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dwellordream · 3 years

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Unexpected Facts about the Roaring Twenties, Part 2

Specifically middle class Danish girls and women as discussed in Birgitte Soland’s Becoming Modern: Young Women and the Reconstruction of Womanhood in the 1920s. If you have any interest in the era or the history of feminism in general, I would recommend this book, as it dispels a lot of pop culture myths and stereotypes about ‘flappers’ and the Roaring 20s. It also features interviews with real women of the period who were still alive at the time of the book’s writing.

While the new styles of dress in the 1920s were certainly more lightweight and practical in many senses, especially in terms of letting women quickly dress and undress, they were not without drawbacks. Short skirts bared more leg, but were also narrow and restricting to walk freely in.

The high heels that we know today also became widely popular; hardly a practical and durable choice of footwear. Short hair was also more expensive to upkeep so it didn’t get shaggy and unkempt, which meant much more regular trips to the hairdresser.

The 1920s was also in many ways the advent of skinny culture. While slender figures had always been praised, they were not necessarily a requirement in the Victorian era and indeed many Victorian women were encouraged to put on more weight lest they look unhealthy.

Diets were not unheard of before the 1920s, but truly gained wide stream appeal in that decade. Now all women were expected to be thin and narrow-hipped, with little in the way of butt or breasts.

Contrary to pop culture myths, corsets did not vanish in the 1920s. Rather they simply changed form, with elastic rather than whalebone. Instead of creating a small waist they were now used to compress the breasts, stomachs, hips, and thighs. In this sense, 1920s fashion was in some ways more restrictive and harsh than that of the Victorian era.

Regardless of their opinions on feminism, most women followed the fashion trends of the era. Real women of the time explained that even conservative girls bobbed their hair and wore short skirts. It was simply a matter of social acceptance, not a political statement. If you wanted to fit in with your peers, you adopted the popular styles. Most girls stated their desire was not to emulate men or to achieve total equality, but to live fun and carefree lives, unlike their mothers, who they viewed as always sacrificing for the good of the family.

Exercise received a huge boon in the 1920s. Danish lawmakers in particular were strong supporters of gymnasiums and health initiatives, and feared women became sickly and even infertile with lack of regular exercise. Upper class women could play croquet and tennis, as well as participate in archery, fencing, and horseback riding without raising eyebrows.

Middle class women could bicycle, row, swim, and dance. Still, women seen as exercising too much or becoming too competitive were viewed with disapproval or told they were behaving in a mannish and unattractive manner. Soccer, wrestling, sharpshooting, and boxing were not viewed as appropriate pastimes for girls.

Women’s exercise classes became extremely popular at local gyms, led by female instructors. They built confidence and friendships, and generally advocated for vigorous but light exercise such as aerobics and rhythmic dancing. The focus was on cultivating grace and beauty, not gaining muscle mass or promoting competition. Many women found the classes created confidence and ease in their everyday lives, making them more outgoing and assertive than the generations before them.

#1920s #danish #history #becoming modern

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livinglikebritishroyalty · 5 years

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𝐵𝒾𝓇𝑔𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒, 𝒟𝓊𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒢𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇

♕ 𝐹𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝒩𝒶𝓂𝑒: Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen

♕ 𝐹𝓊𝓁𝓁 𝒯𝒾𝓉𝓁𝑒: Her Royal Highness, Birgitte The Duchess of Gloucester

♕ 𝐵𝓸𝓇𝓃: Thursday, June 20th, 1946 in Odense, Denmark

♕ 𝒫𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈: Asger Preben Wissing Henriksen (Father) & Vivian van Deurs (Mother)

♕ 𝒮𝓅𝓸𝓊𝓈𝑒: His Royal Highness Prince Richard The Duke of Gloucester (M. 1972)

♕ 𝒞𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓃: Major Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor Earl of Ulster (Son), Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor (Daughter), & The Lady Rose Gilman (Daughter)

♕ 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓃: Xan Richard Anders Windsor Lord Culloden (Grandson), Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor (Granddaughter), Senna Kowhai Lewis (Granddaughter), Tāne Mahuta (Grandson), Lyla Beatrix Christabel Gilman (Granddaughter), & Rufus Frederick Montagu Gilman (Grandson)

♕ 𝐸𝒹𝓊𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓸𝓃: Schools in Odense, Denmark & Finishing Schools in Lausanne, Switzerland and Cambridge, England.

