Clubs 101: How do you dress for themed events?
Luckily in this underground scene, you don’t have to wait for a
themed event to dress up. You can dress up in whatever you want at any time. As non-conformists, it would be hypocritical to judge people for not dressing like everyone else at the club. However, it is always appreciated when you do take the time and make the effort to create a unique outfit. You’ll often find that when you do dress up, you'll have your picture taken by photographers and get thanked by the host. In addition, many events offer incentives for dressing up such as discounted cover and cash prizes and costume contests.
If you don’t have a costume to dress up for a
themed event, create something! You’d be surprised what a few small touches like accessories or make-up can do to a regular club outfit. Here are my tips:
1. Go shopping the day after Halloween to pick up great items 50% off. Go everywhere from costume and seasonal Halloween stores to mass retailers like
Target and
Wal-mart.
2. Bookmark costume sites like
BuyCostumes.com. Their peak selling times are the months leading up to Halloween, but they have great sales year round, so stock up during off-peak times.
3. Don’t worry about finding entire outfits. Pick up accessories and pieces here and there: hats, goggles, masks, wigs, special fx make-up, etc. You never know when you’ll be able to use them. And remember that even shoes can make a statement. Many sites,
like this one, sell costume footwear year round, for that exotic dancer in all of us.
4. Shop at party stores like
Party City. They will often carry items year round for themed birthday parties, albeit most of them are children’s items.
6. This probably goes without saying, but
Hot Topic always carries dramatic pieces for your wardrobe. Subscribe to their mailing list to get updates about clearance sales.
7. Bargain shop! Authentic and replica uniforms and many other items can be found on
eBay. You can also get lucky at thrift stores and the Salvation Army. If you're dressing for a horror theme, you definitely want to pick up your clothes at a thrit store, where you won't mind if your clothes get covered in fake blood!
8. Get in touch with your friends ahead of time. They might have something you can borrow. Even if it is just an accessory like a collar, that one extra touch can really help your outfit.
9. Group costumes always get a lot of attention. Coordinate with your friends to see how they are dressing. If you all complement each other, it will be obvious you are dressing up for a theme.
10. Finally, act the part. It doesn't matter if you have the best costume in the club or just a few accent pieces, if you have confidence in yourself, you will look great!