Dressing for a Themed Event

FASHION · UNITED STATES

Dressing for a Themed Event

Reading the invitation, comfort over the evening, hire and reuse, and getting it right

Themed parties fail for one of two reasons — misreading how seriously the theme is meant, or wearing something unbearable after an hour.

Read the invitation properly

There is a large gap between a nod to a theme and full costume, and turning up at either extreme is uncomfortable. If it is not clear, ask the host or someone else attending.

For work events, err towards the subtle version. A loud suit or an accessory reads as joining in; a full costume at a company party rarely does.

Comfort over the evening

You will be in it for five or six hours, sitting, eating and getting home. Masks that restrict vision, anything that cannot be worn in a taxi and anything you cannot go to the toilet in are all regretted by nine o'clock.

Check it works over or under the layers you need for the weather.

Safety

Keep loose fabric away from candles, fire pits and cooking, since costume material catches quickly. Nothing trailing on stairs, and reflective detail if you are walking home in the dark.

Prop weapons should be obviously fake, and carrying realistic imitations in public is an offence in the UK.

Hire and reuse

Hiring, borrowing and swapping all cost less than buying something worn once. A novelty outfit bought new is used for one evening and stored for a decade.

Culture

Avoid dressing as another culture or ethnicity, which is where themed events most often cause genuine offence.

Making an outfit work

One strong element and everything else plain reads better than several competing ideas. A loud jacket with plain trousers, or a striking accessory with an ordinary outfit, is usually enough.

Check the fit, since novelty pieces are cut generously and a badly fitting one looks accidental rather than deliberate.

Photographs

Themed outfits are photographed and shared. Choose something you will be content to see again in five years.

Washing

Check the label, since many novelty garments are not washable and printing cracks with heat.

Hiring

Book early for popular dates, check what happens if it does not fit on arrival, and confirm the return deadline and cleaning arrangements. Photograph the item on collection.

Hire costs a fraction of buying and removes the storage question entirely.

Buying

Check the fabric and the lining, since cheap novelty suits are hot and shapeless. A well-cut one in a bold pattern gets worn repeatedly; a badly cut one does not.

Order early, since these sell out around the obvious dates.

Afterwards

Pass it on rather than binning it.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop OppoSuits? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop OppoSuits — official site

Visit this site