Great Gatsby party?
The Great Gatsby stands for glamour, glitter and grotesque parties from the 1920s of America. The party elite's motto was 'a little party never killed nobody'. The women's skirts and flapper dress became shorter and provocative during the roaring twenties. This vintage style of clothing and parties is now regularly used as a theme.
Below the explanation and tips you will find examples of outfits for a Great Gatsby Party.
Vintage outfits from the 20s
The Great Gatsby party is a reference to the extravagant parties described in Scott Fitzgerald's book of the same name from 1925. To show off the new wealth, extensive use was made of glitter and glamour in nightlife and daily fashion. With the reference to this period, the emphasis in this dress code is on the vintage look and clothing of a century ago. The most famous fashion image of that time is the garçonne look of the ladies, whereby the curves were displayed as minimally as possible. The dresses were as straight as possible, so that some ladies pursued an almost boyish look.
The style was by no means prudish, the clothing was more provocative. The length of the skirts became shorter, bare shoulders and the low back became the standard. The fabrics used became more transparent and / or provided with exuberant decorations. At the elite parties, many long dresses were also worn, finished with beaded or glamour fabrics. In addition to the black dresses, the colours became more radiant red, white, blue or a contrasting combination.
Because of the shorter dresses, there was more freedom to move and dance. A pair of danceable pumps are therefore an indispensable item for your outfit.
As accessories you have a lot of options, from hats and feathers in hair to striking glamour bracelets, earrings and jewellery.
Tips for a Great Gatsby Outfit
- Dress with a short skirt
- Long glitter dress with a low back
- Transparent fabrics
- Visible shoulders
- Radiant colours
- Danceable Pumps
- Hat or feathers in the hair
- "Luxury" jewellery
- Go over the Top!
Fitted glamour prom dress with a designer shimmer print decorated with multi-coloured sequins in a mermaid model.
Dark blue sequin prom dress with a high slit, a fitted bodice with a deep V-neckline and a criss-cross open back.
Glamour prom dress with high slit, V-neck decollete and back.
Off-shoulder prom dress with fishtail skirt and long train.
Glamour ball gown with sequin bodice and sparkly tulle skirt.
Green sparkly dress with playful colour gradient with bronze sequins and beads, in mermaid model.
Fitted glamour prom dress with a designer shimmer print decorated with multi-coloured sequins in a mermaid model.
Strapless prom dress with flowers and feather trim along the neckline and dropped shoulder straps.
Short prom dress in glamorous style, the top has a high V-neck from which two small straps run towards the semi-open back.
Bardot neckline and thigh high slit off the shoulder glitter dress.
Stunning glamour prom dress, features a fitted bodice and fishtail skirt fully covered embroidered and beaded lace overlay.
One-shoulder fitted dress with sequins and a high slit.
Dark blue sequin prom dress with a high slit, a fitted bodice with a deep V-neckline and a criss-cross open back.
Fitted prom dress fully decorated with uniquely patterned sequins.
Sequin fitted dress with criss-cross back and a sweep train.
Long-sleeved black sequin dress in mermaid style with feminine boat neckline, a partially open back and elegant train.
Fitted prom dress with lace appliques, v-neck and narrow straps.
Purple glamour prom dress with a deep V-neckline, a low back and a flary skirt supported with tulle layers.
Fitted prom dress fully decorated with uniquely patterned sequins.
Luxurious evening dress with a small train and lace bodice which is beaded with beautiful stones.
Tulle ball gown, a V-neck bodice embellished with rhinestones and floral appliques.
Strapless short dress with flounce sleeves and straight skirt above the knee.
Glamour prom dress in three colours with an illusion halter neckline and applique detailing on the bodice.
Strapless prom dress with ostrich feathers and beaded waist.
Fitted prom dress, in a mermaid model, lovely decorated with lily applications.
Multishine prom dress with v-neck and wrap split.
Glamoureus fit to flare prom dress with glittering sequins, a high halter neckline and small train.
Fitted glamour prom dress with a deep-cut bodice, decorated with small sequins, a low open back and high slit.
Pink shimmering prom dress with a trendy design with beads and sequins, with a low back and a small train.
Gorgeous off shoulder prom dress, the tight bodice is decorated with lace and beads, the flared skirt creates a mermaid silhouette.
Cotton candy pink prom dress with narrow straps, V-neck and tulle overskirt.
Tight-fitting prom dress decorated with sequins and a sexy look.
Sexy glamour prom dress in a beautiful tiger print, with a deep V-neckline, a high slit and a low back.
Fitted evening dress with an off-shoulder bodice, three-quarter long sleeves and a small train.
