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Charlotte Moss Entertains

There’s really nothing that new to say about entertaining. What is new are experiences, which Charlotte Moss beautifully shares in these pages. “Nothing complicated, no rules, no finger wagging—just ideas,” she writes
Charlotte Moss entertains her guest, Susan Hull Walker

Moss and Susan Hull Walker take a stroll in their caftans at the designer’s East Hampton home. Photo by Brittany Ambridge

Charlotte Moss lets us in on a little secret in the introduction to her new book: There’s really nothing that new to say about entertaining. What is new are her experiences, which she beautifully shares in these pages. “Nothing complicated, no rules, no finger wagging—just ideas,” she writes in Charlotte Moss Entertains. And there are plenty of those, about everything from setting beautiful tables (which, she reminds, we can practice every day, not just for special events) to the specifics of her signature parties, such as the “Caftan Caucus,” the girls weekends she hosts at her home in East Hampton. Then there’s a chapter devoted to those difference-making details—flowers, linens, china, place cards, and the like. Not willing to rely solely on her own entertaining prowess,

Moss also takes us on a whirlwind tour of gracious party spaces in some of her favorite locations, such as Le Vieux Logis in France; Castel Monastero in Tuscany; and Ballyfin, the country estate–turned-hotel in Ireland.

Finally, Moss highlights 10 entertaining divas of the past, such as Elsa Maxwell and Betsy Bloomingdale, chosen because of their imaginative approach to bringing people together. “All of the women here, I think, would agree that the most important thing is just to make a plan, get dressed, open the door, let the party begin, and be yourself— your best possible self,” she writes. They inspire her, as she inspires us.

charlotte moss entertains, chilled champagne in an ice bucket, floral arrangement in a green vase, napkins, and glasses

In the chapter “Moments in Between,” Moss encourages readers to take a true time out and to make the table as pretty for ourselves as we would for a party.

alfresco table setting

Moss loves dining outside when she is away from New York City. “A soft breeze and the sound of birds are a salve for the soul,” she writes.

By Alice Welsh Doyle | Photography by Charlotte Moss

Featured book: Charlotte Moss Entertains (Rizzoli New York, 2018)

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