There’s no need to sing the praises of a good knees-up: parties have been around for as long as human beings have enjoyed carousing and spending time with friends.
Themed parties may owe their heritage to Venice where, as part of the Carnivale celebrations, masquerade balls with elaborately costumed guests were held as a regular fixture to the main event.
My introduction to themed parties came via friends at weekend theatre classes. Trust me, no-one does dress-up better than teenage drama students! Memorable themed parties I organised included an ‘S’ party in 1989, where costumes included a space girl, a senile senior citizen and a social sophisticate, and a 1994 ‘C’ party, which delivered outfits such as a cabaret singer, Captain Vegetable and a corpse. Even the nibbles stuck to the theme: the ‘C’ party had carrot- and cheese-based treats, chips and as much cake as you could eat.
• As for any party, once you’ve made the decision to throw a themed party, think about food and drink, the likely weather conditions and how many people you’ll invite.
• What theme will you choose? Remember: the broader the theme, the greater the level of participation.
• How much time will you have to prepare for the event? Will the theme be realised only through costumes, or will it be all encompassing, with food, music, games and decorations, too?
• Consider a prize for the most creative costume or contribution.
• If you have the time, visit your local op shop, market or recycling centre for costume bits and pieces. If you don’t have a lot of time, rent an outfit from a costume- and party-hire store.
• If you plan in advance, consider ordering a costume online from a specialist store or marketplace.
• If you can sew and have the time why not make your own costume – perhaps you could adapt some old clothes.
• If you plan on doing the catering yourself, why not create a cake that reflects the theme of the party? Cake-decorating books and websites can offer inspiration and directions.
• Make sure you have your camera handy!
The following year brought what I consider to be my themed party triumph. It was a 1980s-styled shindig where I dressed as pop singer Adam Ant alongside friends in costumes representing Morrissey, Luke Skywalker and Alexis Colby Carrington from the TV show Dynasty. As guests mingled and reminisced, a video of 1980s TV shows such as Sons and Daughters, Dallas and The Young Ones screened in the background. The soundtrack for the evening included The Smiths, Madonna and Kate Bush – for a 1980s child like myself, the night was simply heaven.
Throwing a themed party is easy. There are no hard and fast rules; the theme can encapsulate everything including food, music and decorations, or it can be as simple as adults playing dress-ups. It’s entirely up to you.
Depending on your circle of friends, a party theme may be as specialised as an early 20th-century art movement or as wide-ranging as a colour or letter of the alphabet. The costumes might be lavish or thrift shop. Indeed, many people enjoy searching op shops and bargain stores in the hope of finding obscure yet relevant items that value-add to the event.