History of the Flapper Dress: Then and Now

The Roaring Twenties
In a time of celebration and increasing prosperity following the First World War and the newly acquired right for females to vote, the 'Roaring Twenties' was a period of dancing, drinking, dressing and partying. What was once restricted to richer women in society, due to the expense of such overly embellished garments, quickly became something more accessible and easier to make at home, thanks to the lack of a corset. The flapper dress shape was a simple, over-the-knee length shift shaped dress, something dramatically different to the shapes previously seen in the 1900s, with its stiffened hourglass silhouette and long skirting. Fashion became empowering as women physically broke free from the confines of formality.
The Flapper Girl
The women who circulated the fashion scene were known as flapper girls. These were young ladies who frequented all of society's best parties and bars; the modern party animals of today! Despite prohibition in the air throughout the twenties, that didn't stop them. It was a hugely experimental era; the flapper was bit of a reckless rebel who danced the nights away in the Jazz Age. It was no longer a restricted lifestyle for a young woman who wasn't allowed to leave the home whenever she pleased until married. From as young as 15, she was out to be seen, get drunk and scope out her stomping ground.
Demise of the Flapper
In such a fast-paced society, by the time 1929 came around flapper fashion was no longer deemed 'in'. In 1929 The Wall Street Crash, a catalyst for the Great Depression in America, catapulted the era of the Great Gatsby into an early grave. It was no longer an affordable lifestyle to lead in times of great economic difficulty. Fashions turned to more conservative, economically sustainable style that suited the climate.The Flapper Dress Rises Again
With so many of us admitting to have magpie tendencies, we can safely say that the flapper dress is well and truly back on trend. With so much history and a great story behind the classic eveningwear trend, we can definitely see why! New season flapper dresses have started to arrive at Little Black Dress, perfect for Christmas parties and NYE celebrations!
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