The Great Gatsby Style

There’s been a lot of talk about The Great Gatsby movie recently, and since it has recently become one of my favorite novels – and time periods – I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to post about the fashionable inspiration that has come out of the movie, the novel, and the time period.

Baz Luhrmann's movie is quite a spectacle that bridges the old with the new to make a spectacular time period come alive to current-day audiences. The 20s were a time of excess and merriment, and The Great Gatsby certainly captures that. The elusive “American Dream” seems to be at the heart of the story, and although everyone eventually must wake up from it, it sure is fun while it lasts. And that, old sport, is why The Great Gatsby is such a glorious caricature of a time when champagne flowed, luxury was king, and pleasure and passion were the essence of a good life. 

The fashions were preppy and cosmopolitan, decadent and elegant, and whimsical and refined. It was the beginning of personal expression and style – and if you had enough money to pull it off, it became your calling card. Today is no different, although having enough money to pull off “style” doesn’t have to be a hindrance. There are plenty of stores that are budget-friendly and offer stylish looks for less.  In fact, there are two in particular that seem to cater to retro fashions with a modern flair: Anthropologie and ModCloth. Here are a few finds from both stores that offer their contemporary take on the fashionable Roaring Twenties.

 Clockwise: Posh Petal Earrings, $10.99, Modcloth; Ruffle Stream Maxi Dress, $298, Anthropologie; Presentation and Accounted for Dress, $147.99, ModCloth; Stop Sign and Look Heel, $179.99, ModCloth; Tisa Swing Dress, $128, Anthropologie.