Role of women
Before the war, girls were expected to behave modestly and wear long dresses. When they went out, they had to be accompanied by an older woman or a married woman. Women were employed in traditional, jobs, eg servants, seamstresses, secretaries, nursing. During the war, women started to be employed in different types of jobs, eg factory work, replacing the men who had gone to fight in the war in Europe. As a result, the Nineteenth Amendment to the constitution became law in 1920, giving women the right to vote.
There was an increase of 25 per cent in the number of women working during the 1920s. By 1929, 10.6 million women were working. Independent women of the middle classes and above had more money to spend. Because of this, advertising companies started targeting women in their campaigns to encourage them to buy their new products.
Some women started to smoke in public, drive cars and take part in energetic sports. Some young women of the 1920s were referred to as flappers. In 1919 womens' skirts were about six inches above ground level, but by 1927 the hems of skirts were up to knee-level. Young women rebelled against the old-fashioned clothes of their mothers' era. It became all the rage for women to cut their hair in a bob and wear a lot of make-up and jewellery. One famous flapper of the time was Joan Crawford. Many young girls admired and copied her style.
Flappers would smoke and dance in the Jazz clubs. They also drank illegal alcohol in the speakeasies. Petting parties began where the flappers would kiss men in public. But not every girl enjoyed the flappers' way of life. Poor women and black women could not afford the new fashions and they didn't have the time to go out and enjoy social events. Women in the Bible Belt did not adopt the new way of life. Also, many older women were outraged and some formed the Anti-Flirt Club.