Because going as a Goth is kinda out...

electriccynic — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:24:39 -0800

Forthcoming Halloween party with a fancy dress theme. I'm a Chinese bloke who hates dressing up. any particular suggestions? Bear in mind that for one stag night, I tried going as Al Capone. Everyone just thought I was Oddjob.

Help me dress to conform!!

informity — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:39:47 -0800

Fancy Dress advice needed. I need to dress to conform! I am going to a fancy dress party in a couple of weeks. The theme is Dress to Conform (basically stereotypes - think Mexican in Poncho and sombrero, Think Tory MP with suit, women’s underwear and a brown paper envelope of money...... etc)

What shall I go as?

The party is with a pretty mixed crowd, I would say above average intelligence, mainly female, mainly gay, and mainly fabulous.

I am of the female variety.

Any ideas would be fabulous!

Cheap, black tie or alternatives

godawful — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 09:20:05 -0800

How would you go about finding a cheap tux in New York? Otherwise, what's the craziest way to satisfy a "black tie" dress code? I think I might go to a party on Friday night for which the dress-code is black tie. However, judging by the people who are throwing the party, we're not going to be having polite conversation and sampling hors d'oeuvres. It's going to be more like a crazy fancy dress do.

So, rental is out and there's no way I'm buying a new suit for this. How can I somehow match this dress code by Friday night for under 50 bucks?

So I guess I'm looking for particular thrift store recommendations, and also costume ideas.

I hereby rule out a Chippendales-style collar and cuffs job.

I was thinking of getting a huge suit and trying to make a Mr Creosote (Monty Python's Meaning of Life) style costume. Any ideas to make this feasible?

Party like it's 1974?

unclemonty — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 10:32:40 -0800

Help us party like it's 1974! A friend is throwing a 1974 party (she was born in that year) and my partner and I would like to bring a gift to the party relevant to that year. We've already drawn up an extensive list of '74 references (see inside) but are really missing out on ideas for food and drink. It's quite likely that there will be lots of inaccuracies in this list as we created it by scouring the web. As we're based in the UK it's quite Britain-centric but I'm happy to see ideas from the USA too.

The key thing is for you to suggest some popular but perhaps kitschy 1974 food and drink items. Other fads and trends are also noticeably absent and could do with a bit of filling in. The party is fancy dress so we have to pick a costume connected to the year as well! Song ideas could be good as we might make her a CD. But if you want to make any other recommendations for the list, feel free.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson
Watergate scandal
Mikhail Baryshnikov defects to Canada
Portugese army overthrows Portugese dictator
Patty Hearst kidnapped by the SLA
Yasser Arafat makes his first appearance before the UN
USA responds to energy crisis by commencing daylight savings time four months early
Last Americans evacuated from Saigon (April 28)
India detonates its first nuclear weapon
UPC barcode used for the first time in a supermarket
US President - Richard Nixon, who resigns that year to be replaced by Ford
Ceefax is launched by the BBC
Lord Lucan disappears
IRA bombs in UK - London, Woolwich, Birmingham
Milgram experiment on obedience carried out at Yale
Sears Tower, Chicago is opened
Last crew of Skylab returns to Earth

CULTURAL ICONS

The Streak - and streakers
The Wombles - Eight UK top ten hits
String bikinis
Muhammad Ali (Rumble in the Jungle vs George Foreman)
Evel Knievel
Dungeons & Dragons released
Jon Pertwee is the Third Doctor, replaced by Tom Baker in 1974
Sonny & Cher split up in 1974
Pan's People
Screaming Lord Sutch
Package holidays become popular in the UK - particularly Spain
Chiffon, used on capes, ponchos and wraps
Bead chokers
Magna Doodle invented
Lego named Toy of the Year (invented 1933)
First Knebworth Rock Festival held
Amityville - the Defeo murders are committed

BOOKS

Richard Adams - Watership Down
Peter Benchley - Jaws
Stephen King - Carrie
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Joy Of Sex
All The President's Men

TV

Little House On The Prairie
M*A*S*H
The Waltons (1972-1981)
Maude
The Rockford Files
Kojak (1973-1978)
Wish You Were Here...? premieres in the UK
Columbo (1971-78)
Are You Being Served (1972-1985)
John Craven's Newsround (1972-)
Last of the Summer Wine (1973-)
Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974)
The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)
The Partridge Family (1970-1974)
Hawaii 5-0
Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974)
Bagpuss
Porridge
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975)

MOVIES

Blazing Saddles
Chinatown
Death Wish
Earthquake
Emmanuelle
Foxy Brown
The Godfather Part II
The Great Gatsby
Herbie Rides Again
Mame
Man with the Golden Gun
Murder on the Orient Express
Night Porter
Odessa File
Parallax View
Sugarland Express
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Sting
Towering Inferno
Young Frankenstein
Papillon
Serpico

SONGS

Mud - Tiger Feet
Suzy Quatro - Devil Gate Drive
Alvin Stardust - Jealous Mind
Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be A Hero
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
Abba - Waterloo
Rubettes - Sugar Baby Love
Ray Stevens - The Streak
Gary Glitter - Always Yours
Charles Aznavour - She
George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Osmonds - Love Me For A Reason
Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
Elton John - Bennie & The Jets
Jackson Five - Dancing Machine
Steve Miller Band - The Joker
David Essex - Rock On
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Marvin Hamlisch - The Entertainer (Music From The Sting)
Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were
MFSB - The Sound Of Philadelphia
Grand Funk Railroad - The Locomotion
Kool and the Gang - Jungle Boogie
Wings - Band On The Run
Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Barry White - Never Gonna Give You Up
Johnny Bristol - Hang On In There Baby
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sherrif
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
Joni Mitchell - Free Man In Paris
Pink Floyd - Money
Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us
Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Stevie Wonder
Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around The Clock (re-release)

ALBUMS

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Bob Dylan - Before The Flood
Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Roxy Music - Country Life
Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Randy Newman - Good Old Boys

RIP

Duke Ellington
Samuel Goldwyn
Mama Cass
Georges Pompidou
Nick Drake
Ed Sullivan

BORN

Kate Moss
Christian Bale
Ian Huntley
D'Angelo
Robbie Williams
Victoria Beckham
Penelope Cruz
Andrea Corr
Jewel
Alanis Morissette
Tim Henman
Joaquin Phoenix
Sara Cox
Denise Van Outen
Nicole Appleton
Ana Matronic, Scissor Sisters

Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with fancydress

Because going as a Goth is kinda out...

Help me dress to conform!!

Cheap, black tie or alternatives

Party like it's 1974?