Annice, Pat, and Barbie are best friends from rural Iowa, freshly arrived in booming 1950s Chicago to explore different paths toward independence, self-expression and sexual freedom. From the hip-hang of a bohemian lifestyle to the sophisticated lure of romance with a handsome, wealthy, married boss, to the happier-but taboo-security of a lesbian relationship, these three experience first-hand the dangers and limitations that await spirited young working girls who strike out on their own in a decidedly male-centred world.