The American Debate over Women’s Fashion in the Roaring ’20s

Hailey Downey ’24 Major: Health Policy and Management Faculty Mentor: Dr. Darra Mulderry, Center for Engaged Learning After the Great War, Americans embraced change, especially women who had taken on a greater role at home during the war. As women gained more independence through the right to vote and roles outside of the house, their style choices reflected their lifestyle changes. Women would no longer be burdened by male-dominated government and societal restrictions. Their fashion cast of the added weight, demonstrated by lighter and shorter clothing styles, hairstyles, and a more liberal use of makeup. Through the 20’s, women continued to experiment with new trends and tested what society had to offer. The decade accelerated the fight for equality among the genders, a battle women still fight today. In both political and social spheres, women sought their own place. Women continued to challenge society and break free from their role as domesticators. They fought for equal pay, demanded abortion rights, etc. Even today, 100 years later, women’s fight for freedom of expression persists. The advancements made can be directly attributed to the women of the 1920s, who by earning political freedoms also gained the right to social freedoms and expressed their independence in true feminine style – through fashion