Party Theme Prep

By Jennifer Retter

You’ve received the “*insert theme* party tonight!” text.

This is an exciting moment for the college students who mentally prepared an outfit for every themed party imaginable at the beginning of the semester. Others, however, know that a themed party can easily go from super fun to super awkward.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your night of characters and costumes:

1. If you’re the party planner, make the theme clear.

Many of the partygoers will be looking for specifics. Is the theme tentative? Do the boys follow one theme and the girls follow another? If it’s a party on a holiday weekend, is there dress code or not?

Only spread word of the theme when the plans are set in stone. If the your invites aren’t clear, you’ll be getting more texts than your phone can handle on the day of the party.

2. If you’re a guest of the party, make sure the theme is still happening.

There’s nothing more awkward than arriving at the party only to find that the theme was changed– or worse, cancelled altogether.

A rule of thumb: don’t just ask the party host(s); text anyone that mentioned they’d be there. If several people claim to be following the theme, it’s most likely a safe bet. If the verdict is 50/50, play it cool with a few easy-to-remove accessories.

3. Don’t go overboard…or underboard.

So, you found out that the theme is definitely on. There are still a few costume-related no-no’s to avoid: dressing up as a person/character that no one recognizes, overstepping the line between funny and obnoxious, or being a total dud and only wearing one unnoticeable accessory.

You’ll know when you’ve found the happy medium between doing way too much and way too little. If you look into the mirror and ask yourself, “Is this sequined top hat too weird?” it probably is.

4. Test your outfit’s durability.

Please, before you head to the party in a homemade ensemble, do a test run of your signature drop it low move. No matter how much work you put into it, dresses made of duct tape and costumes made of cardboard are never as durable as you think.

5. Have Fun

Remember, it’s a theme party, not a theme “stress out about your costume.” At the end of the day, if you’re not having a good time with your friends, excuse yourself from stressing out about the theme. Because every party, when you come down to it has the same theme as any other: have a good time. Consider the other theme a little bonus-theme to follow on the way.

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