The 1920s

Jazz, flappers, prohibition and gangsters. This era was called the roaring 20s with good reason, and it makes a fabulous theme. Browse down the page for food and party ideas.

20s Themed Music and Entertainment

• DVD Orchard offers a comprehensive range of PAL format DVDs, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, CDs, many in stock and ready to ship. Search Jazz to find movies and documentaries on this era
   
• Picture Store - offers an extensive range of posters, including Art deco styles.
   
• Time Life Australia - The Australian branch of Time Life offers a wide range of DVDs, VHS videos and Music CDs including Jazz collections.

20s Clothing and Costumes

• Costume Box - Thousands of Fancy Dress costumes for adults and kids for all occasions. Most costumes dispatched within 24 hours. All costumes displayed are in stock. See their Historical costumes.

• Australia's Online Party Costumes Superstore - lots of party costumes and dress-ups delivered anywhere in Australia for $9.95.  They stock Gangster themed costumes and accessories. 
   

20s Party Products

• Party Products Australia - your one-stop shop for party supplies, based in Brisbane, Queensland.  Party Products Australia stocks over 6000 items including invitations, balloons, napkins, plates, cups, hats, goody/loot bags, temporary tattoos, banner flags, piñatas, and a lot more! Themes include Hollywood.
  

20s Party Ideas

The 20s was all about Jazz and Prohibition, which meant loud music, lots of illegal drinking and organised crime. 

• Decor - Do your house up as a 20s location like a Speakeasy (no admittance without a password), or a Jazz club. Art deco styles and colours also add to the ambience.
• Themes - Gangsters, Prohibition, Radio, Art deco, Jazz, Silent and B&W movies.
• Celebrities - Al Capone, Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel, Greta Garbo, Harry Houdini, Jean Harlow, Louis Armstrong and Mae West.
• Activities - Learn 20s dances like The Charleston and Shimmy. Have everyone make up a 20s Gangster name for themselves, give a prize for the best one. Use 20s slang like: 'bees knees/cat's pyjamas', 'big cheese', 'baloney' and  'going to see a man about a dog' (buying illegal alcohol).

20s party food

The Prohibition made alcohol more popular then ever. Speakeasies were noted for their horrendous food, as alcohol was the main event. Most did, however, serve salty snacks to make their patrons thirsty

• 'Bathtub' Gin - just put a handmade label saying 'Bathtub Gin' over the real label
• Cocktails and Champagne - if you break the Prohibition, do it in style.
• Salty Snacks - chips and dip, peanuts
• Chinese Food - this was new and fashionable in this era
• For more 1920s foods see Food Timeline