♕ 𝒫𝒶𝓉𝓇𝑜𝓃𝒶𝑔𝑒𝓈 & 𝐼𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉𝓈: Inspirations & Passions: People in Need (Navy, Youth, Poverty, & Army Families), Health (The Blind, Hospitals, Parkinson’s Disease, Prostate Cancer, Infant Deaths, Baby Health, Obstetricians, Music Therapy, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Child Disabilities & Therapy, Speech Impairments, The Deaf, Cerebral Palsy, Adult Disabilities, Women in Medicine, Spina Bifida, & Hydrocephalus), Education (Academies, Schools, Colleges, & Children with Learning Disabilities), The Arts (Music, Dance, Wine Making, Fan Making, Thread Work, Basketry, Needlework, & Embroidery), Sports (Lawn Tennis, Croquet, & Tennis) Patronages: Sponsor of 2 Royal Navy Ships: HMS Gloucester & HMS Ardent Association, Patron of SeeAbility (The Royal London School for the Blind), President of King Edward's School Bridewell Royal Hospital, Patron of St John's School in Leatherhead, President of King Edward's School, Chief Patron of Hope for Youth in Northern Ireland, Royal President of The Children's Society, Patron of Parkinson's UK, President of Royal Academy of Music, Royal Patron of Prostate Cancer UK, Patron of Turn2us, Royal Patron of TR14ers Community Dance Team, Honorary Freeman & Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Vintners, Honorary Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, Honorary Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Drapers, Honorary Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, President of The Royal School of Needlework, President of The Princess Helena College, Patron of The Lullaby Trust, Honorary Fellow Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Royal Patron of Missing People, Patron of Music in Hospitals and Care, Royal Patron of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Association, Patron of Chailey Heritage Foundation, Freeman of City of Gloucester, Freeman of City of London, Honorary Member of All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Patron of Association for All Speech Impaired Children (Afasic), Patron of Asthma UK, Vice-Patron of The Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association, Patron of Army Families Federation, Patron of The Bobath Children's Therapy Centre in Wales, Patron of Bobath Cerebral Palsy Therapy Centre in Scotland, Patron of The Chailey Heritage Foundation, Patron of The Civil Service Sports Council, Patron of The Enham Trust, Chief Patron of Fleming Fulton School, Royal Patron of The Friends of Cathedral Music's Diamond Fund for Choristers, Patron of Friends of St Paul's Cathedral, Patron of The Learning in Harmony Project, Patron of The Medical Women's Federation, Patron of The Papworth Trust, Fellow of The Queen’s Mary College at the University of London, President of The Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Patron of The Royal Army Educational Corps Association, Patron of The Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Patron of The Scottish Opera, Royal Patron of SHINE, Commandant-in-Chief of St John Ambulance in Wales (St. John Cymru Wales), Patron of The Arts Society, Patron of The Embroiderers' Guild, Patron of The Hospitallers' Club of Wales, & Honorary President of The Lawn Tennis Association

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tresamigos1968-blog · 7 years

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Så var Hydra et fjernt minne, selvfølgelig godt hjulpet av Tres Amigos’ diverse poster her. I dag fyller Birgitte år og vi gratulerer så mye, skåler høytidelig og ikler oss høye bursdagshatter. Ellers er det litt om dagen, noe tennis og selvfølgelig en ny barnebok som absolutt burde vært skrevet og antatt på et større norsk forlag.

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gossipgirl2019-blog · 6 years

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Getting up at 5am, bombarding aides with texts and her eyebrow-raising fashion: Palace insiders reveal how Hurricane ...

New Post has been published on http://gr8gossip.xyz/getting-up-at-5am-bombarding-aides-with-texts-and-her-eyebrow-raising-fashion-palace-insiders-reveal-how-hurricane/

Getting up at 5am, bombarding aides with texts and her eyebrow-raising fashion: Palace insiders reveal how Hurricane ...

