The Tahoe Heritage Foundation’s annual Great Gatsby Festival is a very fun event for anyone who loves history. It is especially fun if you can dress like a fashionable 1920s lady and stroll through the beautiful grounds of Valhalla in style.
To get started, you will need a dress. The 1920s were known for their straight cut long dresses (hem below the knee) that made women seem “boyishly” flat chested and without hips. Summer day dresses were made of lightweight chiffon, Georgette, or silk materials. Solid colors as well as geometrical, Egyptian and Asian patterns were all the rage.
Many modern long summer dresses can be easily adapted to look “’20s.” One quick way to make a simple straight line dress look Art Deco is to tie a thin fabric belt or loose sash a few inches below your hip bone. This creates the unnaturally low waist line very characteristic of the early to mid ’20s. Shop 1920s style dresses.
Another option is to wear a long skirt and white blouse. Skirts could be plain and straight or pleated and a bit fuller. Avoid tapered “pencil” style skirts. These are symbolic of the 1950’s.
Once your dress is picked, out you will need to add the crowning glory of the fashionable woman: the hat. A cloche hat is a tight fitting, low brimmed headpiece that every 1920s woman wore. They were often made of wool, felt, or crochet yarn, which was ideal for winter but too warm for summer months. Instead, ladies in the summer adorned themselves with wide brimmed straw hats that were wrapped with a ribbon and accented with a flower and feathers on one side. Asymmetrical shapes were equally common, with one side of the straw hat pinned up and decorated with a colorful flower. If you do nothing else to dress for the Gatsby Festival, you must at least wear an appropriate summer hat.
The next step is to stroll along in a comfortable pair of shoes. T-straps and Mary Janes with 1-3 inch thick heels were ideal footwear for day or night. If you don’t have a pair of these already, try your local dance supply shop for a pair of black “Character” shoes. Avoid ballet flats, thin heeled pumps, sandals, and socks. Women wore tights in dark solid colors, pastels, or funky geometric patterns (for the youthful ladies).
Finally, feel free to adorn your outfit with accessories like mid length lace gloves, a shawl, a beaded clutch purse, and even a parasol. For jewelry, choose geometrical shapes inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922.
Fashionable hairstyles were short bobs and finger woven hair. If you have short hair, your cloche or straw hat will do well to cover your hair appropriately. If you have long hair, you can gather it back to fit under your hat or place it in a flat bun at the nape of your neck.
It’s not very difficult to pull together your outfit from items in your closet or local vintage and thrift stores. However, if you have a few hours and some sewing skills, I highly recommend you sew your own 1920s One Hour Dress. It’s fairly easy, beautiful, and authentic to the time. Read my One Hour Dress Tips and Reviews with photos. There are many other reproduction patterns available for sale if you want something more challenging.
Now that your outfit is complete, you can attend the festival and stop to pose in front of Antique cars, dance to a Jazz Band, or savor a bite-sized sandwich at the Gatsby Tea party.