Throw a Colossal Costume Party!

Costume parties aren't just for Halloween. Asking guests to dress up makes a party special at any time of the year. Whether you choose a sophisticated theme that puts guests in fancy dress or a Hee Haw style hoe down, a costume party is just more fun than a party where everyone wears their regular clothing.

Theme Parties

The possibilities for a dress-up theme party are limited only by your imagination. Make a theme broad enough so that guests who love to go over the top can have enough latitude to go all out with the idea, but guests who are conservative and shy about dressing up will be able to find a staid costume alternative.

Hollywood: A Hollywood theme is perfect for an Oscar night party or a party where the entertainment is watching a new release on DVD. Punk: Some guests will go Mohawk and some will go faux-hawk; others can merely wear black with a studded bracelet or dog collar.

Support the Troops: This theme lets guests wear camouflage, army gear, or sailor outfits. All your guests will be comfortably dressed, and you'll see a great variety of uniforms from various eras.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Pirate parties are all the rage. Male

guests will relish the chance to put a patch over one eye, and females will appreciate the opportunity to pull the neckline of a peasant blouse down around their shoulders.

Wild Wild West: Cowboys and saloon girls will mingle with Indians, prospectors and ranchers. Sports – Anything goes with a sports theme. It's fun to find uniforms for football, baseball, and basketball players, and the cheerleading costumes provide something cute for men or women to wear. Shy guests can wear anything they want and say they are masquerading as a fan.

Masked ball: A formal dress masquerade is a throwback to another era, and every guest will treasure the invitation. Elaborate masks of sequins and feathers coordinate with evening wear and formal wear. This is a very special costume party, and it takes a certain host or hostess to pull it off.

Fab Fifties: Sometimes referred to as an "Elvis" theme party, costumes at this party will hail from the 1950s, using the feature film Grease as a model for costume ideas.

Whatever theme you choose, take your costume party all the way by planning decorations, food, drinks, entertainment, and music to complement the idea behind your successful costume party.