DRESS LIKE IT'S THE 1930s

Gangsters were big in the 1930s, and their look reflected the fashions of the day.

We love when people dress in costume to play an ESCAPE! Alaska escape room, and one of the more exciting possibilities for guests is what to wear when they finally get to play NOIR. Set in 1935 Chicago, this murder/mystery game allows guests a wide range of era-friendly costuming, from Private Eye to the Wealthy Dame who hired him.

Well into the Golden Age of Hollywood, the fashions of the day were inspired greatly by what the leading men and ladies wore on the silver screen.

Everyone “dressed up” to leave their house, regardless of the destination. Men wore suits, ties, and hats. Overcoats were common. Ladies could wear an evening gown or an afternoon dress, depending on the event.

Al Capone (center) and associates. Chicago, 1930.

Women’s styles changed drastically from the Roaring 20s, when the popular thing to wear was a straight flapper dress. In the 30s, women’s fashions began accentuating a lady’s natural curves, whether in her afternoon dress or evening gown.

And, wow, clothing was cheap back then! Ok, not really… before you get too excited about $3 pairs of shoes, the average annual income in 1935 was $474. That $3 pair of shoes would cost $58 today. An average men’s suit - $20 in 1935 - is the equivalent of $385 almost 100 years later.

No matter how you choose to dress for our NOIR escape room, you’ll feel transported back to 1935 Chicago, a Private Eye on the case of the city’s most high-profile murder.