This article first appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Antiques to Vintage Magazine. Written by Elizabeth Cheung and edited by Julie Carter.
After the end of WWI, women emerged into a new societal landscape, as Elizabeth Cheung and Billy Robertson explain.
‘The Flapper awoke from her lethargy … put on her choicest pair of earrings and
a great deal of audacity and rouge and went into battle …
She was conscious that the things she did were the things she had always
wanted to do.’
Zelda Fitzgerald,
‘Eulogy on the Flapper’ 1922
Louise Brooks became the pinnacle of the 1920s
flapper girl and excelled in silent picture movies of
the early 20th century, athough she later wrote that
she found Hollywood stupid, petty, and dull and it
was no place for her.
Although they refrained from totally flouting social norms, the bold outfits and unconventional lifestyle of the flapper were certainly intended to challenge societal strictures.
And what might a day be like in the life of one such flapper? For that we take a look at several 1920s socialites such as Oei Hui Lan and the Bright Young Things, the literati and glitterati that formed London’s social set in the Roaring Twenties.
Ms. Oei Hui Lan, whose parents were the tycoon Oei Tiong Ham and the aristocratic Goei Bing Nio, was born into a charmed life. From her youth she dazzled the upper classes with her charm and talent and later, upon her social debut, her beauty and style would firmly secure her place at the very pinnacle of society inside and outside of Asia. Her hobbies, which included London high society, civil aviation and darting through traffic in her two-seater Rolls Royce, made her a frequent presence in British newspapers.
Multi-lingual, upon her marriage to V.K. Wellington Koo in 1921 (who was Chinese Minister to the United States at the time) she would dazzle Western society and impress upon them the sophistication of modern Chinese women.
In her youth, she revelled in avant garde fashion. In Madam Wellington Koo’s own words, it was: "The brink of the flapper era and I fitted in like a charm. I had the figure for it, tiny and small bosomed, and the vitality. If you can imagine a Chinese flapper, it was I." She was the muse for artists such as Federico Beltrán Masses, Edmund Dulac and Charles Tharp, as well as the fashion and society photographers Henry Walter Barnett, Horst P. Horst, Bassano and George Hoyningen-Huene.
Reinventing the cheongsam, she would daringly slash the traditionally staid garment to the knees, layering it with lace pantalettes, richly braided trims and strands of pearls or jade. She helped spark the Oriental craze of the Art Deco period, emulated by socialites such as Barbara Hutton whose 1930s jadeite necklace would later set auction records. Other objects of desire included Japanese embroidered kimonos which were made for export and might be worn as an extravagant ‘wrapper’ or house coat. Embroidered piano shawls from Canton were also hugely popular, worn as shawls or occasionally made into dresses.
Madam Wellington Koo may have lived far more boldly than many women in the 1920s, but to a large extent she was able to do so due to her fame and fortune. Many young women who were inspired by her and other luminaries had to be more resourceful. Even the great houses of Britain were somewhat diminished after the war, and flapper hairstyles which could be styled on one’s own were liberating in many ways. Outfits became far more informal, with the complicated styles of Victorian and Edwardian times becoming streamlined for ease of dress. A spirit of inventiveness and creativity ruled, and for such examples we might turn to the Bright Young Things. While many members were part of the British aristocracy, many others were authors, artists and photographers whose verve and charm ensured their access to the London scene.
These women were among the first of young professionals to make their mark, when previously the idea of making one’s living was still a rather foreign concept in the British aristocracy. For example, Nancy Mitford, daughter of the 2nd Baron of Revesdale, began her writing career in part to pay the bills, while Sylvia Townsend Warner and Rex Whistler were novelists and artists by trade.
Among young working women, new hairstyles with their shorter, more manageable lengths proved hugely popular. A young flapper would have her hair shingled or bobbed, or if not quite daring enough she would pin her long hair under to create the illusion of a bob. While hair was generally above shoulder length, the particularly fashionable would look across the pond at glamorous actresses such as Louise Brooks and trim their hair to just below the ears.
Other examples included the beautiful Josephine Baker and in order to create her signature marcel or finger waves, a combination of techniques was used. Wet setting, heated curlers and even hand-pinched waves formed the basis of flapper coiffures, particularly to create kiss curls that framed one’s face under their hat.
Daytime fashion included elegantly ruffled day dresses paired with cloche hats, frequently crafted from raffia or felted wool. Gloves were usually worn during the day but depending on one’s evening dress they could be eschewed for all but the most formal of occasions. After wartime shortages, hemlines rose and never descended; although a far cry from the ankle-concealing ways of the Victorians, flapper dresses rarely rose above the knee.
Stockings were typically chosen to match either the dress or the shoes and were usually nude and sometimes in stylish colours or embroidered patterns. A brief fad occurred when particularly daring girls rolled down their stockings to just above the knee, all the better to dance the Charleston or jitterbug with. This was particularly interesting for young men, as they would be thinking about the garters young ladies weren’t wearing.
