A liquid crystal device is constructed in such a structure that a plurality of stripe bulkheads substantially perpendicular to a direction of a layer of a smectic liquid crystal are provided on at least one of a pair of substrates retaining the smectic liquid crystal therebetween and that an elastic modulus E of the bulkheads, an outside pressure P, an area A1 of the substrate, a total area A2 of contact surfaces between the bulkheads and the substrate, and a volumetric shrinkage ratio &Dgr;Vlc/Vlc of the smectic liquid crystal within an ambient temperature range of the liquid crystal device satisfy the following relation: (1/E)×P×(A1/A2)≧&Dgr;Vlc/Vlc, whereby the bulkheads become able to be compressed in response to volumetric shrinkage of the liquid crystal.