Roaring 20s party ideas: decor, outfits, food, invitations

Roaring 20s party ideas: decor, outfits, food, invitations

The 1920s, often called the Roaring 20s, was a transformative decade that brought significant social changes and cultural shifts. A Roaring 20s party was characterised by three famous themes, Harlem Nights, Speakeasy and Great Gatsby. Here are the best Roaring 20s party ideas to get you started.

Roaring 20s party ideas: Retro Collection
Roaring 20s era was a time of rebellion, glamour, and cultural revolution. Photo: Natalia Hubbert (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

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The 1920s was an era of economic breakthroughs, jazz music, cocktails, and ladies in shorter dresses with short hair; it was a time to party. It was a revolutionary period with flamboyance and cultural dynamism shaping every aspect of life. How do you have a Roaring 20s party?

Roaring 20s party ideas

You do not necessarily need a big party to have a good time. A 1920s theme party is ideal for any occasion, such as a birthday celebration or New Year's Eve. Check out these Roaring 20s party ideas for your eventful day.

Roaring 20s party decorations

What is a Roaring 20s party without decorations? Decorating for a speakeasy party is so much fun. Your colour scheme should be white, gold, black and red. Here are some great Roaring 20s party decorations to make your event stand out.

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Glitters and neon signs

Vintage lettering neon colours for a cocktail part
Neon colour decorations make a party event more vibrant.Photo: Liubov Kondrateva
Source: Getty Images

One of the best roaring 20s party decorating ideas is to jazz up the entire venue with tonnes of glitter to make it appear like a magical night. Go neon and make the space more vibrant.

Balloon arch

What is a party without balloons? Ensure you have many gold, silver, black, and white balloons to make your event colourful.

Use decorative banners

Banners give the location an immediate festive appearance. Decorate your banners with images of your friends hanging out with the group, with family, or with a collage of their happiest moments.

Paper straw garland

Make a simple garland from paper straws to decorate your 1920s party buffet or bar. Purchase gold and black or white straws, cut them into graduated lengths, and thread them in groups to resemble pennants on a length of baker's twine.

Decorations using photos

If you and your friends have known each other since you were young, you can access their possessions, photos, and memories. Use them all as your 1920s decorations for a time-travelling celebration.

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Photo booth decoration

Include a photo booth or selfie station to take amazing pictures with friends and family. Make a magical backdrop to go with the exciting party theme.

Roaring 20s party food and drinks inspiration ideas

Delicious desserts on the banquet table
Some of the meals to include in your Roaring party meals list are devilled eggs, tea sandwiches, salted nuts, prawn cocktail, and canapés. Photo: Yuriy Pozdnikov
Source: Getty Images

Planning the food for a 1920s-themed party might seem challenging, but most of the items you can serve are simple, authentic and still familiar to people from the 21st century. Here are the options you can consider.

Appetizers and simple dishes

The ever-popular dish of deviled eggs is appropriate to the era while still being easy to prepare for a party. Cabbage rolls, assembled with ground beef, rice, and some simple pantry seasonings, will please your guests.

Mains

For a main course, consider preparing a traditional barbecue sauce of cider vinegar, ketchup, Tobasco sauce and strong spices such as cayenne and chilli powder. You can also opt for beef tenderloin, pork chops or roasted chicken.

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Desserts

Rice pudding can fit well on your list of desserts. Jell-o with banana splits ice cream was also served during the Roaring 20s. Angel food cake, pineapple upside down cake, inbox cake, and Neapolitan ice cream are accurate for the decade and remain party favourites.

Drinks

The 1920s decade was all about the cocktails. Therefore, ensure you incorporate a few vintage drinks into your menu. Consider classic cocktails such as gin Rickeys, sidecars, and mint juleps for a Great Gatsby party.

Roaring 20s party outfits inspirations

Roaring 20s party female accessories
Retro 1920s female accessories featuring flapper dress, headband, long pearl necklace, cloche hats, gloves, beaded purses, and T-strap shoes. Photo: Invincible_bulldog
Source: Getty Images

A Roaring theme party is only complete if you have a lovely 1920s party outfit. There are various outfit ideas you can choose from.

Flapper-inspired dress

Flapper dresses were standard during the 1920s. Dress to impress with a gorgeous flapper dress. These dresses are known for their loose silhouette, straight, dropped waist and knee length.

Silk handkerchiefs

Silk handkerchiefs were among the famous and fashionable accessories at the time. They can be a unique gift to your guests, and you can personalise them by sewing each guest's name into the border of the handkerchiefs.

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Vintage-inspired gloves

Gloves were an essential accessory back in the 1920s, where they were used to highlight the elegance and sophistication of an outfit. Offer your guests satin gloves or vintage lace during the party to bring an elegant and authentic touch to their outfits.

Pearl necklaces

Pearls were trendy in the 1920s. Accessorising your party outfit with pearl jewellery is a fantastic idea, giving your guests' outfits a vintage touch.

Gatsby feathered hats

If you want to wear a symbol of 1920s elegance, you can't go wrong with the enchanting feathered hat. Request your guests to come adorned in feathers and sequin hats.

Clutch bags

If you are a lady, ensure you have a stylish flapper-inspired clutch bag that will be perfect for holding goodies from the party. You can decorate your clutch bag with crystals, pearls, glitter and other flapped-themed decorations.

