This '60s Playboy Magazine Has All The Holiday Advice You Need
Unhinged ad copy, fashion + decor inspo, and entertaining ideas from 1967.
The holidays are here in all their tinsel-covered, jingle bell-ringing, peppermint mocha-flavored splendor. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but sometimes, all that potential for having the best! time! ever! can be stressful. You feel pressure to get it not just right — but perfect — and that calls for a seemingly endless supply of ideas to deck your halls, spruce up your wardrobe, and break some ice at the next dinner party.
Lucky for you, my December 1967 edition of Playboy (aka, the “Gala Christmas Issue” — and yes, it’s the same one from my favorite things to buy secondhand newsletter) is here to help.
You already know I love ‘60s-era style references, and you probably have surmised I have a soft spot for magazines, too. The two interests gloriously intersect in this vintage version of the storied glossy (and by glossy, I mean brittle paper time capsule), so I thought, why not fully lean into it?
I combed through its 320-something pages for insightful tips on how to really holiday properly, according to Playboy. I ended up pulling all my advice directly from the ads, as they were the most entertaining part, and I come to you now with a curation of eight key learnings I will be living by this season.
✩✩ Please Note: Tip 4 has a rather scandalously clad violinist. This may be a vintage Playboy, but it’s still Playboy, after all. ✩✩
1. When hosting, have a custom holiday cocktail — or two — on hand.
This may seem obvious, but a suggested drink is not only festive, it’s helpful guidance for guests, particularly if they struggle with decision fatigue. (Trust me, if you have any newlywed guests in the throes of wedding planning, they will be the first to delight in going with the flow!) Plus, it gives guests a chance to try something they may never have ordered otherwise. A Lambrusco spritz? A spiced mulled wine? Don’t mind if they do!
2. Can’t decide what to wear? Then, suit up!
Fun fact: When I don’t know what to order at the bar, I opt for a gin and ginger ale. So it’s fitting that for crises of outfit indecision, Canada Dry comes to the rescue — again. Whether you’re doing a full-on three-piece tailored suit like the gals in this ginger ale ad, or opt for a more contemporary festive plaid blazer over a velvet mini dress, you can’t go wrong. Though the weather forecast may be dry, your look will be anything but! (I can only assume our model at left is clutching a rock-salt bug zapper, and I suggest leaving that in the cleaning closet.)
3. If your look calls for socks, don’t pick the stretched-out ones.
Or you, too, may be greeted with choruses of “Sloppy, go home!,” as this Hanes ad forewarns you below. This cracked me up. To my knowledge, none of my friends have dismissed potential suitors based on the stretchiness of their socks, though I could be mistaken. But it does go back to something I mentioned in the last newsletter, which is: If you’re visiting a shoes-off household, think ahead!
4. Want to impress your guests? Put on that folk-rock record, baby.
I read, ”After a tough evening with the Beethoven crowd, she loves to relax and listen to her folk-rock records…” and I said: Stop right there! I’ve seen everything I need to here. 100 words of copy on this spicy Tiparillo ad, and you know what my take-away was? After 57 years, folk rock is still where it’s at. No cigarettes needed. (We’ll just ignore the double-entendre kicker likely penned by Don Draper after a three-martini lunch!)
5. For the love of all that’s sparkly, don’t forget about cocktail rings.
I already did, and now I’m wondering where I can fish one out for a vintage-inspired statement accessory ahead of the next shindig. (That way, there will be no need for clever words next time you lift your glass for a toast. Instead, you can let your sparkler do all the talking.)
6. A beaded curtain adds festive mystique to anyone’s decor.
I never considered a beaded curtain to be a holiday staple before, but now I see the error of my ways. It’s the more satisfying-sounding clackity version of hanging streamers, and what a fun photo op it would make in anyone’s space! And let’s not leave this Martini & Rossi ad without calling out the Free Holiday Beauty Tip hidden within: A little white eyeliner on the waterline does wonders to make those peepers pop.
7. Do what’s needed to get a great night’s sleep. Even if that means wearing a hat.
From one sleepy-time gal to (assumably) another, the secret to navigating this whirlwind season is all about balance. That means proper rest and relaxation. Personally, nothing soothes my spirit quite like a cute PJ set, though your version of a ‘cute PJ set’ may be a hydrating facial or tray of chocolate-covered strawberries (also, same). I have yet to get my Ebenezer Scrooge on with a sleeping cap, but maybe there’s still time to send out for this set below.
8. When all is said and done, be confident in your presentation.
Take this (albeit harsh) men’s cologne ad motto as your guide: “If you have any doubts about yourself, try something else.” In other words, if you’re too busy worrying about the temperature of the fried olives (Trader Joe’s has some amazing apps), you’re missing out on all the fun! When the cocktails are poured and the snacks are served, it’s time to stop fretting and start fêting! Enjoy yourself. The holidays only come around once a year, after all.
Yours in Festive Fêting,
Elly
Elly—you have to listen to the Stiffed podcast, about the rise and fall of Viva magazine, if you haven’t. You would love. https://open.spotify.com/show/2cLH7OQ9emq0keUhgyJG8F