“The Flapper” (not for old fogies!) began publication in, 1922. It was based out of Chicago and the first issues were mainly focused on flapper apparel: the “new-fashioned” girl. As the magazine delved deeper, they wrote about the importance of female bonding and solidarity (something we should re-read, today!). They began to take on topics such as the media’s bias and focus on young women’s behavior, but not on the male’s :
“It is the purpose of THE FLAPPER to find out whether or not there is room for improvement in the, so-called lord of creation—whether all the blame for extremes in behavior deserves to be centered on the flapper, or whether it can be traced to the male of the species to whose whims she is supposed to constantly cater.” (Amen, sisters!). In 1923, the magazine featured true stories from its readers for a new column called, “Confessions of a Flapper”. These were REAL confessions that ranged from adultery, drinking too much, and one story that still hits home today. This confession was about a girl who felt she had to live up to the standards of the flapper, but felt she was compromising her personal beliefs, due to peer pressure and the ideals men were developing about this, “new kinda woman”. The magazine is intriguing and is certainly a piece of American history. I only wish I had a copy of my own!
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