# Theme ideas needed for a party. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776 "2002-07-25T15:32:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sWitchazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sWitchazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sWitchazel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/1 "2002-07-25T15:32:45Z")
I’m thinking about having a get together during Labor Day Weekend. I have a wide range of friends, some who like to dress up in great outfits and then other, more conservative types. I’d really like to have a themed party because I’m of the type who likes to get all dressed up. (Why yes, Halloween IS my favorite holiday.) I’d also like to have a theme where the conservatives won’t be too intimidated to show up, but with enough leeway for others to be outrageous. There’s some fun things that could be done with “Labor Day” but I wonder if that’s too generic. As an aside it will also be close to my birthday, but I don’t want that to be the focus. What are y’alls thoughts on a “Pun Party”? The costumes would have to be a play on words, such as wearing a name tag with 'Susan" on it and having dark circles around your eyes (Black-Eyed Susan) or wearing aluminum foil and floor plans (Foiled Plans). I actually like that one because I want to wear a tin-foil hat. 😃 I may just have a “Labor Day/Birthday/Just for the Heck of it Day” costume party and hand out foil hats to anyone showing up in plain clothes. Suggestions anyone? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/2 "2002-07-25T16:37:07Z")
Once I had a “Pre-Incarnation Come As You Were” party - the idea was for everyone to dress up as who they thought they were in a previous life. I thought it was a wonderful idea. Sadly, that group of friends was not too creative. I still think it’s a good idea, tho. Can’t tie that in with Labor Day, however. I was going to make a bad pun about a Working Party, but I won’t. ---
**Author:** ![duffman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@duffman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffman)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/3 "2002-07-25T16:40:58Z")
I’ve always been a fan of hawaiian parties. I realize they’re done quite often but it’s a good way to let everyone easily get involved. Hawaiian shirts aren’t too expensive and people can also put alot more effort into the theme if they want (lays(sp?), hats, sunglasses, grass skirts, etc.). Also good in the summer fall months. Just an idea though. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/4 "2002-07-25T16:41:02Z")
The best theme party I went to was a 70’s Toga Party about five years ago. I wore an orange polyester toga. Other people had some truly amazing costumes. I like your Pun Party idea very much, though. There’s a lot of room for creativity there, without having to do much work making costumes. For example, one could go as a “Freudian Slip” by wearing a slip with a picture of Sigmund pinned on it. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/5 "2002-07-25T17:15:30Z")
Best theme party I ever went to was a “Come as a character from a Beatles song” party. There are so many to choose from! Three of my friends’ costumes simply consisted of nametags reading “Vera” “Chuck” and “Dave.” I went as the fireman from Penny Lane. Another went as “the man from the motor trade.” And on and on… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/6 "2002-07-25T17:21:44Z")
If it’s for Labor Day how about Come as your dream job. (as long as nobody has their dream job) Come as your worst job. (dress as you did for the worst job you ever had) Come as your nightmare job. (dress as the worst job you can imagine) ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/7 "2002-07-25T17:36:24Z")
Caveat: I just wrote about this recently in another thread . . . For New Year’s Eve 1999 we had a costume party: “Salute to the Twentieth Century.” You could come as any person, thing, character, event, concept, invention, etc. from the 20th century. One guy threatened to come as the grassy knoll, but he didn’t show. We had people dressed as plastic (she won the “Best Costume” contest and television, and lots of “people” and “character” costumes. But that theme left things wide open too. I’ve always wanted to have a “white” (or maybe “Black and White”) party, where guests have to come dressed in that color. But people around here can be poopyheads when it comes to costume parties. My friend once threw a “Big Band” party where you were supposed to wear vintage clothing. Mr. S and I scoured the antiques shops and found a zoot suit for him and a ball gown that miraculously fit me. Everybody at the party looked great – except this old couple who came in matching Mickey Mouse sweatshirts and jeans. They said, “Well, Mickey Mouse is from the forties!” :rolleyes: Because of them, I put wording on our millennium party invitations that said something like (politely, of course) “If you don’t want to wear a costume, then don’t come!” ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/8 "2002-07-25T18:27:49Z")
OOhh! The aluminum hats thing gave me an idea. Have a government conspiracy theme. You can have crazy redneck abductees, people in black suits, senators, JFK, an alien or two, etc. Don’t let anybody in unless they RSVP and get the password. Have a mystery to solve like “Which guest is Deep Throat?” in the fashion of those “murder parties”. Hide a tape recorder in the bathroom & play it for everyone later. Hm. Actually, you probably shouldn’t try that last one. Anyway, just a thought. Tying it in to labor day? Eh, that’s for you to figure out! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/9 "2002-07-25T18:38:12Z")
