Women's suffrage and Western women's fashion through the early 20th century

The Women's Suffrage Movement in the Western world influenced changes in female fashions of the early 1900s: causing the introduction of masculine silhouettes and the popular Flapper style.

This was the beginning of Dress Reformers, who experimented with their clothing in order to challenge gender inequality due to the impracticability of women's traditional Victorian fashion.

"[3] Despite this, with an increasing number of women participating in protests, some experts in the medical field began to argue that light physical activity for a woman was good.

[9] "The newfound freedom to breathe and walk encouraged movement out of the house, and the Flapper took full advantage.”[10] During the progressive era, female fashion in the United States changed shifted to adopt traditionally masculine styles.

Adrian was a popular designer for Metro-Goldyn-Mayer during the 1920s-1930s, dressing silent film actresses including Clara Bow, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford: which influenced American women's fashion.

Flappers were also known for their "boyish" appearance, sporting a bobbed hairstyle, cloche hats and tubular garments including jumper-blouses, which hid the female figure.

[11] The flapper became stereotyped as a woman who "smoked, drank, swore, drove fast, professed free love, and used makeup,"[7] and exercised sexual independence.