Roaring 20's party

[DocMustang]

This year's Scottish Rite Valentines day bash is a roaring 20's party. The invite says Attire: zoot suits and flapper dresses or other period attire. I cannot see purchasing a Zoot suit just for the occasion and I think that white tie and tails would be overkill (but period for evening wear) and a dinner jacket would likely not be period. Any suggestions?

Doc

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

I'd wear the tails! A zoot suit is not 20's either! Otherwise wear something that does resemble a suit from the 20's - go with a three piece and a hat.

Cheers

Peter

 

[Tomasso]

roaring 20's party. The invite says Attire: zoot suits

Try Roaring 40's.

 

[DocMustang]

Try Roaring 40's.

Yeah I know thats why I figured the invitation should have read "or other: period costume" problem is as I have not yet been tapped for the nobel prize or the 33rd degree I do not own tails and am not in a position to purchase them at the moment. Also if I go the formal route would a "flapper dress" be appropriate attire for my wife?

Doc

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

Yeah. Zoot suits, while having the distinction of being just as bad as modern fashion, were late 30's and early 40's attire. Not appropriate. Go formal overkill.

Your wife as a flapper is reasonable. Rich, white socialite and a high class man. Pretend she's half your age and you're Hugh Hefner. It works.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Zoot suits were plenty 20's... a very different version came in the 40s and on a different crowd.

I'd say tails if it is truly 20s, though if the host doesn't quite know the difference, slick back your hair crooner style and wear a black tie.

 

[Brinybay]

I originally found FL while researching for a Roaring 20s party. Puuhhleess -no zoot suits! Here's the thread and a few other links:

Roaring 20s

Flapper Fashion History

1920s women's hair styles

Hosting a Roaring 20s theme party.

The Great Gatsby website

1920s Radio Network

We made a mock-speakeasy using a facade with a door and a little window. We also had a mock bar. One mistake we did was try to play the music using a laptop and funky little computer speakers. It sounded great in my friend's office, but in the large banquet room it was worthless. It really detracted from the ambience not being able to hear the music w/o it being horribly distorted.

 

[Bugsy]

I would take any opportunity to wear white tie and tails!!

 

[thunderw21]

I'm thinking Jazz Suit.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Tails...or at least a tux. Or go something a little "casual" for the period with pinstripe suit, fedora and violin case or Tommy gun for the gangster look. But zoot? Never, never, never for a 20's or 30's party IMHO.

 

[Brinybay]

Here's a few pictures of our "Speakeasy" party. See how ugly and out of place the zoot suits were? One was bad enough, but two guys rented identical outfits from the same costume place, ugh!

http://tinyurl.com/speakeasyparty

 

[Geesie]

God save us from zoot suit costume rentals - and more so from people who wear them apart from Halloween.

 

[CharlestonBows]

Some contemporary images for ideas:

http://www.artdecosociety.org/gatsby/index.htm

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/RhoyM2siWHI/AAAAAAAAA28/XHrK-7Llhm0/s1600-h/Easter4.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/RhoyEWsiWGI/AAAAAAAAA20/IPzFXWvGju4/s1600-h/Easter-2.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/RnKQxqS9XvI/AAAAAAAABZM/g4i55VReVKM/s1600-h/20%27s-two-MW.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/RnKQY6S9XuI/AAAAAAAABZE/HDr6dHB1wgY/s1600-h/20%27s-ST-dance.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/Rm_ZnqS9XoI/AAAAAAAABYU/mwFYBJ2vu2k/s1600-h/20%27s-RobertB.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/Rm6SJaS9XlI/AAAAAAAABX8/LxkbWP18yPM/s1600-h/20%27s-Two-Steps.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/Rm0WiaS9XgI/AAAAAAAABXU/ES_m7N7xzN8/s1600-h/20%3Bswalkingstick.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/Rmvq7KS9XfI/AAAAAAAABXM/7vzhvsLG7rM/s1600-h/20%27swht.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/Rmvq1qS9XeI/AAAAAAAABXE/x_TV1lXZrZk/s1600-h/20%27sdance.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/RmvqkqS9XbI/AAAAAAAABWs/ESSmpD2WMXo/s1600-h/20%27sPicnic.jpg

God save us from zoot suit costume rentals - and more so from people who wear them apart from Halloween.

+100 - giga-dittos.

http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/Brinybay/Roaring%2020s%20party/?action=view&current=DSCF1040.jpg

Seriously?

 

[Geesie]

Good Lord, a person could come up with a less absurd attempt at zoot having only seen "Zoot Suit Tom".

 

[CharlestonBows]

Good Lord, a person could come up with a less absurd attempt at zoot having only seen "Zoot Suit Tom".

At least he has an excuse, having made it from drapes. lol

 

[reetpleat]

Having had the good fortune to have lived in San Franciso in the late nineties, I have had the opportunity to attend parties, events, dances etc. at which all, or nearly all participants were either vintage afficionados, or involved with same, or in other ways able to put together a reasonably good replication of a vintage look.

Nothing wrong with people having fun dressing up, but outside of SF and maybe England perhaps, there is rare opportunity to be swomewhere where you could almost think you wre back in a bygone era.

I don't think I would have much fun at a typical 20s 30s 0r 40s party because most of the clothing will have so little to do with the era that it will not only fail to resemble a party of the era, but it would actually offend my sensibilities a little. (too much of a purist)

My bad luck I guess, because while normal people are busy having fun, I end up focused on what is missing or wrong.

But frankly, I would rather just go to a normal party.

 

[Ken"Hollywood"]

I would have just bought a yellow corvette lol