THEMES List

Themes are tricky. You want them generalised enough to be well-known and accessible to those who don't know too much about it, but outlandish enough to encourage some creativity.

Fancy dress shops are great to wander round for ideas. Also they usually sell loads of paraphenalia quite cheaply and the better ones sell inspirational fabrics.

Here's a list of a few themes mentioned in this site, ones I've attended, heard of and others which are still to be tried.

• Aaron Spelling Presents. An excuse for lipstick and more lipstick with such TV programmes as Dynasty, Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place and Sunset Beach to draw from!
• Beach Party Palm trees, sandpits, coconuts and salsa tracks!
• Booze and Boozability - Blackadder THEME COSTUMES
• "Club Tropicana, drinks are free..." - 80s bad taste galore. Puffball skirts, Miami Vice jackets and legwarmers rool! THEME COSTUMES
• Drag or Slag - the obvious!
• Eurovision THEME
• Going Underground - everyone comes as a London Underground station
• Heaven and Hell - contrast decorations of all white and all red. Good alternative to a Halloween party
• Kinky or Slinky
• La La La La La L'America - or any country. I had a Changing Hemispheres one when I headed off to NZ
• Life's A Cabaret! Dress up - bring friends - bring drink - be glamorous
• Masked Ball - try dance shops for the masks or else make your own
• Me Tarzan - Jungle theme. Dark green crepe paper streamers, pith helmets and a Noah's ark of animals
• Oscars - black tie, spoof awards, OTT speeches.
• Red Letter Day - pick a letter, like your initial, and make everyone come dressed as something beginning with that letter. I.e. for P you could have prostitutes, postmen, pineapples...
• Seeing Red/Singing the Blues - pick your favourite colour and theme the party around it
• Shaggadelic Baby! - 'behave' at an Austin Powers bash. Not. Best to stick to a general 60's scheme and leave the Austin Powers touches to the costumes. Although putting a joystick on a swivelling black leather chair could be an option... Have a gander at the Austin Powers Official site
• Sparkle - drape yourselves in fairy lights, glitter, gold stars or tin foil (see picture)
• Studio 54 - hang silver and gold ceiling-to-floor streamers in the lounge or garage. Rent a mirrored disco dance ball from a party supplier or make your own from a beach ball covered with reflective stickers.
• Superheroes - COSTUMES: Xena. Adaptable for Wonderwoman?
• The Name's Bond - James Bond - THEME COSTUMES
• Trust No One, Mr. Mulder X-Files - THEME COSTUMES
• Under the Waves - a fishy theme with mobile hangings of fish and green and blue light bulbs.
• Well Read - favourite literary character (for the highbrow and Frasier fans)
• Wild Wild West - Cowboyz and Injins time! Face-painting, making up Indian names and gun fights (or alternatively water pistol ones if held outside) and high noon. Haystacks, WANTED posters etc. Check out a fellow Party Master's site for more ideas.
• Use the Force Luke - Star Wars - THEME COSTUMES