Dressing up - is it all really worth it?

I recently had the good fortune of attending two dress up events, the International Sevens tournament and the Tango and Salsa ball at the St James theatre. Two entirely different events.

Okay I'm lying. It was not good fortune at all, for one of my long-held fears has been to appear in public in any sort of dress-up costume.
Perhaps it is because I struggle to assemble normal wear on a daily basis. Or perhaps it is because I was forced to wear cardboard Christmas tree cut-outs in brownies as a child.

Anyway, round one consisted of purchasing a studded purple and black armband circa eighties and a fine blond and black wig that Joan Jett would have been proud of.

I did enjoy watching Jem and the Holograms as a child, so perhaps this explained my choice of wear. My husband looked a treat in his rainbow coloured wig, and he was quietly pleased that I had made this effort for him. I even ate a meat pie and swigged back cups of beer at the rugby.

Sevens over and completed, the next weekend required whimsical mask wear and fancy feet. This time it was my husband who was panicking and dragging the chain, so I dashed out and bought the masks before he could change his mind.

He looked very tango in a yellow shirt and dark green and black suit, and the evening passed smoothly with some basic ochos in the tango salon.

So if you are dreading the thought of having to be someone you are not, a little planning can calm the nerves. Failing that, some kamikazi-style effort never hurt anyone once in a while!


  By Melissa Neale