Black dress

Craft the perfect look for a roaring 20s-themed party with a stylish black dress. They are the epitome of elegance, timeless and versatile and will never go out of fashion.

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Tulle pouches

Gift your guests with Jazz Age tulle pouches they can fill with small candies or favours. You can decorate them in metallic colours reflecting the glitz and glamour of the 20s!

Striped suit

Striped suits are perfect for formal occasions, the ultimate elegant clothing that stood the test of time. They help you create the most stylish looks without much effort. The verticle lines have a slimming effect, a significant advantage for this print type.

1920s party invitations

Roaring 20s party ideas
Art deco vintage patterns and design elements for an invitation card. Photo: Vgorbash
Source: Getty Images

Let your friends and family know about your upcoming Roaring 20's party. Make your invitations as creative as you want to make them stand out. Below are some of the Roaring 20s invitation ideas.

Colour coordinated

When making your invitations, feature an elegant black, gold, and silver design with the phrase, 'Come have a roaring good time' or 'Get ready to Charleston the night away!,' centred in the middle. You can pair the invites with Roaring 20s party supplies such as feather boas, champagne glasses, and pearls. It will enhance your party's theme.

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Art Deco fonts and designs

Art Deco was a famous art style in the Roaring 20s. Complement geometric shapes with bold colours that reflect the Art Deco style of the 1920s and make them shine by adding some glitter. It's a great way to add a touch of glamour to your invitations.

Vintage images

Include old photos of flappers, jazz musicians and speakeasies in your invitations. They are all great ways to evoke the feeling of the Roaring 20s.

Record invites

The 1920s culture was characterised by the vinyl records and jazz music people listened to during soulful times. You can design your invitations into shapes of the records and incorporate a fun song title for each guest's invitation.

E-invites

You don't have to make your guests wait for their invitations. You can send them e-invites and add some 20s flair by styling them like vintage 1920s postcards.

Speakeasy password

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In your invitations, devise an easy secret password the guests must give to join the event, just like in an authentic speakeasy. By doing so, you will be sure your speakeasy will not get busted!

Cocktail recipe card

Put your guests in the Roaring party spirit mood early by attaching a 1920s-themed cocktail recipe card to each invitation. They will yearn for the day to explore the drinks.

Flapper fashion

Make your invitations glamorous by including images of flapper accessories and dresses with sparkling glitter. Accessories include head beads, clutchbags, beaded necklaces, and feather headbands.

1920s party entertainment ideas

Woman in vintage engaged in the Charleston dance (C), art illustration of retro dance party, and jazz singers sing into microphones (L)
Jazz music and the Charleston dance were common in the Roaring 20s parties. Photo: Suteishi, Aleutie, Svetlana Marchuk (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Many fun activities fit with the Roaring 20s theme party you can opt to have them to make your event memorable.

Host a movie night at home

Watching a film at home is a great way to spend time with your loved ones at a 1920s party. Ensure you have the 1920s movies such as The Great Gatsby film.

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Jazzy music

Jazzy music over a speaker or hired band would be among the best ideas for a 1920s theme party. You can go for the same tracks and musicians that were being listened to at the time. Get your guests in spirit by adding 1920s-inspired music from artists such as The Missourians, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Sophie Tucker, Chick Endor, and Gene Austin.

Go dancing!

Dance is fun and healthy, and it's also an art form. You can organise for your guests to have 1920s dances on the dance floor. They can dance the Charleston to Scott Joplin's infamous ragtime jazz.

Play 1920s games with friends

Playing card games was a fun activity in the 1920s. Your guests will get entertained if you incorporate a 1920s-themed games night with several game tables. You can opt to go for a casino or murder mystery game.

What food would be served at a 1920s party?

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Various kinds of foods in that era can still be served today at a 1920s party. These are finger foods like deviled eggs, salted nuts, tea sandwiches, canapes, prawn cocktails and Hor d'oeuvres. In addition, cakes with red velvets, pound cakes and devil cakes.

What was the dress code for the Roaring 20s?

The 1920s was an era of glamour, fashion, and lavish parties. For your Roaring 20s party, you can wear a flapper dress, a cloche hat, elbow-length gloves, and Oxford shoes with low heels and closed laces. You can also opt for T-strap heels or shoes in metallic tones.

The 1920s left an indelible impact on parties, ushering in trends that continue to inspire the modern style of conducting parties. The above Roaring 20s party ideas should helpe you to plan a simple yet affordable and memorable 1920s theme party.

Legit.ng recently published an article about garden party attire ideas for men and women. Garden party attire strikes a balance between sophistication and comfort. The outfits ought to give you the relaxed atmosphere of outdoor events.

The garden party dress code should make you feel as comfortable as possible, maintain simplicity and look classy. You should ensure that your outfits match well to avoid colour clashing. Look at some of the best garden party ideas for your desired occasion.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi has been a content writer at Legit since September 2021. He has gained valuable experience working on various projects, such as celebrity biographies, lifestyle, news and many more. Isaac won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. He earned a Bsc. of Science in Information Technology in 2017 from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University in 2021. In 2023, Isaac finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, he completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com