It is so fun to look back at how home entertaining has changed over the years, specifically how the media and images convey a certain feeling.  These images from Pepsi Co. from the 1950’s and 1960’s are a neat snapshot of time and really interesting to compare to our current ideals of entertaining.

The ads were a display of fashion of the time, in both how people dressed and also in home decor.  The images portrayed successful, well-dressed, attractive people who entertained well and were those who you wanted to know and be around.  The titles and captions are also intriguing with quotes like “pepsi makes the party”, “they entertain the modern way”, “they go to all the smart events” and “refresh without filling”.

There definitely is a certain elegance in these portrayals of home entertaining and draws me into comparisons with how we entertain now.  When I originally found the images, I felt how different our ideals of entertaining now are compared to those of over 50 years ago.  At first glance, these portrayals felt more formal and even more sophisticated that the typical entertaining that we all do now.  But, really, things haven’t changed all that much. These images provided inspiration for what to achieve with entertaining and many people aspired to be hosts like those depicted in the images.  In most cases, that still is the same today.  We all strive to have fantastic parties, to be sophisticated and to have everything planned out well.  We all want our guests to have a great time, and I know that most of us aspire to be an awesome host. How we dress, what we serve and what drinks are on offer may change a bit, but the concept really does stay the same.

It’s a fun commentary on a very different, (and not so different) time. Enjoy.