The Modern Day Flapper

Today’s Trail-Blazers and Revolutionaries

BY DEVNA PANDA

The concept of the flapper girl has become a well-worn reference for us in modern-day society. The glitz and glam of the “Roaring 20s” is still thought of with reverence today; oftentimes, party goers will even attempt to recreate it. I myself lived out my dream of dressing up as Zelda Fitzgerald, referred to as “America’s first flapper” by her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald, two Halloweens ago. Yet, these flappers were more than just style icons and beauty queens; they were the women of their time who were willing to challenge the status quo and pave the way for future generations of American women. Today’s flapper girls are the women who are doing the same, standing in opposition of their respective repressive regimes.

During the period of Prohibition, the 1920s came to be characterized by a certain flavor of defiant youth. Women, especially, were gaining new freedoms; they became an integral part of the workforce during World War I and gained suffrage in 1920. With their newfound sense of independence, they began dressing in what is now known as the flapper style. Dresses were knee-length and often sleeveless, a revolution of itself during this time. Beaded tassels, fringe, and bold colors were customary of these dresses, allowing flappers to shine on the dance floor. They accessorized these outfits with headbands or cloche hats atop their heads, bangle bracelets on their wrists, and long strands of pearls around their necks. These women abandoned their long hair in updos in favor of short bobs and donned avant-garde make-up looks. Beyond their sense of fashion, flappers rebelled against the rules and regulations of the preceding Victorian era by smoking cigarettes in public, expressing their sexuality, and frequenting jazz clubs and speakeasies without chaperones, where they illegally drank alcohol. However, with the turn of the decade and the Wall Street Crash in 1929, these once free-spirited, glamorous girls had no choice but to adopt a far more austere life in the face of economic despair.

Considering the flapper girls of the 1920s begs the question: where are the modern-day flappers? Who are the girls breaking the rules and rebelling against social norms? The single-most important characteristic of a flapper was a strong conviction in themselves and willingness to expand the personal freedoms of women, courageously furthering feminism. In today’s world, these are the girls who are openly voicing their opinions in the global arena and fighting for their beliefs.

In Iran, women’s rights have become limited since Ayatollah Khomeini came into power in 1979. Women in Iran are forbidden from many spheres of life, such as dancing and singing in public, riding bicycles, and attending sporting events. Moreover, they are barred from pursuing the presidency or judgeships. The morality police in Iran enforce requirements for women to dress and behave modestly. In 2022, Mahsa Amini was famously arrested in Tehran for not properly covering her hair. A few days after her detention, she was hospitalized in a coma before ultimately passing away. Amini’s tragic death sparked outrage among Iranian citizens against the brutal regime of the morality police and the Islamic republic of Iran. Women in Iran are continuing to express their defiance against the infractions being made on their rights; female athletes are competing in their sport while defying the mandatory hijab rule, famous actresses remove their veils to make statements, and female journalists Nazila Maroufian and Sepideh Gholian continue to dissent against the government. Just as the flappers disregarded authority and proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with, these women and girls are doing the same albeit being faced with far graver consequences. The flapper girls are a symbol of how women can be a revolutionary force, fighting to expand their civil liberties and achieve equality. Considering the flapper girls of the 1920s begs the question: where are the modern-day flappers? Who are the girls breaking the rules and rebelling against social norms? The single-most important characteristic of a flapper was a strong conviction in themselves and willingness to expand the personal freedoms of women, courageously furthering feminism. In today’s world, these are the girls who are openly voicing their opinions in the global arena and fighting for their beliefs. In Iran, women’s rights have become limited since Ayatollah Khomeini came into power in 1979.

Women in Iran are forbidden from many spheres of life, such as dancing and singing in public, riding bicycles, and attending sporting events. Moreover, they are barred from pursuing the presidency or judgeships. The morality police in Iran enforce requirements for women to dress and behave modestly. In 2022, Mahsa Amini was famously arrested in Tehran for not properly covering her hair. A few days after her detention, she was hospitalized in a coma before ultimately passing away. Amini’s tragic death sparked outrage among Iranian citizens against the brutal regime of the morality police and the Islamic republic of Iran. Women in Iran are continuing to express their defiance against the infractions being made on their rights; female athletes are competing in their sport while defying the mandatory hijab rule, famous actresses remove their veils to make statements, and female journalists Nazila Maroufian and Sepideh Gholian continue to dissent against the government. Just as the flappers disregarded authority and proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with, these women and girls are doing the same albeit being faced with far graver consequences. The flapper girls are a symbol of how women can be a revolutionary force, fighting to expand their civil liberties and achieve equality.