Eat, drink and be (maybe not so) scary
themed party ideas and festive finds for spooky season (and beyond!)
My love for a ridiculously over-the-top themed party can be traced back to a lot of things, but really, I probably have The Real Housewives franchises and RuPaul’s Drag Race to thank for loving any opportunity to get creative, fashion something out of cardboard, and don a good wig.
Though I feel some amount of uneasiness/repeatedly question my personal morals and ethics watching “rich” “middle aged” women fight on live television for almost two decades (!), I have to admit there is some strange laughable comfort to be found in seeing these arguments unfold at costume parties where everyone is rocking fake mustaches, bad wigs, and tacky outfits. Nothing to remind you of the absurdity of wasting your energy fighting with others like witnessing a group of women hurdling insults at one another dressed as dudes or wearing Trixie Mattel’s wigs.
Speaking of Trixie Mattel, you can’t talk themes without mentioning the legendary runway of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The art and expression both of and through drag is a foundational pillar of the LGBTQIA+ community and for seasons, I’ve continually awed at the creativity, imagination, and execution of looks that have walked, strutted, and sissy’ed down the RPDR catwalk. From “Beautiful Nightmare” to “Rip Her to Shreds” - no one does a theme like the queens on drag race. You can google old themes and browse subreddits for inspiration, but I promise you there are dozens of gold nugget themes waiting to be a Halloween shindig.
Which leads us into the point of today’s newsletter - throwing a themed party during spooky season (and beyond!)
I know it’s fairly last minute to be whipping together costumes, decorations and throwing on a full on party, so bookmark this for when you’re trying to think of something creative for your next get together, holiday, birthday or honestly, wedding. I’ve included some secondhand finds for throwing together costumes, inspiration pictures that illustrate the theme, and a song that is a must for the playlist.
A Surrealist Ball
When I think of a ball or a gala my mind usually drifts between a Cinderella-meets-Marie Antoinette-like Rococo fairytale setting to the famous ~*Rothschild Surrealist Ball*~
In December of 1972, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, a very very rich French socialite, known for throwing very lavish parties, threw one of the biggest, most lavish, costume balls known in the world of rich-white-people costume balls. With looks curated by Salvador Dali himself, the invitation (written backwards, requiring a mirror to read) said the dress code was “black tie, long dresses & surrealist heads.”
Marie-Hélène herself wore a giant stag’s head studded with diamonds (yes, real ones) and stars like Audrey Hepburn showed up in large headdresses looking like bird cages, famous paintings, and Venetian, Eyes Wide Shut-esque masks. Her expansive chateau was decked out with servants that acted like cats, mazes of ribbons tied as cobwebs, taxidermy centerpieces, and food served in mannequin corpses.
Excessive, over the top, and wildly decadent, it was a visual feast on the eyes and a party that could, itself, be considered a work of art — if you’re willing to look past the vast, gluttonous wealth, heavy “eat the rich” vibes, and the very weird and twisted conspiracy theories revolving around the “dark side” of the ultra rich.
I think something in this realm would be the perfect way to encourage your guests to get creative and to explore themes and ideas that aren’t typically seen in the Halloween party echo chamber. Surrealism is a deeply fascinating art movement, but if it feels too intimidating, it would be easy to play off of this theme and encourage friends to come as common household items, elegant interpretations of foods, a bouquet of flowers, a multi-tiered cake, etc etc. Include a moodboard in your invitation so guests know what you have in mind, and remind them of the magical powers of cardboard and hot glue.
Wear This:
A Surrealist Face (meets Lichtenstein Pop Art)
Polka Dot Gown - This gown is such a killer find! Somebody! Buy her!
Dali Eye Headband - You could definitely get crafty here and make something yourself with the help of a craft store, but Fab Hatters has a huge supply of creative hats and fascinators.
Marc Jacobs KiKi Boots - I am obsessed with these and curse the heavens I have big calves every day when it comes to knee high boots…
A Lamp
Fashion and couture shows are a great place to look for inspiration, like Moschino’s AW22 show where models were dressed as various objects like clocks and lamps. (I would also recommend a deep dive into Elsa Schiaparelli, the original queen of surrealist fashion.) You could definitely craft a lampshade with some cardboard and cover it with scrap fabric and tassels from the craft store! Or buy a big huge giant lampshade and find a way to add some sort of headband and string of lights inside….
Gold Metallic Gown - This would also double as a very cool wear to a holiday party!
Listen to:
Throw it back to an indie classic that feels vibey, a little surrealist spooky, but still makes you wanna break it down on the dance floor.
Retro 60’s Space Age
From The Jetsons to Barbarella, I have always been fascinated by the 1960’s obsession with futuristic, innovative design during the “race to space.” Furniture, fashion, and technology from the decade shaped trends we still see today, like the reemergence of metallic and silver everything lately. Since we now know that aliens do, in fact, exist, embrace the retro futurism vibes, throw a metallic 60’s space party, and get weird. (Maybe even be inspired by alien drag queen, Juno Birch.)
The 60’s Space Age focused on clothing trends (pioneered by Mary Quant, André Courrèges, Paco Rabanne, and Pierre Cardin) and furniture, and defined a distinct style seen in movies, television, and animation. It skews slightly from the 50’s Atomic Age, which was a little more about industrial design and architecture but they definitely overlap and I think it would be cool to mix the vibes. I would encourage a dive into retro futurism if you’re looking for more ideas! People who generate AI imagery love to mess around with this era, and while AI has its ethical icky uh-ohs, there is some pretty neat MidJourney imagery floating around Pinterest that screams Space Age Alien Party.
Wear This:
Saint Laurent Striped Boots - The price on these is *very good*
60’s Wig - I can’t wait to have money for good drag worthy wigs to wear on festive occasions.
Metallic Paper Trench Coat - It’s paper. PAPER. AND new old stock - very, VERY COOL.
Listen To:
I mean, obviously.
Party Like a Rockstar
But not just any rockstar, an iconic rock/pop star from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. You could obviously include other decades/modern times, but I think there’s something unique about having people take the time to look back in history and embody one of these trailblazing icons. This is a theme I would highly encourage going all out for - there’s so many looks to choose from - don’t go with the most famous photo! Dig deep, listen to their deep cuts, watch a documentary and get ready to hit the stage.
Wear This:
Snakeskin Platform Boots - THESE BOOTS. Someone with tiny feet! Buy them!
Listen To:
I would encourage building a playlist that isn’t just the most popular hits - a lip sync battle also sounds like a very, very good idea.
Well, I have about 10000 more ideas I could share but I’ve hit my email length and my computer is about to die (so like always, ignore my typos… so many misplaced apostrophes lately!! eek!!)
Invited to a Halloween party and stumped on what to wear? Reply to this email - I will try to help you!
Let me know in the comments what you’re being for Halloween. I have an ongoing list of ideas because you can never be too prepared for a good dress up moment….
Until next time,
xo,
G
Mom I went to Goodwill on Fillmore this weekend and bought a clutch directly inspired by the aesthetic of this newsletter!
I'm planning on being a early 2000s scene girl (to heal my inner child)