October 04, 2004

Curious George: Back to the 80's. Our homecoming is coming up soon, and the theme is the 1980's. My date and my date and I need costume ideas! I know the monkeys can help us.

Things I suggested: Mario and Peach. Things she suggested: "Tweaked" 80's club kids. If we can't find anything else, we're going to go as one of those two options (or a very sexy combination thereof). Out of the running (so don't even think it): KISS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Michael Jackson / Prince Bruce Springsteen The Eurythmics Other relevant tidbits of information: We're both caucasian. This is a Catholic school, so nothing overly obscene or featuring too much (homo)sexual innuendo - as much as I'd love to try Boy George, it just wouldn't fly here. I know you monkeys are old smart enough to remember the 80's better than I, so hopefully you can help me remember what made them so great! Bonus points to the monkey who can think of something that we can both work off of (aka a real 80's couple, not two unrelated costumes.) We've spent over a month trying to think of something, and it's this Saturday and we're both stumped.

posted by Mfpb 2 21 20 years ago
  • "My date and my date and I"? OK, you know what I mean. moral of the story: 5,000 previews is not enough!
  • Get into 80's mode and watch "The Breakfast Club", "Pretty in Pink", "Sixteen Candles", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or "The Wedding Singer" (not from the 80's but not bad for reference material). Maybe "Desperately Seeking Susan" too. If you can't pull gold from there, then you need to find a video of Olivia Newton-John's "Let's Get Physical" or "Xanadu". Or Colette's version of "Ring My Bell" (now there's an outfit!) As a last resort for her: Taffeta taffeta taffeta! With excessive frills and layers, a la ra-ra please. Check your local op-shop. Big fringe spiked to the max is a must! For him: anything that is colour coordinated with her taffeta. ;o) Oh, and you mustn't forget the mullet. If you're really brave, you could go as 80's goths? Old Bowie filmclips are always inspirational. But I guess that rates right up there with Boy George huh? A pity, because androgeny was huge in the 80's if I remember correctly (which I probably don't).
  • You can't go wrong with Don Johnson: suit jacket, tennis shoes, t-shirt, and stubble.
  • Tron
  • Madonna (Lots of lace, taffeta, circa the Like a Virgin look) and Sean Penn (Zinc oxide on nose, cardboard surfboard, broken toy camera)? Billy Idol and his girlfriend from the White Wedding video?
  • I wanted to be Ferris Bueller when I was eight - he was sooo coooool. You could always do an Alf tribute - go in briefs and a button-up shirt, ala Tom Cruise singing "Old Time Rock;N'Roll", only with a cucumber for a microphone. (Yes, I have only seen the Alf version - I wasn't allowed to watch adult movies in the 80s. But then again, Alf is cooler than Tom Cruise.)
  • Keeping it related to the music scene would probably be the most recognizable, ie; Madonna or Annie Lennox for her and Billy Idol or George Michael (in his 'CHOOSE LIFE' faze and not out of the closet yet) for him. All very recognizable. Have fun, you kids! Don't drink and drive.
  • /although, Prince would be pretty funny. Ya know, all that purple.
  • Brat Pack
  • A little inspiration I'm rather partial to 1986's Blue Velvet but given the venue....
  • For super cheese, go with the shower costume from Karate Kid.
  • Quick brainstorm: California Raisins He-Man and She-Ra Duckie and Andie from Pretty in Pink New Romantic look, ala Duran Duran, Roxy Music, Flock of Seagulls, etc./Cyndi Lauper, Madonna Donkey Kong/Princess Generic 80's items: leg warmers, tapered pants, lace-up ankle boots, neon/pastel clothes, skinny ties, lace, lace gloves, tons of rubber bracelets, teased/poofed hair, eyeliner, tons of tiny band buttons... x-entertainment.com might give you some ideas, too. Gah, now I feel old. :/
  • Actually, my first thought was why not go as Han Solo and Princess Leia? 'Return of the Jedi' was '83-ish I think and 'Empire Strikes Back' scrapes in as an 80's flick too doesn't it?
  • Fame! (I'm gonna live forever... sorry.)
  • Skrik: even I steered clear of that and Footloose.. sheesh.
  • This is the only thing I can think about, and it's perhaps a little gay for your purposes, but for 80's costumery you can't beat a bit Adam Ant. Prince Charming Prince Charming ridicule is nothing to be scared of don't you ever, don't you ever stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome...
  • think about? think of? I can't decide obviously...
  • *suppresses joke related to wearing calipers and pretending to be Ian Dury*
  • Two words: Parachute Pants. Two more: Member's Only. Line up some Asics "Tiger" shoes and you'll have hit the trifecta.
