At the height of World War One, the United Kingdom was seeing a shift in how men and women dressed. And because of this shift, they saw gender identity and expression become more fluid in the 1920s.
In the wartime, many women across all wealth classes started to wear more masculine clothing and crossdressing, even during more formal events.
Women in those times hoped to present themselves as an independent thinker and to show they didn't seek flattery from men. Gender fluidity in the First World War was widespread.
Many others wore men's clothing to show they were serious about their new position as a social worker, a writer or a school teacher.
And while historians believe their clothing choices didn't necessarily represent transgender identities, many wore men's clothing to signify their attraction to the same sex.
Throughout the First World War, cross-dressing in England became somewhat of a normal thing to see.
Female bus conductors, auxiliary military corps and police wore their, tunics and gender fluidity became everyday life.
The British public even lauded these women as modern women, saying they were giving brave service and positive signs of the future.
But after the First World War ended, many people thought women should go back to being housewives and stop wearing men's clothing.
But the women continued working and continued wearing masculine apparel.
This further the advancement of mixing up gender roles in the country, with many later accomplishments, including women's right to vote, crediting this time of crossdressing as the reason it happened.
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