LITTLE ROCK — Q. Like most guys, I am not fond of costume parties. My girlfriend and I are invited to a Halloween party; she is looking forward to it. I'm afraid that not wearing a costume would be more conspicuous than wearing one. Do you have any suggestions for someone who has a low "feeling-ridiculous" threshold? Would the Hawaiian shirts you wrote about make it as an acceptable costume? I am open to any ideas.
A. Halloween used to be strictly for the kids, but these days I can think of no holiday that has zoomed as much in popularity. People are decorating their yards, their front doors and having grown-up parties. In fact, I recently received an invitation with the words, "Costumes Mandatory." If someone has a strong creative streak, the sky can be the limit. But for the rest of us, we either have to come up with something that we can buy at a costume store or put together easily or else find something that will do double- or triple-duty - that is, something we can wear for other occasions as well.
If you're looking for an easy Halloween costume, yes, a Hawaiian shirt could make a nice variety. And to make it more of a costume, the two of you may want a matching shirt-anddress set - an easy answer for a couple wondering what to wear. Years ago, a visit to the islands often included couples having a Hawaiian dress and a man's shirt custom-made from the same print fabric. These matched sets are still a lot of fun; you can order them from the Whirlingtur ban.com Web site. The customer photos there show how great they can look - never fear, these are not matching track suits.
Be sure to add a fresh flower lei to complete the look. Incidentally, provided that you choose a pattern that is not too emphatically tropical, and especially if your color choice is not too light, the shirt you buy for this occasion could certainly becomeone of the sport shirts you wear throughout the year. I'm not sure just which times your girlfriend will be able to wear her dress again, but your shirt might easily work into a slot in your weekend, casual wardrobe.
I notice the Web site has a seductive "You, Jane" jungle-print dress; if you have anything fitting the "Me, Tarzan" look, you are all set.
Lastly, some people prefer to dress up in a flattering costume that makes them look good, not funny. One such costume idea uses something you already have in your closet, say, creating some sort of costume out of your tooseldom-worn black-tie attire. If, for example, you own a tuxedo and don't get a chance to wear it often, you might wear it, add a toy gun, and go as James Bond. Your girlfriend could then go all out and choose any of the Bond girl characters. I heard about another such duo where the guy wore his white dinner jacket and went as Aristotle Onassis; his wife went as Jackie.
You are not going to win a prize with these costumes, but they will get you comfortably in the door and keep you from feeling foolish.
Send your questions for Male Call to:
lois.fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile, Pages 57 on 10/28/2007