Party Themes Using Pearls & Purses

Long pearl necklaces were fashionable for flappers in the 1920s.

Whether you want to dress classy or crazy, a purse-and-pearls-themed party can bring your fashionable friends together. Typical purse parties involve getting together with friends and a purse consultant to buy purses, but another take on this is to clean out your closet and showcase an overabundance of bags, especially bags you no longer use. Inviting your friends to do the same can create a bag-swapping bonanza.

Color Themes

A black and white color theme can give you the chance to dress up in formal attire, sporting white or black in everything: pearl necklaces, dresses or gowns, and purses. Party decor and appetizers or desserts should work with the black and white theme, such as decadent dark chocolate cake with milk, black and white cookies, licorice, and checkerboard cake. A winter white theme is appropriate for the holiday season, allowing you and your guests to wear white to accompany white purses and pearls. You can also choose a colored theme based on the assorted colors of pearls: white, silver, cream-colored, gold, green, blue, pink and black.

Television and Movie Character Themes

You can throw a star-themed party dressing like classic movie and television stars or cultural icons who donned pearl necklaces and purses, such as Lucy from "I Love Lucy," Miss Piggie, Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. This will allow you to show off your pearls and purses while in the atmosphere of a costume party. You can play a guessing game by giving each guest a scrap sheet of paper and taking turns conducting "interviews" with other guests. Direct questions about who guests are dressed as are prohibited in this game.

Places Themes

A Las Vegas or casino themed party can have your guests dressing glitzy with pearls and brightly colored outfits, or classy with gowns, pearls and elegant purses. You can hang bright streamers from the walls, set up a card table, and play poker or black jack. Serve appetizers such as cheese and crackers or shrimp and cocktail sauce. You could also throw an elegant English-style tea party, serving tea, scones, cakes, and tarts, where pearls are simply de rigueur.

Decades Themes

Pearl necklaces and purses were vogue in the 1920s, when women dressed with carefully color-coordinated, vibrant outfits. Flappers, the rebels of the 1920s, wore their long pearls with short, loose dresses. For a 1920s theme party you could play jazz or big band music and practice the Charleston. You could also throw a classy 1950s themed party, mixing pearl choker necklaces and clutch purses with poodle skirts and cashmere sweaters.

References

• Fun Theme Party Ideas: 50s Theme Party Ideas
• Fun Theme Party Ideas: 70s Theme Party Ideas
• Fun Theme Party Ideas: Black and White Theme Party
• Fun Theme Party Ideas: Casino Themed Party
• Fun Theme Party Ideas: Las Vegas Party Theme
• Pearl Guide: Pearl Color
• Blue Nile: Pearl Education: Pearls
• Family Fun: Tea Party
• Vintage Dancer: 1960′s / Mad Men Clothing for Women

Resources

• Homestead Museum: How to Dance the Charleston Lesson Plan
• Purse Party: Hostess Rewards!