I say have a “Clean StG’s House” party. You can give Pine-sol ad scrub brushes and Windex as party favours. I’m all for this. I live in Tennessee, so they can enjoy travel as well as the party. Whatcha think? 😃 StG ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/10 "2002-07-25T19:54:36Z")
If most of the invitees are couples you might have a “Come as your SO” party. I went to one once and it was pretty strange… ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/11 "2002-07-25T20:07:44Z")
I enjoyed a “Come as your favorite dead actor/actress party.” You might want to mention whether fake gore (eg. James Dean with a steering wheel through his chest) ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/12 "2002-07-25T22:06:02Z")
Sort of like **Abe Babe’s** suggestion, the best theme party I ever had was “Come As Your Favorite Notoriously Dead Person.” See, the person has to be notoriously dead. Richard Nixon is not notoriously dead. JFK, however, is notoriously dead. At our party, some of our notoriously dead people were Anastasia Romanov, Eva Peron, Jimmy Hoffa, Marilyn Monroe, Mama Cass, Jim Morrison, and (my personal favorite) Joan of Arc. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/13 "2002-07-25T22:38:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > One guy threatened to come as the grassy knoll, but he didn’t show. Sorry about that, **Scarlett**. I decided to come as the 18 1/2 minutes of blank tape instead. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/14 "2002-07-25T23:27:21Z")
How about “Come As Your Favorite Conservative?” ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/15 "2002-07-26T02:53:09Z")
My all time fav. costume party ideas - clash party (none of your clothes can match each other) - pajama party (people can get as sexy or daggy as they wish) ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/16 "2002-07-26T03:28:48Z")
Business Scandals of the Last 12 Months. (At this time you could do it of last 12 days.) Economic disasters of the 20th century (or the last hundred years.) Professions that have become obsolete in America in the last hundred years. Professions that might arise in the next hundred years. Occupations assocoated with your ethnic/immigrant heritage, Italian like brick-layers or Irish gardeners or Portuguese fishermen. Might be tough for your African-American guests. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/17 "2002-07-26T06:54:04Z")
One of the best theme parties I ever attended was the “trailer trash” party. All the women bought cheap makeup and totaly went overboard with the blue eyeliner, fake eyelashes and big ass fingernails. The guys wore overalls or flannel with the sleeves cut off and burped alot. Everyone brought a 6 pack of cheep beer. The party was at an apartment complex that used to be a hotel which was put up for the Seattle Worlds Fair back in the day. It already had a trailer park feel to it. Everyone in the apartment complex (8 units) knew each other and most were musician/actor types. They did the courtyard up with Pink Flamingos, x-mas lights (for the never taken down effect), they spread empty beer cans around. The music of the night was some of the worse rock I have ever heard. All the VCRs/TVs in each apartment were playing taped shows of Jerry Springer. Great fun. Also, that same group puts on the red dress party. EVERYONE comes in a red dress. If you don’t have one there are a few “house” red dresses at the door. If those are gone, you don’t get in. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/18 "2002-07-26T08:19:24Z")
How about come as your favourite venereal disease? Oooh! Oooh! I wanna be syphlilis!!! ---
**Author:** ![sWitchazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sWitchazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sWitchazel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/19 "2002-07-26T12:26:21Z")
OK **Hastur** , you can be syphilis already! Thanks everybody. Y’all have some terrific ideas. At this point I’m still considering the pun party. **Giraffe** got it best in that there has to be room for costumes that will be easy to make with a wide range for creativity (or lack thereof). Cheap would be good, too. My friends can be pretty witty at times, so this will be a good opportunity for them to show off their sense of humor. I’ll definitely be considering the dead/reincarnation themes for October 31. I like the red dress party idea, too. Gotta do that for Valentine’s Day! I’ve been coming up with some ideas for costumes, but could always use suggestions. One could potentially fit ‘Labor’ jokes in, too, such as being a cow-orker or having a bun in the oven. There could even be a _pun_ in the oven. \ There could be prizes for best and worst puns, best use of Labor Day, and most puns in one outfit. I could even make the poopyheads who don’t dress up wear foiled plan hats! Mwahahaha! OK, that settles it. Pun Party it is! Feel free to keep suggesting themes, though. I can always use them another time. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776/20 "2002-07-26T12:33:48Z")
One of the best theme parties I went to was a “come as something starting with the first letter of my name” party. Her name was Melanie, so you had to come dressed as something starting with “m”. Makes for great fun guessing, and let’s people choose something sedate or over-the-top. For the curious, I went as a set of “mammaries” 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theme-ideas-needed-for-a-party/120776.md?page=2)