Plan a 50s Party That’ll Make ‘Em Flip
Hip or square, we all imagine the 50s in different ways. I Love Lucy springs to mind for some, while others go straight to Elvis when reflecting on America's Golden Age. Of course, nostalgia for the 50s is a lot easier if you were alive at the time. For the rest of us, the 50s are party planning gold. Cocktail parties, birthdays or dinners--no matter the event, the 50s lend themselves to every section of a party planning checklist.
For your 50s party checklist, you'll need to cover decorations, dress, guest activities and food and drink. 50s decorations can include old movie and music posters or vintage car posters, Hula Hoops, Coca-Cola paraphernalia and fluorescent signs. A favorite decoration trick of mine is to buy 20 or 30 Archie comic books and use the brightly colored covers as accents for my party space. You can also cut several frames from a comic itself (I prefer frames where Betty and Veronica are fighting over Archie) and use them to spruce up plain place cards. Any antique kitchen appliances you might have hiding in the attic will work nicely as accents in your party space, too.
The 50s dress code for hip male party guests is simple: black or white Converse sneakers, tight black or blue jeans, a simple black or white T-shirt, a black leather jacket and a ducktail hairstyle held in place with lots of gel. For accessories, a black plastic comb in your back pocket and a pack of cigarettes rolled into the sleeve of your T-shirt. Don't smoke? An empty pack of cards will pass the 50s test.
Ladies have two options. I call them "the Rizzo" and the "Sandra Dee." If you're more of a "Rizzo," a tight pencil skirt with a risqué blouse tucked in and a belt at the waist will do the trick. Don't forget lots of lipstick, hairspray and high black heels. For the "Sandra Dees" among you, white Keds, white ankle socks, a big, high-waisted skirt (preferably with a poodle on it), a blouse tucked into the skirt, a grosgrain ribbon headband and your best guy's varsity letter sweater slung over your shoulders will be just peachy.
To involve your guests in the 50s festivities, my favorite solution is a Hula Hoop contest (no recent hip surgeries, please). It's the best way to see who's still got it, and I promise you'll be surprised by the results. To this day, my mother-in-law can still hula hoop for longer than my 6 year-old daughter. The other natural contest is Best Costume. Encourage your guests to pull out all the stops; my favorite parties to attend are the ones where everyone has gotten into the party spirit and is dressed to kill. At the end of the party, give the Cool Cat and Pretty Baby with the best threads gift baskets filled with Silly Putty, Slinkys, Pez and Bazooka Joe.
For food and drink, I have one simple word for you: diner. Diner food is synonymous with the 50s and is perfect for summer parties. Grill burgers and hot dogs, serve Coke and rootbeer floats and be sure to have a blender for making malts so that you can really be the host/est with the most/est.
Have fun at your party and your guests will too, making the party truly boss.
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope