This past Sunday I attended an event called ” The Gatsby Garden Party” that was run by the Spadina Museum right here in Toronto. It was a lovely afternoon filled with music, croquet, lemonade & ice-cream, Charleston lessons and a tour of this outstanding historical house (I might do a future blog post on the house and the family as this house was really amazing).

The day turned out to be so beautiful, hot but sunny with not a chance of rain anywhere and lots of people came out in full 1920’s style, which I was really glad. Nothing worse than going to a 1920’s party and being the only person IN 1920’s clothes 🙂 I wore a 1920’s reproduction dress from Unique Vintage that was actually my mothers and a 1950’s hat (which looked very 1920’s) from Cabaret Vintage. I received many many compliments on this dress and it was truly beautiful BUT due to the weight of the beads after 4 hours my shoulders were feeling the pain (ahhh what we do for fashion lol). That’s okay I felt fantastic in it and when I danced the beads spun around in the most magical way and I truly felt like I was a part of the Gatsby world.

Here I am out front of the Spadina House.

1920s Gatsby Garden Party at the Spadina Museum in Toronto, Canada. 1920s dress from unique vintage.

Recently I have a joined a Meetup group to meet vintage like-minded ladies and our recent get-together was at the party. I have to say that if you are looking to meet people who share the same likes/interests as you that coming to events like this or joining “Meetup” is a good place to start. These ladies are fantastic and so nice and I am really looking forward to doing more things with them.

Here is a pic of our little group…

Gatsby Summer party at the Spadina Museum in Toronto Canada. This group would eventually become the Toronto Vintage Society.

As mentioned above there was live music at the event and one of the bands that played is a favorite of Swing Dancers in Toronto, “Combo Royale“. Their style according to their website is “Old-Time Foot Stompin Jazz” and that statement is really true for when you are around them you can’t help but clap, sing, dance etc. I love the band and I have also become friends with a few of the members as well 🙂

Combo Royale at the Gatsby Garden Party in Toronto 2013.

As well as music there was Croquet. I really wanted to learn how to play this game but the sun was pretty hot and I was starting to melt so I had to pass this time around.

Gatsby Garden Party in Toronto-Playing croquet.

Here is an awesome picture of the back of the Spadina House and I did not realize that when I took the picture that this very handsome and well dressed man was in it lol! Clearly he thinks I’m taking a picture of him with that perfect pose, when I was really focused on the house. But I’m very happy he did pose because I love this photo even more now.

1920s Gatsby Garden Party at he Spadina House in Toronto Canada

Here I am with a fellow swing dancer (whose names escapes me). Her outfit was outstanding and I think she might of also won the costume contest.

1920s outfits at the 1920s Gatsby Garden Party at he Spadina House in Toronto Canada

The museum was kind enough to let us tour the home as part of the activities of the day and boy oh boy was I glad I did, for this house is truly a masterpiece (and very well restored). The early 1900’s-1930’s décor was drool worthy and I became slightly obsessed on trying to figure out how I could move in here without anyone knowing lol!

Here is a window from the front foyer…wow! Pssst…can you see the animal in the pic? It was a stuffed wolf that welcomed you when you walked in and boy did it look real!

Inside look at the Spadina Museum in Toronto, Canada

Front sitting room (sorry for the blurry pic).

The wallpaper in the house was so incredible and I think I spent a lot of time staring at it and talking about it (my husband was pretty sure I had gone crazy lol), but don’t you agree that it is pretty awesome wallpaper?? According to the guides when the house was given over to the city in the 1980’s they discovered that the Austin family were a bit of hoarders and kept everything, from grocery receipts to….wallpaper swatches! So when the restoration/replication started they had an easy job when it came to recreating the wallpaper. Yay for antique hoarders!

antique wallpaper as seen at the Spadina Museum in Toronto, Canada

This was the closet in the main bedroom, so envious on the size! My closet is an Ikea wardrobe 🙁

Inside look at the Spadina Museum in Toronto, Canada - Walk in Closet.

Vintage dresses on display in the closet of my dreams (see why I wanted to move in).

1920s & 1930s fashions seen at the Spadina Museum in Toronto, Canada

Another Wallpaper shot 🙂 AND the most lovely pictures of the owner and her two daughters (I believe).

Close up of the pictures. Look at the hair? Beautiful.

1920s photo of a family member who lived a the Spadina House in Toronto in her 1920s hairstyle.

