The introduction of loose-fitting flapper fashion in the early 1920s marked a period of bold, flirtatious self-expression for women. No longer restricted by their mothers’ corsets, long skirts, and bustles, the flapper look – with its handkerchief hemlines, dropped waistlines, bare shoulders, and elongated tubular silhouette – allowed wearers greater freedom of movement and the opportunity to reveal a bit of leg.
By the end of the First World War, the young men and women whose childhoods had been defined by death and devastation were now, as young adults, actively embracing a newfound sense of liberty and a carefree lifestyle. The oversized black-and-white photograph depicting a 1920s-inspired still life – recreated on the table below – illustrates how fashion reflected women’s newly gained independence following World War I. The papier-mâché hat stands feature the recognizable female “bob” hairstyle emblematic of the decade.
Young men, too, embraced this sense of liberation. This is evident in Harold’s affiliation with “The Bright Young Things,” a group of wealthy British youth known for their extravagant parties and flamboyant behavior, frequently captured by the tabloids. These “Roaring Twenties” gatherings were the places to be and be seen, to showcase fashionable attire, and to cultivate social networks with affluent and influential figures such as the novelist Nancy Mitford (1904–1973), a close friend of Harold’s and the person he would later go on to write about in his homonymously titled biography published in 1975.
*Photograph on the left: ‘A Flapper leading a toast at a party in Villa Emilia, Florence’, ca.1920, by Foto Locchi. Photograph gsp [I.D.2.14-31] ©New York University, The Acton Photograph Archive, Villa La Pietra, Florence
