Filoli Gardens had long been on my Bay Area Bucket List when I heard of their "Step Back in Time" 1920's garden party. As the name suggests, guests are encouraged to travel back in time to enjoy Filoli as it once was at its grandest. To celebrate the roaring twenties there is live jazz, dancing, food and drinks, and a period style party-all with a very Downton Abby flair.

We dressed up for the occasion: my boyfriend wore garden party attire and my friend and I transformed into a flappers. The majority of guests were also dressed in period clothing-from suspenders, headpieces, gloves, and umbrellas. If that wasn't spectacle enough the house and stunning grounds were open for us to explore at our leisure, along with a courtyard collection of ~1920's cars. The staff were very knowledgeable about the history of the estate and did a very convincing job of pretending to be Filoli's 1920's household staff.

The whole experience reminded me of Governors Island's Jazz Age Lawn Party-one of my favorite annual events when I lived in NYC. Overall it was a very fun Friday night. However, I think 5-8pm is not enough time to be able to enjoy all that was offered. I hope in the future they move it to a Saturday so they can open the estate earlier (leaving your guests wanting for more is a good problem though!).







Advanced Purchase Required:  
Member's Ticket: $40
Non-Member's Ticket: $45
Free Parking
Phone: (650) 364-8300

Get the Look:
Headpiece: Anthropologie floral dress sash (I had a jeweled headpiece but it just didn't look quite right, so I got creative with what I had already)  (See similar) 
Jacket: Vintage (My great-grandmother's from the 20's) (See similar) 
Dress: H&M (bought it years ago for the Jazz Age Lawn Party when I lived in NYC and just keep wearing it over and over again for every flapper party/event). (See similar) 
Shoes: Anthropolgie's Pasquale Trotta Suede Party Heels (See similar:Black/Pink/Nude)
Necklace: Vintage (See similar) 
Nails: Butter London "Deepest Red" (See similar) 


Have you ever been to a historical party (such as the Governors Island's Jazz Age Lawn Party) or historical estate (such as the Biltmore Estate)? What did you think? Do these pictures remind you of your experiences there? How does it compare? 
Do you ever daydream of living in a "Downtown Abbey" style world? Do you think you'd be part of the "upstairs people" or "downstairs people"? 
Do you wish you had more opportunities to dress up today like they used to for dinner or parties? Or just to play dress up in flapper clothing? 
Have you ever been to the Filoli Estate and/or gardens? What did you think? 
Would you rather go when they have an event or on an off day where there are less people and it's in its natural state?