This week when reading Flapper by Joshua Zeitz, I learned about how clothing changed from the early 1800s to the 1920s and the trend of the flappers. The quote I chose is on page 169.
"...the copies you buy in regulation sizes probably will be better made and fit than any bought at the original Paris shop...after having spent a large sum for a particularly smart frock, to find that the tiny hole-in-the-wall next door happens to know the same wholesaler patronized by your specialty shop, and is able to sell it for half the price you paid..." This quote stood out to me because usually when I think of knock off products, I think of products of poor quality, but in this case it was actually cheaper and better fitting. It went from women making their clothes at home and altering their clothes according to magazines, to buying mass produced knock-offs of French clothing that fit them better and were cheaper. It was such a big change because in the 18th century, having fancy silk, chiffon, and velvet clothes was something only upper class women can do, which meant only rich women could participate in fashion trends but after more people started making copies of French clothing like Chanel, even farm girls could afford to buy nice clothes and participate in the flapper trend. This wasn't just for clothes either. People also wore "costume jewelry" which were imitations of gems made of glass or plastic. It became accepted and popular to wear after Coco Chanel accepted and sold her own version of it, which led to rich women wearing fake jewelry despite having the money to buy real ones. I think this connects with American culture today for a lot of different reasons. The first reason is that nowadays, you can buy things online from websites such as amazon and ebay. If you scroll around for clothes, makeup, or any item really, you can find cheap knock-offs very quickly. Sometimes you find them by looking at reviews on products with customers explaining that the item is made from cheap material or doesn't do what its supposed to and is something to be avoided. Personally, I've always associated knock-offs with bad quality products that aren't worth my money so it's really strange for me, personally, to see an instance where "knock-off" products were not only better than the original but actually helped women express themselves and improve women's rights. Another way I think the quote I chose connects with American culture today is that even today, nice, mass produced clothes are a lot more accessible and affordable to people compared to the early 1800s. I think it shows how much it blurred the line between social class in terms of appearance but there is still a divide when it comes to income, which is something that never changed even since the 18th century. I wonder if the line between social lines will continue to blur in the future or if it will become more visible. Will it happen because of clothes or something else?
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This week when reading Flapper by Joshua Zeitz, I learned about the journalism industry during the 1920s and the writers who contributed to the rise of the flappers. The quote I chose this week is on page 93.
"Their jobs demanded that they dress fashionably, groomed themselves carefully, and stay abreast of aesthetic and cultural trends...and learned to identify with the middle class, even when the cost of a middle class lifestyle far outstripped their salaries...Flapperdom was every bit as much an expression of class aspirations as it was a statement of personal freedom. This quote stood out to me because it showed me a darker side of flapper culture. So far in the book, I have learned the positives of the creation of the "New Woman" and how it encouraged young women to be independent, get jobs, and be more free in terms of where they spend their money and time but sexism still existed. The whole flapper popularity does stand out compared to sexism that was happening because there was such a big change in American culture, but I think its also important to accept and learn that women still were not being payed as much as men and they still had high beauty standards to conform to. They had to look rich and stylish because of the pressure that was pushed onto them and that affected them because wealth was unevenly distributed among Americans. It also stood out to me that being a Flapper was not only showing independence but was also representing what women wanted to be in terms of social class. I think this connects with American culture today because we still have high standards of beauty for women and there are trends that women are pressured to follow that relate themselves and their possessions. Sexism still exists today as well as sexual assault, rape, and discrimination against women on the street, in schools and workplaces, especially in fields stereotypically thought of as masculine. There are still a lot of people who struggle to make money for their families too. I think that we can learn from flappers by taking the idea of being independent and apply it to our own lives but also lessen the pressure that society has on women to be or look a certain way. I understand that this maybe be unrealistic considering the influence our society has and always had on the way we perceive ourselves and each other but I think it could help women feel more comfortable with themselves and promote independence. For honors class, I am reading the book Flapper by Joshua Zeitz. In the beginning of the book, Zeitz explained how Eugenia Kelly, the heiress of a rich family, inspired the girls of the 1920s which led to the creation of the Flappers. Eugenia Kelly was described as a rich girl who liked jazz and dancing and her mother was against it. She was like a rebellious teenage girl and went out without telling her mom and challenged the traditional views on what women should be like. I thought it was really interesting to read that something like this happened in 1915 where I imagine everyone to be strict and very conservative. Zeitz also writes about the life of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote The Great Gatsby, one of my favorite books! He also goes into how his lover Zelda Sayre influenced Flappers. Zelda is described to be this wild, popular girl who bobbed her hair, raised her hemlines, smoked cigarettes, and kissed boys.
In the next chapter there are more statistics on how Flappers changed American culture and how many were affected. It goes into how women born before the 1900s were 14% likely to have premarital sex by the age of 25 compared to 36-39% of woman who came of age in 1910-1920. This means that women were being more open about their sexuality. Victorian parents also disapproved of automobiles because it gave young people the ability to spend time away from parents with their lovers and called it the "Devils Wagon." This really stood out to me because it reminded me of how parents of today disapprove of phones and computers and call it evil and bad for teenagers. It made me realize that even about a hundred years later, old people still find new technology to complain about. Overall, I think the book is very interesting. I always been interested in learning more about the 1920s so I'm really happy to have the opportunity to read it. I can't wait to read more of it! |
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