Infinite Pest

Costume Parties

Costume parties, we’ve all been to one but why do the occur? In England they are called fancy dress parties, despite what you’re wearing. In England you could turn up to a party dressed as a hobo and it would still be a fancy dress party. This is yet another example of England needing to check themself befo’ they wreck themself.

The costume party began in the 18th century in England with their renowned masquerade balls. The masquerade balls of the covering of the face where representative of the Victorian and Edwardian conservative philosophies, in addition to this they were a chance for nobles to help their less than stellar friends pick up for the night under the veil of a mask and jugs of wine. Herein lies comparisons to the modern method of excessive cleavage/package and a sack of goon.

The rush to quickly try and grab a costume on Saturday afternoon is well known, it comes along with the phrase “Shit, that’s THIS weekend?”. We then rush out to the nearest costume/op-shop to try and throw something together low cost. Some of us just don’t do any of this and rock up casual, this is according to the person who arranged the evening is comparable only to Pearl Harbour and incites a level of impotent rage that cannot be seen in Australia outside of going to a carbon tax rally.

So, back to the original question, why do costume parties occur? It’s a relatively simple one line of thought that is essentially universal. 

 “I want to dress up like (blank), I should get everyone else to dress up like (something similar to blank) so I don’t look batshit insane”

This is the common thread running through all theme parties, every one of these you have been to and will ever go to are based on this one thought. That being said, I’m going to a tribal theme party and I will be dressing as an English settler.