While the seriously cool clothes from “The Great Gatsby” might not be entirely accurate, they were developed and portrayed in a way that correctly shows the ’20s culture of opulence quite well.

Feathered headpieces? Check. Long strings of beads? Check. More Brooks Brothers than a Princeton reunion? Check. Spectator shoes, cloche hats, and Bakelite bangles? Check, check, check. The Great Gatsby delivers the fashion clichés of the 1920s (and a few from other eras) that we expected to see.

But they don’t look quite as we expected to see them. The colors are richer, the dresses more bespangled, and the flappers less perky. This Gatsby isn’t the Gatsby of John Held, Jr. cartoons, nor is it Boardwalk Empire. It’s darker, grittier, and much sexier than the priggish Fitzgerald could have imagined. Read More