1920s theme parties are one of my favourite parties to host and attend. They work well for all ages as everyone can get all smartened up and dressed to impress for the occasion.
Sure, you can just host a get-together where everybody gets dressed up in 1920s clothes and sips cocktails but I think it’s a lot more fun to have a theme to get dressed up for. Not sure what theme to go for? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered with these ten theme ideas that are simply the Bee’s Knees!
1. Relive prohibition at a loud & lively speakeasy
The 1920s were a time of alcohol prohibition but that didn’t stop people partying and drinking just as well as we do today. Speakeasies were illegal drinking dens that had lively music and of course plenty of booze brewed either at home or in underground distilleries.
Make sure to serve drinks in tea cups and vases and have that swinging jazz music playing loud! Make it more fun by giving each guest a secret password or special knock on the door when they arrive. You could even surprise your guests by staging mock police raids intermittently throughout the party.
2. Partner up some gangsters & molls
Prohibition saw a huge proliferation of gangs bootlegging alcohol. Some grew very powerful and were a great headache for law enforcement.
Have the guys dress up in sharp pinstripe suits and fedoras complete with fake tommy gun while the ladies wear tassle dresses complete with feather bowas.
3. Host an old fashioned rent party
Rent parties were popular in the 1920s, particularly in Harlem where the likes of Fats Waller would play all night. These parties were for the exact reason as the title suggests. Building tenants would hire a band or performer and raise money to both pay their rent and to pay the performing musicians.
Instead of just playing jazz through some speakers why not be even more authentic and hire a live band complete with swingin’ jazz pianist?
4. Have a silent movie marathon
For a more relaxed affair why not host a silent movie night? Guests can still dress up for the ocassion in the usual 1920s glad rags but instead of music and dancing it’s movies and mingling. Lay on some 1920s snacks and nibbles, pick a movie from this playlist, sit back and enjoy a civilized evening of silent movies with your friends.
5. Dress up as characters from TV shows set in the 1920s
This is a party I’ve been to before and it was great fun. Instead of having a theme based around a 1920s aspect, like a speakeasy, why not have a theme based on one or multiple TV shows set in the 1920s?
So, you could have a Downton Abbey theme, Peaky Blinders or Boardwalk Empire to name a few. Have guests dress up as their favourite characters from the show and the music can be from the show’s soundtrack which is a good mix of authentic 1920s tunes and contemporary songs.
6. Give your party a modern twist with a 1920s vs 2020s theme
Now this is an idea I got from watching the Great Gatsby movie that had Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead role. This movie cleverly combined all the fashion and decor of the 1920s but with a pumping contemporary soundtrack containing hip hop, dubstep and rock. Host your own similar party by having guests dress in 2020s clothing but with 1920s music, food and decor or vice versa. Twerking in flapper dresses? Now there’s a thought!
7. The most classic Great Gatsby theme
No list of 1920s theme party ideas would be complete without mentioning a The Great Gatsby. This is the party where you pull out all the stops for glamorously smart clothes, fabulous art deco decor, lavishly fine food and drinks, and the best music of the decade. Only the finest champagne and tastiest lemon cake will do for this shindig.
8. A sophisticated 1920s dinner party
For another more civilized idea you can host a sit down dinner for your guests. Lay on a spread of authentic 1920s dishes and drinks complete with art deco table settings and more relaxed jazz music in the background.
9. Unleash your inner Poirot and solve a vintage murder mystery
There’s something about the 1920s that lends itself well to a murder mystery theme party. It must be all those Agatha Christie novels. Have the host dress up as Poirot, complete with mustache, and solve the case of the murder.
10. Host a Cabaret or Vaudeville Show
These shows were all the rage in the 1920s. Cabarets consisted of dancing girls, jazz singers and drag shows whilst Vaudeville shows were similar with performances by comedians, magicians and jugglers. Hire cabaret performers for your party or encourage your friends to be brave and do performances of their own.
What to wear to a 1920s theme party
For any 1920s theme party I’d go with classic sharp suits for the guys and flapper dresses for the ladies. These looks are synonymous with 1920s glamour and will fit at any party based on this decade. In fact they are essential for The Gatsby theme, the gangsters and molls and the murder mystery.
For the other themes though these looks can be a bit formulaic. Why not have a look at what fashions were popular for the decade and wear them to, say, the rent party or the movie marathon?
You can get styles today that wouldn’t be out of place in the 1920s and you needn’t buy brand new either. Why not browse a thrift store for some items to incorporate into your look? If it’s for just one night out there’s no need to spend a lot of money and it’s good for the environment too.
For the modern theme you can have a lot of fun by mixing contemporary styles with the fashion of a century ago. Jumpsuit with a feather boa? Tracksuit with a pinstripe jacket? Sure they’ll look a little silly but that’s all part of the fun!
What music to play
The 1920s was all about the jazz. There’s lots of modern day renditions of jazz standards from the era but personally? I like to keep it authentic and play the music that was being played at the time in speakeasies and on the radio. You could really push the boat out and hire a band or pianist for the night to give a more authentic edge.
If you go for the 2020s v 1920s theme then it can be either music from the era or more contemporay stuff. Obviously the movie marathon will require no music while the movies are playing (except for the silent movie piano of course!) and if you’re bold and go for the cabaret option then it’s whatever the acts come up with on the night!
Here’s a few playlists to get you started:
- Fats Waller – Perfect for the rent party as he played these events all over Harlem in his day.
- 1920s Gangster – Contains many classics from the era and works well for many of the themes listed.
- Murder Mystery – For the theme with the same title and for if you want more slower background music
- Electro Swing Remixes – This is a fun playlist that has electro swing remixes of jazz standards or jazz versions of popular songs.
- The Great Gatsby Soundtrack – This has a good mix of contemporary styles and old fashioned greats.
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