Book review: Flapper by Joshua
Zeitz
For many years I have had a fascination and love for the 1920s.
Whether it’s the fashion, the progress that women made for equality, the rise
of Hollywood,
the prohibition or the technological progress, it all makes for one interesting
and fast paced decade.
Though the focus of this book is on the women of the era, Zeitz
also eloquently brings in the topics of the advertising industry, prohibition
and how the fast moving technology industry impacted not only social life but
also the laws of the land. And it is all part of the great strides women took
during those years. Now! His focus is on the American Girls, who unfortunately
did not get as far as their European sisters during that time, and thus much of
the progress was lost when the 1930s came about. Though never returning to the
previous Victorian standards, a more conservative view definitely took hold
after the crack on Wall Street. But this is not a historical article! So
onwards to the review!
Zeitz have picked a handful of some of the most famous Flappers
in the US
at the time to include in his book. From Zelda Fitzgerald, Lois ‘Lipstick’ Lane
to Colleen More; these three flappers inspired women and set the standard each
from their own industry and place in society. I have personally developed a bit
of a crush on Miss Lane;
her style, her work ethics and her snarky-ness all put a smile on my face.
Zeitz give them all the space they need to unfold before your eyes, but he does
not make the mistake of disconnecting them from reality; dryly commenting on
the fact that it was only a very few privileged women who had their
opportunities or could afford their lavish lifestyles.
In fact he takes the time to showcase the lives of middleclass
women, as well as working women who were working long hours for little pay in
the pursuit of independence. He goes over the social rebellion and the clashing
of the generations. How the conservative, God fearing people of America
shivered, held their breaths and denounced all the evils of the short skirts
showing of the girls’ knees, of the kissing and necking in the back of cars, of
young women leaving home and not marrying and, even worse, not listening to
their parents or other authority figures!
But one of the most recognized features of the Flapper is her
style! And Zeitz covers this extensively, connecting the changes in fashion to
the newfound mobility of young women in not only America
but Europe as well. Dedicating several pages
to some of the big designers of the time, like Coco Chanel, in order to explain
just what was the look of the Flapper. This is also the part of the book where
he jumps over the pond, since the majority of the fashion favoured by the
Flapper originated in Europe.
All in all, this book is very informative, yet also very fun to
read. I had an easy time getting through it, with its less than 350 pages it is
a fast read. Not mentioned above is also his look at the cinematic industry and
its impact on the Flapper. But even that topic he manages to get around with
smoothly blending politics, fashion and even racism.
The book itself is rather gorgeous to look at and it will
certainly make any nightstand or coffee table more fashionable. And inside each
chapter is preceded by a beautiful black and white picture, setting the mood
(and making me wish I wore red lipstick more often). But now you must excuse
me! I’m gonna curl up in bed with a cup of tea and watch Miss Fisher’s Murder
Mysteries on Netflix.
Until next week!
Xoxo Christina
