"Yes You Can Give a Fabulous Party": Entertaining Advice, 1974

Cosmopolitan's Guide to Holiday Soirées

If you are planning a holiday get-together, here are some party ideas from the December 1974 issue of Cosmopolitan. Instead of solely looking to the usual cocktail parties, Cosmo’s editors chose three slightly more unconventional ideas/times, which would easily work at other times of year (minus the Christmas tree decorations). A hangover brunch held the morning after a big bash, complete with copious margaritas; an “afternoon ale party”—all one needs is a keg and some crudites; and a champagne and dessert after-dinner soirée.

Hosting for Cosmo were three NYC professional women, their homes and decorating styles as integral to the themes of the parties as the food and drink. Lili Townshend—previously directrice of YSL’s first NYC boutique, turned art dealer—allowed Cosmopolitan to shoot in her living room, all white walls and bright red shaped modular furniture from Knoll; she appears just like any hip young thing with a cool, somewhat bare apartment, yet her home was actually a brownstone around the corner from Park Avenue. I’ve written about fashion designer Carol Horn’s home and entertaining style previously (and still need to fulfill my promise of writing up a biography of her)—her white studio again the backdrop for bright colours, casual eats and floor seating. I was unable to uncover anything about “fashion publicist Anita Johnson” beyond a single mention in WWD from 1977, yet she definitely appears to deliver the glamour.

Other than the champagne soirée, the party ideas are casual, with all seemingly easy to pull off (something quite helpful during a season of quite constant demands). As for us, we are hosting a large party for my extended family this weekend that has somehow grown in extent and formality beyond what I thought I agreed to. I’m currently surrounded by lists for groceries, of things to clean and do around the house, of decorations that need to be done, so I’m more than a little jealous of the seeming ease of some of these parties (as well as of the very seventies interiors).

For some earlier entertaining advice, check out Dorothy Draper’s from 1941. I’ve also written about the entertaining styles of fashion designers Geoffrey Beene, Mary McFadden (along with three menus), Kasper, and Albert Capraro, as well as art collector and journalist Joan Agajanian Quinn.

What about you? Are you hosting at all for the holidays?

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YES YOU CAN GIVE A FABULOUS PARTY

Cosmopolitan, December 1974.

Hostessing for the holidays doesn't have to be a frazzling hassle or expensive. Hints to follow: Give your gatherings at "unexpected" times when busily booked gadabouts will be able to come...dress your apartment for Christmas with beautiful festive touches. Yes, food and drink can also look (and taste) fantastic without demolishing your bank account. On these pages, COSMO shows you three splashy ways you can entertain guests with three smashing but affordable parties: pre-lunch, mid-afternoon, late evening.

Produced by Karen Fisher

Text: Robin Wagner

Food Stylist: Ann Webster

Photographs: Bill Stettner

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HANGOVER BRUNCH

Art dealer Lili Townsend decided to give an 11:00 A.M. therapy session on Saturday the 21st to assuage mutual headaches from office smash-bash the night before. Guests soon perked up. You can follow suit.

Go dressy this year (no jeans, even for brunch). Look pretty in slinky pajamas, silky peasant dresses. And no fade-out makeup. please... red is right for lips, cheek blushers. Enjoy being a girl!

Crafty tree is made from orange-crate slats (easy to cut apart and nail to a center pole), festooned with colorful dolls and tiny baskets (from Azuma, N.Y.C.) holding luscious little food "nibbles" for visitors to sample.