  • The Nike 20th anniversary tennis shoes that are out now are almost identical to the ones I wore back in high school. However, if you want to do the 80s prom look, it's tuxedo with Converse All-Stars--unlaced. She would go in something fluffy by Jessica McClintock, and big, big asymmetrical hair. Barring that, I'm partial to the Miami Vice look for guys as an 80s retread. And I'm told Member's Only is fashionable again, as is Izod/Lacoste (the shirts with the little alligators). Mind you, I'm boring and unfashionable, so preppy never quite went out of style at my house.
  • Alf is cooler than Tom Cruise Is this because of Alf wanting to eat cats? This wouldn't be my first guess, but I've thought about it and--unless I missed something--Tom Cruise doesn't eat cats in any of his movies.
  • I think Cruise nearly did in Eyes Wide Shut, though.
  • Tom Cruise drinks rats' blood in Interview with a Vampire. And Sarah, I could have mentioned The A Team, Duran Duran*, Huey Lewis and the News, Doctor and the Medics, "Sledgehammer", Toto, or even Weird Science, but I didn't. Count yourself lucky. * I had a girlfriend in the 80s, who got rid of me because she was hot for John Taylor from Duran Duran.
  • I was accused for being unAmerican in the 1980s for not watching Knight Rider. I favor the Madonna/Sean Penn combo btw.
  • I second the Adam Ant. Throw your safety overboard, and join our insect nation. (Or find yourselves some gladioli, and go as Morrisey and Marr. Or The Cure's always a good look.) Or maybe you could go as Western Free-Market Capitalism and Soviet Bloc Communism.
  • Big hair. The bigger, the better. It just reeks of the 80s. And with the 80's metal bands, big hair wasn't just for chicks.
  • FRANKIE SAY RELAX.
  • Just be sure to push your suit jacket sleeves up to the elbow. For the chick, Neon green jellies, neon orange pants, neon pink sweatshirt. Headband, spiked hair, a belt of no less than 6 inches in width, and plastic hoop earrings you could jump a chihuahua through. And lots of eye shadow. And leg warmers.
  • mfpb221, be sure to shop at your local thrift stores this week. Clothing for Halloween costumes will be snapped up in a hurry.
  • Just in case the bubble skirts and highwaist pants have all been snapped up by the time you get to the thrift store, you can always fall back on the look from the (original) Come On Eileen video. Ingredients: Aqua Net, scarf, overalls several sizes too big, scuffed Chuck Taylors. No shirt for the guys, something tiny and striped for the girls with big hoop earrings and bubblegum pink lipstick. Viola!
  • Hey, Tenacious Pettle - you just described my first girlfriend...to a tee. As for me, I had the skinny leather tie, deck shoes, and spiked hair (a la Corey Hart).
  • Go as the Thompson Twins.
  • flashboy - that's a brilliant suggestion. A friend of mine told me that his school once had a sixties themed dance (It was the 90s - you couldn't be nostalgic about the 80s yet). Most, of course, came dressed as hippies. But he (and a few others) rebelled - they dressed in conservative 60s fashion, which of course is what the majority of people wore at the time. He may have even been in a military uniform.
  • Hey, Tenacious Pettle - you just described my first girlfriend...to a tee You dated Dana? Grrr, there go, my heart's abhorrence.... Erm, sorry. High school flashback. Won't happen again. Until the next time it happens. In the world of relationships, high school never ends...
  • Three polo shirts at the same time -- preferably pastels, one has to be pink -- all with the collars turned up.
  • Wow! I love what you guys are saying. Yes, it's a HUGE pity we can't go as androgynous gothic club whores, especially as we're halfway there in real life already. Sean Penn sounds like a lot of fun, but I don't look anything like him and can't really think of any way for me to truly identify myself (Short of a "hello my name is" nametag, which I've resorted to in the past.) An excuse to dye my hair black would be nice, too.
  • Oh yeah - d'ya think Bowie would be too risky?
  • Depends: you talking glam Bowie, Man Who Fell to Earth Bowie or Labyrinth Bowie?
  • Let's Dance Bowie.
  • Fun! Solo and the Princess are pretty obvious, as are the Wrinkled Grapes, but that might be good depending on the age demographic. His and Hers Bowie is good.
  • Eighties Bowie. Not good. Not good. You don't want to be going past Scary Monsters, really. Although the Ashes to Ashes video is a cool look. Maybe you could go to the party as Scary Monsters era His'n'Hers Bowie, gradually change over the course of the party, losing your artisitc drive as you go, and eventually leave the party as members of Tin Machine?