The tempo of the city had changed. The buildings were higher, the parties were bigger, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper. – Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby)
Yesterday, I attended a Great Gatsby themed birthday party for my friends Allison and Helen. It was a nice break from all the Holiday festivities and the Jingle Bell music playing all around the city. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Christmas, but when all I hear, non-stop for a month, is Christmas music, I was dying for a change. I was so excited to get all dolled up, celebrate at a non-holiday themed party, and listen to amazing tunes from Ted Lewis, Ruth Etting and other jazz musicians from the roaring 20’s.
The Great Gatsby is ranked as one of the best American novels of all time. It takes place in 1922 on Long Island, just outside of New York City. Earlier this year, when The Great Gatsby premiered with Leonardo De Caprio, it seemed like the fashion trends of the 20’s jumped off the screen and hit the streets of Manhattan in modern day. Designer, Miuccia Prada, collaborated with the films Head of Wardrobe, Catherin Martin, to rework vintage dresses from the Prada and Miu Miu archives, together creating fabulous costumes for the film. Tiffany & Co provided all the jewels worn by the actors in the film. With their porcelain skin and red pouts, dressed to the nines, in sequined flapper dresses, long strings of pearls and Mary Jane pumps… the ladies of the 20’s knew how to dress! This trend is still alive and kicking, but you don’t want to go overboard. Pick one or two of your favorite elements, play with it and make it your own.
Among all my favorite things to do in the city (and I must admit that list grows daily), I love that you can find authentic jazz bars. It’s difficult to pick just one favorite, but if I had to choose, I believe it would be the Village Vanguard (in Greenwich Village). So, if you are a Gatsby fan, paint your lips red, find your pearls, put on your Mary Jane’s and head to one of the city’s amazing jazz bars. Just maybe, you’ll find a guy in a zoot suit or a bootlegger in a fedora.
xoxo Charlotte
