Flappers went to jazz clubs at night where they danced, smoked, and dated. They rode bicycles and drove cars. Flappers wore "kissproof" lipstick and a lot of heavy makeup with beaded necklaces and bracelets. They liked to cut their hair into "boyish" bobs, often dyeing it jet black.

Flappers had their own slang, with terms like "handcuff" or "manacle," referring to an engagement or wedding ring. "I have to go see a man about a dog" often meant going to buy whiskey, and they had many ways to say fantastic, such as "That's so Jake," or "That's the bee's knees," or "the cat's pajamas." "The big cheese" meant an important person, "to bump off" meant to murder," and "baloney" meant nonsense.

In addition to their disrespectful behavior, flappers were known for their style, which largely emerged as a result of the musical style of jazz and the popularization of dancing that accompanied it. Flapper style made them look young and boyish. Flappers did away with their corsets and pantaloons. Without corsets, flappers wore simple bust bodices.

Flapper dresses were straight and loose, leaving the arms bare and dropping the waistline to the hips. Rayon stockings were attached to garter belts. Skirts rose to just below the knee by 1927, allowing flashes of knee to be seen when a flapper danced or walked through a breeze, although the way they danced made any long loose skirt flap up to show their knees. Flappers powdered or put rouge on their knees to show them off when dancing. A round hat called a clouche usually finished the look.

Suit pants also underwent a major change. Creases appeared on the front and the sides while cuffs replaced flat hems. Pants were fastened by buttons or hooks. Belts also started to replace the suspender as the device used to hold up pants.

From the middle of the twenties, lips were colored in deep red, deep brownish reds, plum, and orange. The shades later changed at the end of the twenties to rose, raspberry, and medium red. Lipstick was applied as a "Cupid's-Bow" to the upper lip. Also the lower lip was exaggerated a bit and the width of the lips de-emphasized a little.

Usually eyes were made dark. To get this effect, the whole eye was edged with a black eyeliner and then the margins blurred easily. The eyelid shadow was often painted in dark gray. Besides gray, colors like turquoise and green were also in fashion. To further emphasis the eyes, eyelashes were also painted black. Thin, black, and downward sloping eyebrows were also very popular.

The fingernails were painted only in the nail center. The half-moon and nail-tip were left bare and white.