Fitted prom dress in shiny fabric, with an illusion deep V-neck and straight skirt with high slit
Glamor prom dress with straight neckline and crossed open back.
Glossy prom dress with shiny crystal beads in a fitted model, V-neckline, open back and sexy high slit.
Glamour prom dress with beaded lace appliques and small train.
Bronze coloured sequin dress with a high slit, a low back and feminine V-neckline.
Long stretch off-shoulder evening dress with lace bodice and a mermaid skirt.
Fishtail glitter dress with draped V-neckline, narrow straps and a plunging neckline.
Long sequin prom dress with wide shoulder straps, feature a rich colour scheme on the skirt with split.
Fishtail prom dress with V-neck bodice, decorated with very fine applications, a semi-open back and spaghetti straps.
Stylish evening dress with V-neck and wide shoulder straps which are elegantly decorated with small stones.
Luxury prom dress with mermaid skirt in layers, the bodice is decorated with luxurious lace, has a deep V-neck both on the front and back.
Silver grey evening dress with pleated skirt, the high-neck line bodice is beautifully decorated with white coloured stones.
Silver-white coloured sequin dress in a fishtail model with a low back, beautiful for gala or weddings.
Silver grey prom dress with lace halter bodice, decorated with sequins and beads and tulle skirt trimmed with a wide band
Cheap prom dress in magenta pink with V-neck and halter neckline.
Shiny prom dress with an off-shoulder boat neck, in a tight-fitting model with a split in three colours.
Evening dress in glitter fabric with an artistic pattern, a round opening at the back and skirt with a high slit.
Chic straight evening dress decorated with silver-coloured applications.
Metallic prom dress with heart shape top and narrow straps.
Heart-shaped strapless cocktail dress with soft tulle skirt.
Sexy short black dress with a heart shape top of a corset bodice with boning, which is very finely decorated with lace and beads.
Glamour cocktail dress with tulle skirt and sequin embellished bodice.
Accessoires
Wearing accessories became a standard, and hats and jewellery were also worn during the day. A well-known cap from that time is the clochet hat. An excessive number of accessories was worn to a party, the ladies chose a lot of "luxury" jewellery. The long imitation pearl necklaces and scarves were much chosen items. A big necklace with large stones was certainly not over the top. The hair was often decorated with a decorative feather or a small hat. The earrings, rings and bracelets were certainly not missing. People wanted to be seen and show how prosperous they were. The outfits had to radiate glitter and glamour.
Open Prom shoe with black straps, sale € 35, - in size 36.
Black hat, modern and trendy
Pump with medium height heel with a black and white snake print, sale for € 39, - in size 37.
Hair accessories ivory white, flowers for in the hair
Metallic golden pump with low heel, available in half sizes.
Hair flowers on clip in red, ivory, black, green and burgundy
Hair jewelry with ivory, yellow-black feathers
Hair corsages, ostrich feathers on diadem or comb.
Cream hat on diadem with decorative feathers and mesh.
Black fuchsia feathers for the hair.
The roaring twenties, also fashion wise
The 1920s were the period of major changes. Not just the social or political transitions that caused a shift. There was also a shift in the fashion industry. The ladies started using clothing to show themselves and break with the conventional rules. For the first time there were clear fashion trends in daily and nightlife.
After the First World War there was a big rise in prosperity. People could spend more money on luxury products and their appearance. The "new rich" wanted to show this and this led to a huge growth in the fashion world. The designs became provocative and extravagant. The ladies were given the opportunity to show their femininity. More skin became visible, especially the shoulders and legs were shown openly. The dresses and skirts became shorter, but in most cases, they remained above the knee. This also had a practical advantage in the nightlife. In the bustling club circuit, partly at secret locations because of the ban on alcohol, was extensively danced. With the influence of jazz music, new dances were invented, such as the Charleston. To shorten the skirts even more for these dances, the fringe was decorated with strands of fabric, which created the flapper dress.
Beautiful legs could be seen, the invention of the skin-coloured tights certainly contributed to that. The fabrics became thinner and made it seem like they were bare legs.
The Great Gatsby
In 1925 the American Scott Fitzgerald wrote one of the best-selling stories ever: The Great Gatsby.
The story is set on Long Island in New York in the turbulent 1920s. A charming ex-veteran, Jay Gatsby, managed to work his way up to the rich upper class and own a luxurious estate. No one knew where he and his wealth came from. He became famous for giving extravagant parties. The new rich and VIPs came to the parties to see and to be seen. And a party could well be used to escape the everyday problems and the ban on alcohol. The real purpose of organizing the parties appears later in the story.
Are you curious about how the story ends or do you want to get a picture of what the parties looked like at the time? The book has been made into a beautiful film with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead. We can also recommend the book for true enthusiasts.