FLAPPER MANIA

Nearly 100 years ago, the Flapper was all the rage. For women and girls, it was a time of throwing off the stifling yoke of the Victorian era. They cut their hair short, drank and smoked openly, danced and wore skirts that went well above the knee. One popular cosmetic feature was to rouge their cheeks and  knees, sometimes, as pictured above, to paint images on the joint. Of course this freaked out the "adults" but that was part of the whole point. Not much different from today where it is not unusual to see females sporting tattoos, some on the entire arm, leg and back. We've always done this, adorning our bodies in some shape and form. One part personal expression, one part mating display, one part jerking the chain of your elders.