Obsessed with all-things Gatsby? Want to the live the life of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby? Keen to track down more about the book and film adaptations, and walk in the footsteps of F. Scott Fitzgerald? Then here’s our guide to the Gatsby trail…
What to do
- Start by buying the book, reading our review, and watching the various film versions, of course.
- Read other books about the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties, and watch some period dramas via movies and TV shows set during the 1920s.
- Consider adding some Beaux Arts or Art Deco elements to the architecture of your home. Or better still, buy a new (old) house! (We wish!)
- Decorate your home in Gatsby style.
- Learn more about Art Deco poster and magazine cover illustration.
Places to visit
- Hire a car and visit the Gold Coast on Long Island, in search of the home in Great Neck where Gatsby lived with his wife Zelda Fitzgerald and started writing his classic American novel, and the houses which inspired him, including the original locations of Manhasset, Kings Point, Sandy Point, Great Neck, Locust Valley and Old Westbury.
- The North Shore of the Gold Coast was once THE location for the private estates of Vanderbilts, Roosevelts, Whitneys, Charles Pratt, J. P. Morgan, F. W. Woolworth, and Guggenheims. Read more about the Gold Coast mansions here.
- Alternatives to Long Island: The 1920s charm is largely gone in the Gold Coast area, sadly replaced by Mobwives and Real Housewives – to tour grand homes from a similar time, it’s best to head to Newport, Rhode Island, where many of the houses are open to the public. You should also consider the Hudson Valley and Nantucket for big time, old monied homes.
- Watch the polo at the Meadowbrook Polo Club, the oldest continuously operating polo club in the United States.
Where to stay
Long Island:
- Where? Oheka Castle, Huntington, New York
- Why? Oheka was one of the inspirations for Jay Gatsby’s mansion.
Manhattan:
- Where? The F. Scott Fitzgerald Suite at the Plaza Hotel
- Why? The Plaza Hotel is featured in the novel, and they’ve gone to a lot of trouble to create the new Fitzgerald suite.
Remember to pack using your vintage luggage collection! See more travel lusciousness here.
What to drink and how to entertain
- Drink 1920s cocktails which are mentioned in the book. More luscious cocktail ideas here.
- Read about famous epicureans and socialites, and learn how to entertain in style.
What to wear
Both menswear and womenswear
- SHOPPING: Inspired by The Great Gatsby
- Historical style: Runway fashion influenced by the 1900s-1930s
Mostly men
- SHOP THIS LOOK: Menswear inspired by the 1920s from Brooks Brothers
- Gatsby style: Warby Parker 1922 glasses collection
Mostly women
- SHOPPING: Where to buy fashion inspired by the 1920s – part 1
- SHOPPING: Fashion inspired by the 1920s – part 2
- FOOT FETISH: Bionda Castana “Zelda” patent buckle brogue
- LUST-HAVE: Elie Saab vintage-inspired clutch bags
- WISHLIST: Glamorous clutch bags
- WISHLIST: Funtasma by Pleaser Women’s Contessa 1920s-style shoes
Host a grand event such as a 1920s-style wedding
- Bling fling: Tiffany’s 1920s Gatsby-inspired collection of luscious jewelry
- Bling fling: Diamond and sapphire rings
- Gatsby style: 1920s wedding inspiration – part 1
- Gatsby style: 1920s wedding inspiration – part 2
More reading related the The Great Gatsby:
- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: A Literary Reference by Matthew J. Bruccoli
- Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli
- Trimalchio: An Early Version of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by
- Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy: A Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill
- The Mansions of Long Island’s Gold Coast: Revised and Expanded by Monica Randall
Lots more here:
Follow all our Luscious on Pinterest boards, including:
- 1920s style, including The Great Gatsby
- Historical fashion, incl Edwardian, Flapper fashion and more
- Historical glamour
- Downton Abbey
- Inspired by the British Empire
- A ladylike life
- A glamorous life
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Cheers, Natasha
www.myLusciousLife.com