As hemlines rose, more attention was paid to one’s shoes. They became increasingly exquisite, with beaded details, cut-outs and delicately shaped heels. The pump became the shoe of choice for many flappers, particularly with a T-strap detail that ensured shoes were secure even whilst dancing the trickiest steps. Shoe buckles that could be removed and clipped onto different shoes became increasingly popular, not to mention elaborate. They were made from various materials, ranging from extravagant diamonds set in platinum to silver and marcasite. Other costume options such as Czech glass stones in filigree settings were also popular, particularly for elaborate costume options.
Such trends could also be seen in jewellery, with the discovery of Tutankhanem’s tomb in 1922 sparking a craze for all things Egyptian. Designers such as Chanel, Schiaparelli, Callot Soeurs, Sadie Nemser and Paul Poiret delighted in experimenting with old and new alike.
Assuit fabric, a delicate mesh heavily decorated with metal, became hugely popular in Hollywood and the West upon the Egyptian Revival. Scarab beads made to mimic ancient faience beads were produced, particularly in Gablonz, Bohemia, and made into jewellery with
Planning to party in style this summer? You’ll
need this 1920s to 1930s Art Deco sequined
evening purse which also has its original
compact and comb-holder. It’s priced at $200
from Cache Antiques in Sydney.
Below:
Perfect for showing off at a soiree, dahling: a
spectacular vintage 8ct yellow and white gold
London blue topaz and diamond statement
cocktail ring with 52 round brilliant cut dia-
monds totaling 1.56ct. It can be on your finger
for $8000. Courtesy Cache Antiques, Sydney.
great effect by the Neiger brothers. Whiting and Davis produced beautiful figural snake necklaces inspired by Egyptian uraeus headpieces, and semi-precious stones such as malachite and lapis lazuli were used to great effect by Cartier and Bvlgari. Opera length necklaces, lariats and sautoirs that perfectly matched flapper dresses became en vogue.
Technology was often the impetus behind such trends in jewellery. New melting technology meant that platinum could be produced in larger quantities than ever before, which showcased diamonds from the huge new mines that had just opened in South Africa. Machines used to cut gemstones became ever more precise, leading to the development of new cuts such as the cushion and asscher cuts. These many facetted cuts better displayed diamonds to advantage under electric light, which had overtaken candlelight in high society. Similarly, Mikimoto had discovered how to culture pearls in the late 19th century, but it was only by the 1920s that commercially viable pearl farms were available.
Previously accessible only to the likes of Madame Wellington Koo and Barbara Hutton, pearls were now affordable even to the middle class and became one reason for the enduring association of the flapper image with pearls.
Reticules (also known as a miser’s purse) were
popular from the 1890s to the 1920s. This one
at right, with rainbow details, is in good antique
condition with a small ball or decorative detail
on the bottom of bag missing. It’s priced at
$300 from Cache Antiques in Sydney.
Stylist: Pink Elephant Vintage.
Consumer demand also drove the development of accessories
which new technology made possible. Young women who took up
smoking were eager to snap up cigarette holders, often beautifully
engraved with guilloche enamel and inlay techniques. And with
makeup being advertised as a way to put a brave face on in Allied
Countries during WWI, red lipstick entered the mainstream. With
the invention of pressed powders and lipstick tubes, the makeup
compact was born. These new portable makeup containers were
hugely popular and tiny masterpieces in silver, enamel and gold
became ubiquitous at any well-heeled soiree.
This Art Deco enamel and sterling
silver compact will bring some
European elegance to any evening.
It’s priced at $1750 from Cache
Antiques in Sydney.
Thus armed and coiffed, the flapper was set to conquer the world.
Whether tripping down a boardwalk in Cannes or Beirut or dancing
in Shanghai, she could be seen everywhere. Newspapers of the 1920s
would be delightfully scandalised at socialites such as Elizabeth
Ponsonby, but the flapper’s joie de vivre remains emulated to this day.
References:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winnipeg-tribune-lady-bridget-par-
son/6009910/
https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/25th-january-1935/12/bygone-bookshops
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/art-and-design/visual-art/young-glamorous-
socialites-who-indulged-in-every-excess-1.4210806
https://londonist.com/london/features/6-crazy-bright-young-things-parties-we-
wish-we-d-been-invited-to
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/1920s-fashion-trends
https://costume.mini.icom.museum/wp-
content/uploads/sites/10/2020/08/Marjolein-Koek-‘Fantaisies-en-gélatine’.pdf
https://www.fashionmuseumriga.lv/eng/kaleidoscope/manila/
https://web.archive.org/web/20180612233037/https://dnachic.com/the-
chic/transcontinental-chic-the-extraordinary-life-of-madame-wellington-koo/