Monday, November 29, 2021

How to Plan a Retro 1950s Christmas Party

The Harris Sisters are gearing up for the holidays, and we wanted to bring you an idea for a Vintage/Retro Themed Christmas Party. We know that lots of families may have not had the opportunity to see each other last year, so why not go all out this Christmas and host a themed 1950s cocktail party? We have all the details to make your vintage-themed Christmas party a success!



Have Yourself a Retro Little Christmas


Start with an invitation that matches your retro theme. Because people's calendars tend to fill up around the holidays, make sure to send your invitations well in advance of your party date. If you'd like for guests to come dressed from the era, add "vintage attire requested" to the invitations. (That will add to the fun of the party!)

What to Wear to a Vintage 1950s Christmas Party


For women, the main part of your party attire will be a vintage 1950s dress. There were two silhouettes of cocktail dress that were popular in the 1950s: a slimmer dress that was a bit longer and a full-skirted dress that was worn with a crinoline petticoat underneath.

If you really want to go all out, you can wear matching 1950s accessories like gloves, pumps, and jewelry. If you have access to vintage Christmas brooches or Christmas corsages, these would make the perfect accessory for your outfit.

For men, you can wear a suit and tie (or a jacket and tie with dress pants). If you'd like to accessorize, you can't go wrong with a fedora and suspenders.


How to Decorate for a Mid-Century Christmas Party


Part of the fun of this party will be decorating with real vintage Christmas items. If you already collect vintage Christmas decorations, now's the time to bring them out to help set the scene. (These items are available on eBay and Etsy if you'd like to purchase the real deal.) Mid-century Christmas decorations that would be perfect for decorating for a 1950s Christmas party:

  • Vintage Aluminum Christmas Tree
  • Shiny Brite Ornaments
  • Tissue Paper Honeycomb Christmas Decorations (fans, bells, trees, etc.)
  • Vintage Tablecloths
  • Blowmolds
  • Plastic Inflatable Christmas Figures (Santa, Reindeer, etc.)
  • Vintage Christmas Wreaths


If you don't have access to a vintage aluminum tree, try decorating your Christmas tree with these items to give it a vintage look:

  • Tinsel or Tinsel Garland
  • Bubble Lights or Other Large Colorful Bulb Lights
  • Lights with Reflectors
  • Popcorn or Cranberry Garland
  • Star or Angel Topper

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree


If you have a record player and Christmas albums from this era, now is the time to bring them out! However, the next best thing is to make a playlist with some classic Christmas songs for the party. Here are 10 Christmas Songs from the era to get your party playlist started:

  1. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
  2. Here Comes Santa Claus - Gene Autry
  3. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
  4. Frosty the Snowman - Jimmy Durante
  5. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
  6. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Alvin and the Chipmunks
  7. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
  8. Santa Claus Is Back in Town - Elvis Presley
  9. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Dean Martin
  10. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong


Encourage your guests to dance in the style of the era too. Some popular party dances from the 1950s were:

  • The Twist
  • The Stroll
  • The Jitterbug
  • The Bunny Hop



1950s Cocktail Party Menu


Since this is a cocktail party, an important menu item will be the cocktails. Popular drinks from the 1950s include martinis, daiquiris, old-fashioneds, mint juleps, highballs, whisky sours, champagne cocktails, and punch.

Most cocktail party menus in the 1950s included platters of bite-sized appetizers and desserts. Here's the retro menu we used for our 1950s Christmas Cocktail Party:





Other 1950s-era appropriate menu items include:


I hope we've inspired you to plan your own 1950s-themed Christmas party. The Harris Sisters send you warmest holiday wishes and hopes for a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

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