1920s.

The 18th Amendment specified a ban on the sale of ‘intoxicating liquors,’ heralded the beginning of the Prohibition Era. On January 16, 1920, the Volstead Act closed every salon, bar, and tavern in the U.S. However, this act didn’t turn America into a ‘dry’ nation; quite the opposite.

One of the reasons for worsening conditions was the standard of alcohol drank.

Millions of gallons of rotgut moonshine and bathtub gin were produced in the 1920s. It had a famously awful taste and offered the possibility of blindness or being poisoned.

Some of the illegal liquor contained industrial alcohol.

The government had ordered it to be denatured in 1906 to prevent consumption and also ordered companies to include other toxic chemicals as further deterrents during prohibition. It didn’t work, and this tainted drink possibly led to the deaths of 10,000 people during the prohibition era.

For a start, the Volstead Act didn’t make alcohol consumption illegal;

Fig-36: Josephine Baker

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Before prohibition, criminal gangs mainly focused on their ‘turf’ and engaged in racketeering and other illegal activity. The ban on alcohol gave them a golden opportunity to expand, and they wasted no time. The Windy City became one of the hotbeds of organized crime in America as the likes of Al Capone and Dean O’Banion trafficked illegal booze and killed countless people in the process.

The lack of employment available ensured an increasing number of men who were willing to risk it all and become part of a criminal gang. The rate of violence in Chicago increased significantly from 1925 onwards when Al Capone took over the Chicago Outfit from Johnny Torrio.

The ex-leader had a close shave as he avoided an assassination attempt, so he decided to leave the world of crime and returned to Italy(Lynch, 2019)

Fig-37: Modern Women, 1920

Al Capone looked to wipe out his enemies and blood soon spilled into the streets of Chicago. This resulted in the infamous Saint Valentine’s Day massacre in 1929.

There were a lot of negative factors that had a huge influence in the twenties which goes unnoticed most of the times. World War 1 wasn’t the end and there were a lot of reactions to that too.

Postwar, food prices and clothing items doubled the prices and workers were not getting paid enough to afford these items. Workers faced low wages, difficult working conditions, and long hours.

About 350,000 workers nationwide went on strike to improve these conditions.

Eventually, the workers completely defeated the union and conditions were improved(The Roaring 20's, 2019).

L o r e

Fig-38: Wall Stree Crash, 1929

Even religion was one of the most challenging aspects of the 1920s. The Klu Klux Klan was best known as the ‘hate group’.

This group was created during the Reconstruction Era of the 1860s. They became a very large, controversial, nationwide organization in the 1920s. This group was known for discriminating against African Americans, Roman Catholics, Jews and foreigners. They dressed in a standard white costume and caused violent attacks on these groups. The clan was led by General Nathaniel Bedford Forrest and three million members nationwide stood beside him. (Ncpedia.org, 2019) The political issue was that Warren G. Harding was president during this time period and it was a complete disaster.

He tried to elect men that could best benefit his cabinet and they were responsible for the accomplishments of Harding's brief administration, which included stimulating business growth, cutting taxes, and negotiating disarmament treaties.

On seeing the economic point of view, America's farmers were not benefited during this time period. By the end of World War I, European production suddenly faced a huge glut of agricultural products, with no marker of buyers. Farm prices fell at a dramatic rate to where the price of wheat fell by almost half & the price of cotton fell by three-quarters. Farmers then had trouble affording their farming equipment like tractors and farms were foreclosed by banks because they couldn't make their payments.

Banks too, faced The Great Depression Period. They failed to secure sufficient funds in the case of bad debts meaning that when farmers went bankrupt, they didn't have sufficient reserves to meet credit demand. Banks also were at risk of running out of money and if that happened, they couldn't borrow from a central bank.

When the Great Depression rose, people wanted to withdrawal money from the bank but the bank didn't have enough reserves to do this.

(Shmoop.com, 2019)

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According to Mendes and De la Haye(1999), the major fashion feature of 1929 was the dramatic drop in the hemlines in the winter collection. The Winter 1929 collections had been designed and made well before the collapse of the Wall

Fig-38: Wall Stree Crash (Illustration), 1929

Street Stock Exchange on 24th October, 1929, which caused the overnight bankruptcy of multi-millionaires and huge international businesses and brought the ‘Roaring Twenties’ to an abrupt close.

Postcard by: Nandini Mittal : FMC(2018-2022)

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LIST OF FIGURES Fig-1: Flappers of the 1920s Fig-2: Mary Louise Brooks Fig-3: Alphonse ‘Gabreil’ Capone Fig-4: The most famous underground club: Cotton Club Fig-5: 1920s Flapper dancing‘The Chaleston’ Fig-6: Four men drinking at a speakeasy Fig-7: Women smoking from Berlin smoking, 1923 Fig-8: Prohibition protestors Fig-9: Revenue agents during a raid in an underground club.

Fig-10: Women working in the fields Fig-11: A woman smiling while holding various types of a lethal and other substances.

Fig-12: Mass-production of the automobiles.

Fig-13: Women listening to the radio Fig-14: Modern women listening to radio after its advent Fig-15: Portrait of the ‘It Girl’Clara Bow Fig-16: Norma Talma, flappers silent screen icon Fig-17: Women flaunting her‘Gaudy Beads’ Fig-18: Modern women getting tattooed.

Fig-19: Flapper at a party.

Fig-20: Chorus girls in a dressing room, 1928.

Fig-21: Strapped shoes and headband Fig-22: Flapper, with a flock in her gather.

Fig-23: Kissing at a night club, 1920s Fig-24: Queer Subculture Fig-25: The Famous Paris Cabaret, 1929 Fig-26: Bessie Smith dancing on the stage Fig-27: Chanel in her androgynous clothes Fig-28: Cloche Hat worn by a woman Fig-29: Androgynous clothing.

Fig-30: Evening dress, 1924(Silk, rhinestones) Fig-31: Jeanne Lanvin, Robe de Style, Fall/winter 1926–27.

Fig-32: Jeanne Lanvin(French, 1867–1946). Robe de Style, 1922.

Fig- 33: Jeanne Lanvin(French, 1867–1946). Evening dress, 1925 (Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Fig-34: Lower Waistlines Fig-35: Chanel’s Little Black Dress Fig-36: Josephine Baker Fig-37: Modern women, 1920s Fig 38: Wall Street Crash, 1929 Fig 39: Wall Street Crash, 1929

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