Holiday Party Trends For 2018: Roaring 20’s Parties!

Yes, it’s already time to start thinking about holiday parties and from just a little research it appears that 1920’s Great Gatsby style is one of the top holiday party trends for 2018. I have to say, I kinda love it!

A Modern Classic

Although the term has made it to the top of the cliche pile, there is some universal truth to it. The two terms seem to clash horribly, but isn’t it a fact that old things get rediscovered and branded as new every day?

Our fascination with the 1920’s isn’t only skin deep – there are a lot of similarities between the modern present and those “classic” 20’s. We are living through changing times, and our great-grandparents who experienced the beginning of the last century probably felt the same way.

No wonder “Great Gatsby” parties are becoming more and more popular – if you haven’t gotten an invitation to one yet, consider throwing one yourself! This is one of the top holiday party trends for 2018!

Forbidden Fruit and Novelty

The 1920’s are still associated with breaking the rules and secrecy – this is because when the prohibition was enacted in the year 1920, most wild parties went underground, and became the forbidden fruit to a generation of newly wealthy men and newly emancipated women, who for the first time in history of America could vote (also happened in 1920!).

This is why “The Roaring 20’s” is an American term. The perfect storm of the prohibition, the post WWI independent women, new fashion, new hair, new social norms, new cars and new synthetic materials that made for this memorable decade.

The old was out, and the new was in – imagine a flapper girl with a short dress, jazzy music, brave short bob – draped head to toe with expensive and cheap jewelry alike. Now contrast it with her mother – a more conservative lady with a tight corset, waist long hair that would have to be meticulously put up and pinned, family heirlooms, virtue, modesty. It was like night and day.

Tips And Tricks For Being The Hit Of The Party

If you have been invited to a Roaring 20’s party for Halloween or for New Years – do not despair. It’s one of the top holiday party trends for 2018! There are endless options open to you so you can be the hit of the party. Most of all, think bold attitude.

• Accessories – even if you end up slightly altering something out of your closet instead of buying something new, you’ll want to accessorize. Things like long cigarette holders, hip flasks or jewelry are great conversation pieces at parties, especially if they look original. Roaring 20’s style jewelry is very tasteful and will look great after the party too.
• Make-up – remember that makeup was done to please the social media of the time – photography. And the women Broadway wanted nothing more than to look like the movie stars of the day. Sound familiar? For your makeup think dark lipstick with a classic heart-shaped upper lip, heavy Egyptian eyes, and thin but shapely eyebrows. Perhaps a beauty mark?
• Hair – finger curls are pretty hard to do and this is something that you may need to see a hairdresser about before you go to the party. If you don’t care that much or if you just don’t have time to put that much effort into it, you can do a simple bun and rescue yourself with a hair accessory. Or a forehead fascinator. You’ll probably be using a lot of hair gel to keep your hair in check either way, but that’s okay  – the “wet” look was very much a big deal back then.
• Dress – don’t panic! 1920’s parties have become so popular that period style clothing abounds. They can fit your budget and cost anywhere from $30 to a few hundred!

Conversation

If you’re going to be getting into character at the party, you may want to remember some 1920’s slang and tidbits of the era. Here are some subjects you might want to cover:

• The Prohibition – all of the sudden, alcohol was illegal. Except in cases of illness, and mass. This affected a huge portion of the market, speakeasies popped up everywhere, and medicine cabinets became places to keep your stash. Police raids were common, and moonshine abundant.
• Women Voting – although women were allowed to vote in 1920, their first order of business was to bring about the prohibition. How about that as a wake-up call to men? Alcohol was a big problem of the era, and because men were seen as providers, drunkenness was a huge problem for families. If you get into character enough, this may be a very interesting topic to argue over!
• The Charleston – some of the most popular dances to come out of the 20’s, they are still danced at competitions today. The Charleston involves a lot of leg kicking and arm swinging and was introduced by a broadway show called “Runnin’ Wild” in 1923. It is said that some of the dance movements came from Africa – Nigeria, and Ghana to be exact. It was a gentrified version of a dance popular with the Black community of South Carolina. It was really considered “wild”.
• The Lost Generation – a term popularized by Hemingway and Gertrude Stein – it refers to the generation of young people who came of age and fought during the war. It’s a lost generation because the war left the mark on them forever, and those who went through it were marked with what was most likely severe PTSD.
• Slang: Bimbo meant something completely different in the 20’s – it meant a “tough guy”! A divorcee was said to be “out on parole”. Don’t forget “the bee’s knees”! If anyone does any research for your party they are going to be using this word a lot! Isn’t it fun? It means “great” or “the best”. It is the one phrase that has caught on in the present day, but other seemingly nonsensical phrases that meant the same thing included and were not limited to: the berries, clam’s garter, eel’s ankle, oyster’s earring, snake’s hips, kipper’s knickers – don’t ask…

If you haven’t been to a Roaring 1920’s party yet don’t despair – its one of the top holiday party trends for 2018 although its predicted high point will be for the 2020 New Year! Until then, practice your Charleston and shh… speakeasy. ;-)