Dressing Like The Great Gatsby

Unless you?ve been living under a rock for the past year, you?ll know that classic American novel The Great Gatsby has been adapted into film (again), in a glitzy production featuring a host of A-list celebrities. While the film is still awaiting its much hyped May release, already The Great Gatsby is having a huge impact on fashion which is only set to heighten once it hits theatre screens.

It?s all about glamor

The Great Gatsby is dripping with new money. There is an abundance of wealth and the characters aren?t afraid to show it off. Today?s global economy may be nothing like the post-WW1 boom, but don?t let that stop you from dressing like you have a money tree orchard growing in your backyard. Luxurious fabrics in tailored cuts, gold and silver jewelry and quality leather pieces make you look rich without being too ostentatious.

Suits

They partied hard and looked stylish all at once back in the 1920s, at least in F. Scott Fitzgerald?s interpretation of it. Men had to wear suits, especially of the three-piece variety. There is never a bad time to wear a waistcoat, but they are becoming a trend as the release date for The Great Gatsby approaches. In the 1970s film adaption, the suits were often in white or light colors, and combined with brightly colored shirts- although this hybrid of 1970s and 1920s fashion may not fully endure into 2013. If you?re going to wear a light suit, keep it modern by ditching the suit jacket and making sure all pieces fit slimly.

Shirts

In an iconic scene in the book, Jay Gatsby throws his endless array of shirts, in all manner of colors and styles, up into the air. His love interest Daisy even cries at the sight of such beautiful shirts. Shirts don?t normally have that much of an impact -you would be hard pressed to find a real-life woman as unwaveringly materialistic as Daisy- but quality shirts are a must if you are looking to emulate Gatsby?s style. While the shirts featured in The Great Gatsby were monogrammed, in 2013 monogramming is more than a little pass?.

Flat caps

Flat caps are sometimes associated with the working classes, but can also be worn in a very bourgeois way. Nail 1920s style by pairing it with luxurious clothing. It is essential that the cap itself be made from a quality material such as soft wool. Wearing a flat cap with high waist slacks with a shirt and waistcoat would be a perfect Gatsby-esque outfit.

The hair

In the promotional trailer for the upcoming film, the men wear their hair neatly slicked to one side. Their hair is short, but long enough to have a slight wave. Not everyone can carry off this hairstyle, but if you are lucky enough to have straight or slightly wavy hair, you?ll be able to do it with just a little bit of hair gel. Otherwise, you?ll have to make do with a short, tidy and respectable haircut.