What to wear to a Great Gatsby party

The flapper dress

The Gatsby era in the mid 1920s was defined by the flapper dress. After the First World War, the world changed radically for women. Restrictive corsets and hoop skirts were out, freedom was in.

Modern women cut their hair short, smoked and danced to new and shocking jazz music. According to Vogue at the time, the latest fashions were for `women on the move’.

To recreate the flapper look, wear a loose, sleeveless knee-length slip dress heavily decorated with beads, sequins and tassels to provide movement when dancing. Colours were inspired by the art deco trend, so choose something bold and vibrant — deep reds, blues and greens as well as gold, silver and black.

The dress doesn’t need a low neckline because showing off cleavage wasn’t a big thing. It was fine to have a bare back though, and many flapper dresses were cut extremely low at the back. One thing to bear in mind — for the all-important loose 1920s fit, you may want to buy up a size.

The 1920s evening dress

The 1920s wasn’t just about flapper dresses. Classic evening wear was (and still is) in fashion. Look for a floor length dress or ball gown in opulent velvets and silks, with a dropped waistline. Again, the fit should be loose.

As with the flapper dress, it’s about fabric decoration — crystals, sequins, appliqué, long beaded chains which shimmer and swish as you move.

For inspiration (and for drooling over the clothes in general), try watching the earlier episodes of Downton Abbey. If you’re after grown-up 1920s sophistication, you’ll find loads of ideas there.

The headgear

Head jewellery was everywhere during the Gatsby era. It was probably the discovery of Tutankhamum’s tomb which started a fashion craze for everything ancient Egypt, including headgear.

1920s women enthusiastically took this on board with jewelled headbands, elaborately decorated headpieces, ornate headcombs and tiaras. It was also common to thread long strings of pearls through or around the hair, connecting them with gemstones and feathers.

The short bob haircut was another Egyptian-inspired trend. Rather than covering up their new hairstyle with a hat, women often wore a wide silk scarf around the head, tied with a bow at the back and adorned with beads or feathers. This was also the heyday of the turban-style headwrap and the jewelled skullcap — both easy to wear over bobbed hair.

Shoes

In the 1920s women’s shoes, previously hidden by long skirts, were finally revealed. This started a fashion for extravagant strappy shoes with heel straps and T-straps which showed off the feet. Mary Jane shoes were especially popular with flappers and fashionable women.

Parties were (and still are) for dancing, so the shoes were comfortable — often round-toed with a low heel.

As for colours, shoes didn’t have to match the dress in those days. Choose any art deco colour that takes your fancy, such as dark blue and pink, emerald green, scarlet, gold and silver.

Accessories (lots of them)

A Gatsby party is probably the only occasion where it’s OK to wear bling from head to toe. Go big with accessories — the more the better.

For jewellery, think long pearl necklaces, gold arm bangles, art deco bracelets and large gemstone brooches. Earrings in the 1920s were usually art deco statement earrings or long drops.

Team your accessories with a vintage style clutch bag — preferably dripping with pearls, feathers or beads — worn over the wrist to keep your hands free for champagne.

You can take it even further with a pair of long elbow-length evening gloves, a feather boa or an ostrich feather fan. As we said, when it comes to accessories in the 1920s, more is more.

The gentleman’s suit

As women’s fashion moved away from formal evening wear in the 20s, men’s clothing did the same. However, the suit was still a big thing.

For a Great Gatsby party, you have multiple options with suits. Let’s start with slim-fitted and sleek. The classic 20s look was a jacket with gently sloping shoulders, tapered at the waist, with wide lapels. Trousers were often flat fronted and cuffed, with a sharp crease at the front.

There’s also the `jazz suit’ which was designed to give the ultimate slim silhouette. Trousers are narrow legged, and jackets are very high-waisted with slanted pockets. Occasionally, there’s a belt, like a Norfolk jacket.

As for patterns, this was the era of herringbone and, of course, pinstripes. You see them all over the place in gangster movies.

The linen suit

In those days, suits were often made of sheep’s wool with silk-lined jackets. As you can imagine, this would be a nightmare in the summer — as well as on the dancefloor at a Great Gatsby party.

For something lighter, try a light flannel or linen suit in a pastel shade. Gatsby himself infamously wore a pink linen suit, although you don’t have to choose pink. White, ivory or beige were all popular in the 1920s. For a nautical look, try pairing light coloured trousers with a double-breasted blue blazer.

Plus-fours and Oxford bags

When the Prince of Wales wore plus-fours on tour in the USA, it started a fashion craze. The smart man about town had to have a pair — preferably in stripes, checks or plaid — worn with Argyle socks and golf shoes.

Or how about Oxford bags. In the 1920s they were the male equivalent of the flapper dress. Both styles were worn by young people, the `Bright Young Things’ of the jazz age.

Allegedly, the name of these wide-legged flannel trousers came from Oxford University rowing crews who pulled them on over their shorts. Whatever the origin, the style spread — as did the width of the trousers. They started at 22” wide at the bottom and, at one point, reached 44”. Possibly a bit extreme.

To look authentic, Oxford bags should be worn with braces, and perhaps a pinstriped waistcoat, dress shirt and bow tie.

The tuxedo

These days, we think of the tuxedo as the ultimate formal wear, but compared to the tail coat, a dinner jacket was a far more casual option in the 1920s.

Your tuxedo doesn’t have be black. Midnight blue was popular, partly because the trend-setting Prince of Wales always wore a dark blue tux to parties, but also because it looked good under the new-fangled artificial lights.

To channel Jay Gatsby’s effortless panache, pair your tux with a white waistcoat and (even better) a pocket watch and cane.

Hats

Men always wore hats during the Gatsby era, especially the fedora. It’s classy and elegant, often associated with detectives and gangsters, but equally at home on the heads of aristocrats. It’s perfect with any of the classic 1920s suits we mentioned above.

If you’re going with a more casual look, try a flat cap. Thanks to Peaky Blinders, it provides an immediately recognisable 20s vibe. Alternatives are the Panama hat or the straw boater. Both are a natural complement to your Gatsby outfit.

Accessories

Sophisticated gentlemen were rarely seen without a pocket square. Choose a bold solid colour or an art deco design and put it in the breast pocket of your jacket. A quick Google search of `how to fold a pocket square’ has revealed a multitude of different options. We’ll leave that one up to you.

As well as the pocket watch mentioned above, how about some eyewear? The silent movie actor Harold Lloyd made round tortoiseshell glasses trendy. They work particularly well with a flat cap.

If you’re wearing a tie (as opposed to a bow tie) make sure it’s bold, colourful and interesting — and keep it short.

Shoes

The most common men’s footwear style during the 1920s was the wingtip Oxford shoe, usually in black, dark brown or red-brown. Rather than a straight line across the toe, the line curves in the shape of a W.

There was also a trend for two-tone shoes, the most popular being brown and white. They go well with sports tweeds, linen and flannel suits.

Really trendy men wore sports shoes — often tennis shoes, although “Chuck Taylor All Stars” Converse sneakers were already around by the 1920s, and they haven’t changed much since then.