Fashion historian Ellie Laubner will present “Fabulous Flapper Fashions of the 1920s” during the Mother’s Day Celebration at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum at 1 p.m. May 12.

“This is the perfect way to celebrate Mother’s Day and to learn about a fascinating chapter of American history,” said Joseph Garrera, executive director of the museum.

This presentation will explore the daring 1920s women’s fashions worn by “flappers.” The event includes hot tea and a special Mother’s Day treat.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day with a mom or other special person,” said Garrera.

The 1920s were an era of tremendous change in American society and in fashion.

The nation that had survived World War I and the great flu pandemic of 1918 threw themselves with abandon into the new decade. Technology, including the Model T Ford, meant that the nation was moving ever faster into the future.

Women’s lives were changing, too. During World War I they had moved out of the home and into industrial jobs, and in 1919 the 19th Amendment gave them the right to vote. Flappers defied traditional Victorian customs and women’s roles. Flapper fashions likewise flouted Victorian gowns with their frills, long skirts and tight waists, deeming them old-fashioned and irrelevant to the new youth culture.

During the 1920s, hems crept up from the ankle to midcalf, and sometimes even higher. Shapeless, long-waisted dresses and boyish figures were the modern flapper style for women, a style that matched the spirit of the era.

The program will be presented by Laubner, an expert in fashion history. For almost a decade, she taught courses on the subject at Northampton Community College.

She has curated numerous vintage fashion exhibits and written two books, including “Fashions of the Roaring Twenties.”

According to Laubner, “Vintage fashions provide an irreplaceable link with the past.”

Preregistration and prepayment are required to attend the event. Call Alyce Templeton at ext. 14 to register.

The program is free to members. There is a fee for nonmembers.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a 30,000-square foot teaching institution that attracts a diverse audience.

Its collections of historical Americana include over 30,000 three-dimensional objects, 3.5 million documents and more than 120,000 vintage photographs.

The museum is located at 432 W. Walnut St. in Allentown. Parking is available in the rear of the museum, on the street and in nearby lots.

For more information, contact Garrera at 610-435-1074, visit www.lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org or visit the museum on Facebook.