If 24 hours is a long time in politics, the past six months must have felt like a lifetime for the Monarchy.

Six months ago, the House of Windsor officially welcomed a new member into the fold when Meghan Markle walked down the aisle of St George’s Chapel to become Prince Harry’s wife.

In doing so, she made history, becoming the first woman of African-American descent to marry into the heart of the Royal Family, and a divorcee, to boot.

Yet the seismic change she brought about has by no means stopped with the exchange of vows.

Ripping up the rulebook: Meghan, pictured with Harry on their wedding day

As The Mail on Sunday reveals today, the new Duchess of Sussex has wasted no time in putting her stamp on The Firm. Determined to do things her way from the moment she bounces out of bed at 5am, she has proved to be less of a breath of fresh air and more of a whirlwind.

In fact, ‘Hurricane Meghan’ is ripping up the rulebooks on everything from fashion to friendships, diplomacy to the etiquette of car doors (the Duchess shuts her own). Here, we explore a few of the changes she has brought to the House of Windsor…

REWRITING THE ROYAL FASHION RULES

The Queen is said to have expressed surprise that Meghan, a divorcee, wore quite such a white dress for her wedding – an elegant boat-necked creation from fashion house Givenchy. But then the future Duchess of Sussex was always going to do it (or more pertinently wear it) her own way.

It’s a boldness that has led to unease among some courtiers.

‘Meghan is being told she needs to start dressing less like a Hollywood star and more like a Royal,’ a source from one of the fashion teams which has visited Kensington Palace told The Mail on Sunday.

It seems unlikely to happen: from the moment she first stepped out in public with her future husband, Meghan has unstuffily defied Royal convention, whether with her penchant for non-British designers or her fondness for wearing black – traditionally worn by Royals only to signify mourning.

No-one gave that memo to Meghan, who in August not only wore a black tuxedo to a special performance of the musical Hamilton, but caused a further frisson by displaying bare legs a good few inches above the knee.

It is said this rebellious spirit has resulted in raised eyebrows from the Queen, who is a stickler for the rules.

While she and Meghan are understood to have a warm relationship, a degree of tension was reported between the pair during their trip to Runcorn, Cheshire, in June. Meghan declined to wear a hat after apparently failing to understand that when the Queen’s aides informed her the Queen would be wearing one, that meant Meghan should follow suit.

The Duchess of Sussex did not follow the Queen’s example of wearing a hat at an official function

SHAKING UP THE PALACE FLUNKIES

Six or seven a day – that’s the number of texts the new Duchess of Sussex sends to palace aides with ideas and requests.

She’s an early riser, up at 5am rain or shine, and it is said palace staff have never experienced anything remotely like Meghan’s formidable work ethic, matched only by the incessant stream of ideas about how to shape her role. Quite aside from her publicised engagements, Meghan has been conducting a series of ‘undercover’ missions to meet the British people, particularly those associated with good causes.

Well-meaning as she is, her particular brand of ‘up and at ’em’ West Coast energy is an uncomfortable fit with the more formal ethos of some palace staff.

Meghan has joined the Royal Family at a time when several aides have moved on, including senior communications secretary Katrina McKeever – a point of liaison for Meghan’s family – who quietly left the Kensington Palace press office in September. In April, it was announced that Edward Lane Fox, Harry’s right-hand man of the past five years, would be leaving earlier than many expected.

And in the past few days, it was reported that one of Meghan’s aides, a woman said to be called ‘Melissa’, has departed.

Some who remain, meanwhile, conduct themselves in ways that might seem unorthodox: Meghan’s private assistant secretary was filmed appearing to shove a photographer away from her boss on the recent Australia tour.

A NEW LONDON HOME FOR THE PARENTS-TO-BE?

Harry and Meghan attend a ‘Hamilton’ Gala performance in Victoria Palace Theatre, London

William and Harry, the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, are considering a ‘formal division’ of their joint royal household at Kensington Palace, according to recent reports. The split would create separate courts to reflect their increasingly different responsibilities.

