The Taber Business College Carleton Place 1928-1929 Phot0-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Women began to grow more independent in the 1920s. This would change the role of womens lives on the 1920s. The celibate settlement house worker was replaced as a female prototype by the jazz-crazed flapper dancing the Charleston in a speakeasy. Everything that had anything to do with consumption was in style. That included drinking, smoking, and sex – for women as well as men.”
In 1920 women composed 23.6% of the labour force. During WWI When men were at war the women took the place of men at their jobs. These jobs included: Worked as conductors of trains or buses Worked on farms In engineering In highly dangerous munitions Industries There was a high demand of women to do heavy lifting such as unloading coal, stocking furnaces and building ships. After WWI, more jobs came open for women. These jobs included: Teacher, secretaries, typists, nurses, seamstresses Even when men came back from war, women continued to stay in the workforce.
The 20’s were very colourful especially when new patterns were introduced. Designers included colour into every article of clothing from the stocking to shoes. Stockings actually became visible, they served a purpose to fashion, not just the opinion of society. Fashion became a career choice for women also. Classes were also available for women and girls to take on how to learn to make clothes. It was a way for women to make some cash while their husbands were away at war.
Although the 20’s were viewed as the “golden years” many people did not have money and dressmaking was a way that women could have the latest fashion without spending an immense amount of money. Although fashion helped women play a part in society and increased the vibrancy of the era, it was highly rejected by the public, mainly male population and older generation, it was sought out to be racy and a disgrace to American society
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