Help me find images of vintage Vegas attire for a party costume.

June 6, 2006 6:21 AM

Help me find a costume for a Vintage Vegas Lounge Party.

I'll be at a convention in Vegas soon. Final night has us attending a Vintage Vegas High Rollers Lounge party. "It's like hanging out with Dean, Frank, and Sammy at The Copa Room." I am not interested in the lounge singer/suit look -- too elaborate to get pull together on short notice and too much to haul cross-country. I'm more interested in the touristy, sleaze-ball, huge sunglasses, gaudy rings, sun-tanned look. But I need it to still be vintage and obviously shouts Vegas. (Is there such a thing?) I am male. Maybe I'm getting my stereotypes mixed up. Links to pictures, or amazing Google-fu results much appreciated! And let me know if you need more info, I'll be happy to provide it.

posted by UnclePlayground to clothing, beauty, & fashion (5 answers total)

An old bowling shirt, or one of these from your local thrift store and lots of gold chains. Plus carry a cigar.

Or go full on formal and wear a tux, but with the bowtie undone. Plus carry a cigar.
posted by MsMolly at 7:45 AM on June 6, 2006

Google images of Leisure Suit Larry.
posted by JJ86 at 8:12 AM on June 6, 2006

This image about sums it up.

There are surely formal wear rental places in Vegas; just ask for "a classic tux, Frank Sinatra Style." It is impossible to look anything less than great in a tuxedo, and you'll find the cut and fabric are actually very comfortable. And you will look totally authentic without being too "costumey."
posted by La Cieca at 8:50 AM on June 6, 2006

Sorry, missed a typo:

"too elaborate to get AND pull together on short notice"

um... like I said, I'm not really interested in the suit/tux/lounge singer outfit.

I like the bowling shirt idea, though. What sort of pants and shoes would one have worn with that back then?
posted by UnclePlayground at 11:32 AM on June 6, 2006

Well, if you really want to fit in with the theme, the tux is the only way to go. Sinatra, et al probably wouldn't have been caught dead in anything less in Vegas.

But for the bowling shirt/tacky tourist look I'd say try something like the guy in the drawing at the top of this page. You could also go as Hunter S. Thompson (or Johnny Depp's re-creation of same.) Or there's always the standard mobster getup. Vegas certinly had plenty of those.
posted by MsMolly at 3:00 PM on June 6, 2006