Painted Stockings, ca. 1920

Painted Stockings, ca. 1920

photo by John Graudenz (1884-1942 German press photographer , journalist ).

One of 1920s Trend :

The Roaring Twenties brought on a lot of envelope-pushing trends for young women to assert themselves with.

They wore bobbed haircuts ,dark makeup and painted their knees to draw the eye to their naked legs, much to their mothers' disapproval.

Painted or rouged knees were ‘flappers' version of thong straps above low-rise jeans. Rebellious girls in the 1920s wanted to anger and shock their Victorian-era parents, so not only would they bare their knees with short dresses, but they would also paint pictures to make sure an onlooker didn't miss their risque hem length. Rolled stockings became a fad with the shorter hemlines, and girls would go get roses, butterflies, ocean scenes, or their dogs' faces painted on their knees to further push their boundaries.

Much like with most makeup in women's history, this wasn't just an act of creativity, but an assertion of independence. After World War I, more women gained financial independence with work, broke away from chaperoned parlor dates, and became a part of the public by walking the city streets without a guardian. The new generation felt a need to express this clear break from the old era of Gibson Girls and Victorian women, and they did so with the help of paint and knee rouge.