Beauty Ideal in the Twenties

It is commonly said that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Everybody has different taste and, therefore, sees different things as beautiful. But nowadays, with technology and social media having such a big impact on most of our lives, society and the media determine what can be considered as beautiful and what cannot. People have a similar picture in mind wen we think of a beautiful person: a healthy and good-looking man or woman wit ha toned or slim body and smooth skin. But how come that Marilyn Monroe was the biggest sex symbol of her time even though she was very curvy? Twiggy, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of that and seemed to only consist of flesh and bones. But these two very different body types are both deemed beautiful. Nowadays it is appealing to men when women show a lot of skin, wear shorts or skirts and a big cleavage. Because women show a lot of skin though, there is also a lot of slut shaming. The Golden Twenties in the United States was a time filled with big changes and developments. The society transformed and threw morals overboard with an incredible speed during those ten years, which must have had an impact on the ideal of beauty and how it changed within those years.

Flapper Girl

Economical, Political and Social Situation

Economical Situation

in 1910 people were still suffering from the effects First World War had had on their lives. Especially for farmers it was a tough time, as the Great Depression had already started ten years earlier for them. Mass production and mass consumption also started in the Roaring Twenties, which was a completely new way of living. The financial system boomed, as the government of that time strongly believed in business enterprise, leaving the economy with major freedom.

Political Situation

Warren G. Harding was newly selected to e president of the United States in 1920. His slogan was "return to normalcy" and he wanted a government that was pro business, anti-tax and anti-regulation. After his death in 1923 he was followed by Calvin Coolidge, who also wanted a pro-business government. Many new acts and policies were established with one of them being the 18th Amendment, also known as the prohibition. People weren't allowed to consume alcohol anymore but because it was still very easy to access it, there was a growth of organized crime. Another major change took place within the society as women started going to work. Through this change, women started to feel more liberated and powerful.

Calvin Coolidge

Social Situation

The Golden Twenties are known as a time when moral values shifted. Sexual liberation, especially for women, was a big topic and experienced with immensely. Young women adopted new lifestyles, you could see them smoking and drinking, wearing knee-length dresses and cutting their hair into a bob. All of this was a symbol for the freedom young women found all over the world during that time period. During those ten years many significant changes in lifestyle and culture happened. But it wasn't only a time of change for fashion but also for film, music, dance and literature. Jazz was extremely popular and everybody had to dance the Charleston. Also, black people felt more confident and were able to express their confidence through music, art and literature. This movement intended to promote racial equality.

Ideal of Beauty for Women in the 1920s

A typical woman from the Golden Twenties is one wearing a flapper. A flapper girl was the style icon of the 1920s. The term "flap" was the meaning for "prostitute" in the 16th century in Great Britain, but it had lost that meaning by the 19th century. By the 1920s the word described young women, who broke the rules of fashion and behavior. One very big designer during that time was Coco Chanel. It wasn't just the way they dressed, which was different, but also their behavior. They lived their freedom and were seen smoking, dancing provocatively, driving fast and switching between lovers and jobs. It was like a new woman evolved. Because they weren't just allowed to work anymore but had to due to the absence of men, it was a huge change in their lives which gave them a feeling of liberation and claiming their own bodies. The way women dressed in the Golden Twenties was loose dresses with bare arms and a waistline at the hips. They had short hair, a flattened chest, and a straight waist - their goal was to look young and boyish. It was a very colorful attire. Another thing that was very important to the outfit was the hat. Not just the way they dressed changed, but also their makeup. Prior to the Roaring Twenties it was bad, due to chemicals in makeup, and shameful to wear it, which is why is was usually done secretly. After the First World War women started to wear a lot of makeup. Because there weren't many men around anymore the competition increased and the ladies had to achieve the attention they wanted from men, which was done by wearing makeup.

Flapper Girl's Make Up