Meanwhile, there’s speculation over where Harry and Meghan – with a baby on the way in the spring – will make their London home. Up until now, it’s been widely expected the Sussexes would move from their current two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage into Kensington Palace’s lavish 21-room Apartment 1 – right next door to William and Kate’s huge home.

But now there’s a spanner in the works – the incumbents, the Duke of Gloucester and his wife Birgitte, are said to want to stay put – and there’s talk of Harry and Meghan moving further afield to St James’s Palace. Meanwhile, there is talk there have been tensions between the two couples behind the scenes – and in particular between Meghan and Kate. Malicious gossip? Very possibly. What female friendship is without its sharp edges?

Meghan can be assured of one close and important ally: Prince Charles has bonded with his new daughter-in-law – as a result of their shared experience of growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Royal biographer Angela Levin spent a year following the prince ahead of his 70th birthday. And, as she revealed in The Mail on Sunday, an immaculate source close to the prince has told her: ‘There have been so many traumas and crises within the personal life of the Royal Family, from the Duke of Windsor onwards. And many royal divorces.

‘That’s why the Duchess’s troubled family background has endeared her to Charles even more.’

MEET ALL OF MY HOLLYWOOD FRIENDS

‘We have known each other a long time, but we really are relying on each other a lot recently.’ These were the words uttered recently by tennis champion Serena Williams about her close relationship with Meghan.

It’s a clear indication that the new Duchess is determined to sprinkle star dust on The Firm. Under her direction, the old money and even older lineage that traditionally formed part of the Royal Family’s inner circle has been joined by sports stars and A-listers. One look at the Royal Wedding guest list made it abundantly clear just how much Meghan was transforming the landscape: Serena was just one of a number of entertainment figures to make their way into St George’s Chapel.

Well-meaning as she is, her particular brand of ‘up and at ’em’ West Coast energy is an uncomfortable fit with the more formal ethos of some palace staff

Others included Idris Elba, James Corden, American chat show queen Oprah Winfrey – who spent an afternoon doing yoga with Meghan’s mother Doria in the run-up to the wedding – and George and Amal Clooney.

The Clooneys are said to be so close to the new royal couple that they played host to Meghan and Harry at their opulent Lake Como villa in August.

INTRODUCING TEAM MEGHAN

It’s no surprise, given her resolute sense of self, that Meghan continues to lean on a non-official team of advisers, comprising a group of devoted close friends who have helped – and continue to help – with every aspect of her transition to royal life, from planning her wedding to organising her wardrobe for her first royal tour.

Lindsay Roth, one of Meghan’s oldest friends since the pair met in a literature class at Northwestern University in Illinois, is one of her closest allies and has recently been seen in the Kensington area. Author Lindsay, 36, based a character in her 2015 novel, What Pretty Girls Are Made Of, on Meghan.

Then, of course, there is Jessica Mulroney, her best friend.

A well-connected stylist based in Canada, Jessica has been especially close to Meghan since the pair met on the set of Suits some years ago.

Quite aside from her publicised engagements, Meghan has been conducting a series of ‘undercover’ missions to meet the British people, particularly those associated with good causes

She is believed to have offered important assistance to Meghan in the run-up to her wedding, even though Meghan and Harry had two leading events organisers and catering firms helping them.

It was Jessica she called to discuss every element of the day, from the dress to the flowers and the photography.

Fast forward a few months and it was once again Jessica who helped the Duchess pick outfits for the tour of Australia.

Meghan’s mother Doria, meanwhile, is playing an ever more strategic role. She made two significant visits to see her daughter over the summer, staying at the Sussexes’ rented home in the Cotswolds, and is said to be considering moving to Britain full-time when her grandchild is born.

AND THEIR COSY COUNTRY RETREAT

The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s choice of country home says much about the couple’s new alliances.

While the Queen is thought to have gifted the couple the private and secluded York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, the couple have also signed a two-year lease on a property on a 400-acre estate in the Cotswolds, close to celebrity mecca Soho Farmhouse, where they have been pictured more than once.

Meghan was spotted there on visits to Britain before she made her permanent move.

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