The First World War had seen substantial losses of the male population in Britain and the aftermath saw a rise in a female subculture – the flapper – a term possibly of American origin. They were noted for short skirts, bobbed hair and a rebellious attitude to 'lady-like' social conventions: They smoked, they drank and they wore make-up – smokey lined eyes and dark lipstick often featured.

A Punch cartoon of the time had a father saying to his 'flapper' daughter “Aren't you ashamed of yourself going out like that?

Daughter replies "Daddy, if I were ashamed of myself I wouldn't be going out like this”