Looking Dapper: 1920's Flapper Girl Hen Party

Among all the other preparations you face for your Hen Party, deciding on a theme should be anything but a chore. Sadly, the number of theme options available to choose from can leave you feeling a little lost. We all want something different, we want to stand out, be pioneers, and do something that nobody has ever done. Unfortunately, cowgirls, bunnies, and army girls, as fun as they may be, are theme ideas which are recycled year-after-year. I recently went to a bunny themed Hen Party and, in all honesty, it made me want something slightly classier for my own Hen. As you read this, you could well be witnessing a revolution in Hen Party fancy dress: make way for the 1920’s flapper girl. 

Imagine this; a glamorous group of girls perched on bar stools in the Hilton SkyLounge, sipping on Gin Rickeys, and having a devil-may-care attitude towards life. Well, this image is reminiscent of Twenties flapper girls, a culture of reckless, stylish young women, who engaged in controversial recreational activities like smoking, drinking, and generally behaving in a way which challenged the pre-war status quo. Kind of like the women of today, yeah? But these women, though reckless, oozed class, something which is missing from the Hen Party scene. These women were independent, headstrong, and rebellious, as was the rest of society, in response to America’s attempted ban on alcohol during the 20’s. But they never failed to deliver on elegance. We all like the occasional drink, and what better opportunity to re-enact The Great Gatsby than for your sophisticated but equally wild adaptation of the famous ‘Hen Party’? This would be a cocktail night like no other, filled with glitz, fringes, sequins, feathers, booze, and irresistible women; the only difference is that one of these women would be off-limits! Sound convincing enough? Especially for you, Hen Party Superstore has teamed up with its sister site PlayAndParty.co.uk to share some costume and accessory ideas for your flapper Hen Party. Just picture the whole shebang; the lavish dresses, the elegant feathered headbands, the flirty fringes that swing as you dance, the finger wave hairstyles, the red lippie, the feather boas, the pearl necklaces, the cigarette holders... each of which, when combined, will revitalize the flapper look of the Roaring 20s, but with a 21st Century twist. You can even buy flapper wigs at Play and Party.co.uk, which are a nifty little timesaver, and an easy way to re-create 20’s flapper hairstyles in no time at all. If you’re like me though, you’ll enjoy being experimental with your own hair. As easy as buying a wig may be, I’m one of those awkward people who would rather get up five hours earlier, just to do things myself. I found some great 20’s hair and make-up tutorials for those of you who are creative enough to try and DIY the glamorous and authentic flapper look: 1920’s finger wave hair and make-up tutorial:

Ok, so you’ve got the look; hair, make-up, clothes, accessories and all. What next? You’ll be appropriately primed for a classy cocktail night, no doubt, but these can get expensive. So, to keep costs down, you can host a pre-party at home before heading to town. These 20’s inspired cocktail recipes are a great excuse to get ossified (Don’t understand? Read on!).

Click on the cocktail glasses for the full recipes including ingredients and instructions, you can also print off the sheets to add fun to your very own cocktail bar!

Check out these products from www.henpartysuperstore.co.uk to help make your cocktails extra classy and fun. There is a great range from cocktail umbrella's to funky straws.

And there’s always that one person you invite, (usually me), who is a munch monster and would appreciate some snacks. Some simple but delicious 20’s inspired canapés could be on the cards here.

All that fun cocktail shaking and canapé nibbling at home might set you a little behind schedule, so make sure to have your taxi booked. There’s usually a “Taxis are here!” alert, as everybody frantically necks their drinks down; and then there’s me, scoffing down the sausage rolls and filling my handbag with cheese and pineapple sticks, while I can. For the main night out, you have a couple of options; you can keep it classy, and rotate around all of the finest cocktail bars, but this will leave you with little opportunity to have a dance. And when I say ‘classy’, I don’t mean stuck up sorority girls sitting on their stools ALL night. Nope, only until you’re warmed up. It’s a Hen Party after all, so dancing is a must. For me, a perfect little compromise would be finishing off a sophisticated bar crawl in a Jazz club, somewhere where I can dance so much I make the fringes of my dress nearly shake off. Click HERE for a list of some of the UK’s top Hen Party cities and their respective Prohibition era bars and clubs: 

After already taking all of the above measures to have an authentic 20’s Hen Night, it would be a shame to re-live the era without knowing some of the lingo. Catch up on 1920’s slang, where giggle water was an alcoholic beverage which made you ossified (drunk), and eventually turned you into an Oliver Twist - a very good dancer! Take a look at this link for some more 1920’s slang to get you in the mood! 1920's Party Words To Use .I’d use this as a Hen Party game, where each flapper hen has to use at least one 20’s word every hour. Those who forget have to drink a penalty shot! 

Take a look at our sister website PlayAndParty.co.uk where we’ve dedicated a whole section to 1920s flapper dresses and accessories! Click Here To Shop For 1920's Costumes! Take a look at the table, drinking, and cooking accessories at Hen Party Superstore Click Here To View 1920s drinking and cooking accessoires! 

Have I gone a little overboard? I tend to do so when I’m really passionate about something. I’m definitely an advocate of Twenties flapper girl fancy dress, especially for a Hen Party. It’s an excuse to be glamorous and unique, and go full throttle with the theme. Cowgirls, bunnies, and army girls, leave little opportunity for you to get experimental with food and drink. Don’t underestimate the power of the pre-party! It’s a fantastic way to stimulate the night’s antics, to get everybody comfortable, to do some ice-breaking for those who are unacquainted, and to line your stomachs with some tasty appetisers, before a Roaring Twenties night of drinking and dancing. I am DEFINITELY going to ‘shotgun’ this idea, so hurry up and do so yourselves, before the trend catches on. 

Visit our Pinterest page for more inspiration about 1920s costumes, food, decorations and style.

Go and shop now for all your 1920s fancy dress needs, we have an excellent selection of fancy dress costumes ranging from flapper girl dresses to 1920s accessories like cigarette holders and pearl necklaces.