Identification

• The definition of a "flapper" could mean many different things, depending on who is giving the description. Some people consider flappers to be the pioneers who sparked modern women liberation and feminist ideals, while others view flappers as wild, impetuous women who acted raunchy and degraded themselves without care. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a flapper is "a young woman of the 1920's who flaunted her disdain for conventional dress and behavior."
  
  

Philosophy

• During the 1920s, flappers believed in the right to live their lives free of the previous era's popular moral and conventional restrictions, such as having to depend solely on their husbands for financial support and not being able to vote or equally partake in politics. To show their disdain for the traditional roles bestowed upon women, they spoke openly about political affairs, obtained jobs alongside men and flaunted their independent spirits for all to see.
  
  

Fashion

• Regarding fashion, flappers favored short hairstyles such as the "bob," finger waves and pin curls; wore stylish dresses that revealed their arms, backs and lower legs and sported beaded jewelry, flashy headbands and medium-height heels. Compared to the attire most women of that time period were wearing, such as full-length skirts, corsets and high-collared blouses, a flapper's fashion sense seemed risque, flamboyant and coquettish.
  
  

Culture

• Prohibition was in effect during the 1920s, and it didn't sit too well with women living the flapper lifestyle. Since most flappers liked to party, which included drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes, they were spotted regularly in speakeasies that supplied illegal liquor, jazz music and tobacco. Make-out or "petting" parties were also part of the flapper culture. These parties allowed for people to get together and casually partake in sexual activities, another act that was considered taboo during that time. Dancing was another activity loved by flappers; as a result, they created many new dance routines to show off at parties and late-night gatherings. Although it was not an accepted practice among most women, slang mixed with a bit of profanity was often heard on the lips of many flappers as they conversed with other people during social events.