OMG! Everything about this photo is outstanding. Hair, clothes, pose..wow! Love 🙂

1930s photo of a woman who lived at the Spadina House in Toronto, Canada.

I sadly did not take a lot of pictures of the inside of the house because I think I was spending too much time gawking and not picture-taking lol! So you will just have to visit Toronto and see it with your own eyes (it is worth the trip trust me). If you do visit you can pop over next door and tour Casa Loma as well.

Here I am at the end of the day in front of Casa Loma.

Gatsby 1920s Party in Toronto, Canada the Spadina Museum. 1920s dress from Unique Vintage.

Have you attended any Gatsby like parties recently?

Liz 🙂

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Unique Vintage are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

(Updated Post: March 2024)

The Easter Parade is an event consisting of a festive strolling procession on Easter Sunday with participates usually wearing their best Easter finery that normally consisted of the best of modern clothes and hats of that time.

Easter Parade-Toronto’s Oldest Tradition that is really all about the Hats!

History of the Easter Parade in Toronto

Toronto’s Easter Parade is one of its oldest Traditions, starting in the early 1900’s along the waterfront at Sunnyside Park.

Fashion was very important and in an article written on April 26th, 1914 in the Toronto World Newspaper an amusing headline appeared…. Are women of Toronto behind New Yorkers in style? The accompanying caption (for the pic below) reads: “The fashion show on Fifth Avenue, Easter Sunday – in the foreground a mandarin jacket of ruffled taffeta, straight-brimmed hat, trimmed with wing rows – a brocaded crepe coat is shown in centre.”

New York Easter Parade-1914

1914 Vintage Photo of the New York Easter Parade

Image courtesy of Toronto Archives

Yes the women in this New York picture looking amazingly fashionable but were the Toronto women that far behind in fashion? Not really!

Easter weekend in Toronto can be cold, which may account for why the Easter parades in our city were perhaps a bit more humble than New York’s 5th Avenue event (not 100% sure though). The photograph below from 1924 shows Toronto flappers in their Easter finery parading along the Sunnyside boardwalk in their warm jackets (Toronto Archives). I think they look pretty amazing even WITH their jackets on.

1920s Vintage Photo from the Toronto Easter Parade. 1924 shows Toronto flappers in their Easter finery parading along the Sunnyside boardwalk in their warm 1920s coats.

In 1922 an amusement park opened up at Sunnyside park and the Easter Parade became a more structured event, complete with sponsors and prizes.

1920s Vintage Photo of women in 1920s clothing walking down the Sunnyside Park boardwalk in Toronto, Canada -1922

But by the early 1950’s the amusement park had shut down and with it went the Sunnyside Easter Parade. However the parade was not gone for ever and it was reborn on Bloor Street till about the middle of the 1960’s where it then moved East to the Beaches and has remained there ever since. Very cool!

Now before we move onto the next section, lets see some more vintage 1920s images from the Easter Parade on April 17th, 1927 (I love my photos!).

1920s Toronto Easter Parade Image showcasing 1920s Fashion. April 1927

Source: Toronto Archives

I’m here all day long for this STUNNING 1920s image of 2 ladies in their own version of a men’s 1920s Tuxedo. Men’s fashion for women is so on trend for any year!

STUNNING 1920s image of 2 ladies in their own version of a men's 1920s Tuxedo at the Toronto Easter Parade.

Source: Toronto Archives

Eeek! I don’t think this couple could get any better looking in this 1920s Photo.

1920s photo of a stylish 1920s man and woman strolling in the Toronto Easter Parade. 1920s Fashions on Display

Source: Toronto Archives

Never mind the hats! Can we talk about these 2 women’s 1920s jackets? So Beautiful!

1920s Photo of 2 women in 1920s Jackets and 1920s hats at the Toronto Easter Parade

Source: Toronto Archives

Toronto was clearly very stylish in the 1920s. Yooza!

Source: Toronto Archives

There is the history of the Toronto Easter Parade but now onto the most important part of the parade…the hats!

So what does one wear on their head to the “Easter Parade”?

Vintage Shopping: I have created an Etsy Collection of Vintage Hats that would be perfect for Easter or any occasion. It is updated monthly.

(NOTE: These hats WERE available at time of posting / or update. Please use these as inspirations if sold out and make sure to visit Etsy as they are updated daily with loads of new vintage hats & other vintage items).

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Vintage Hats

Straw hats are so lovely for Spring and Summer, I have a couple different kinds and I love them. Here is a 1950s platter / straw hat with pretty flowers. The label reads: “Karen Isabel Original”