Welcome to the Grand Hollywood Hotel's Palace Ballroom. You arrived at the hotel and secured your room in anticipation of the night's frivolities, didn't you? You were on your way to the party... or... have you always been here? It's all a bit fuzzy. Well, doesn't matter. There's a bar and there's food and music so, what the hell. Let's party!
This year's concept is a mix of many media inspirations. Ghosts (both the BBC and American versions), Disney's The Tower of Terror movie, The Haunted Mansion (all iterations), and countless tales of real-life haunted hotels.
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Here's the deal. You are a past guest of the Grand Hollywood. It was constructed in 1924 and destroyed in 1989. You have 65 years of haunted history to choose from when you design your 'guest'. Just answer the following questions.
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What is their name?
What era did they live in?
What caused their demise?
What ties them to the hotel?
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Were they a person in the headlines of 1920's society pages whose secret caught up with them? A 1930's mobster who saw too much? A 1940's starlet come to make it big in pictures only to make a bad choice in who she trusted? A 70's undercover vice cop who died like disco? It's up to you!*
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Pick an era and pick a death. Know who you are, when you lived, and how you died. Whoever you are, you're here in the elegant Palace Ballroom tonight to enjoy the eternal hospitality of the Grand Hollywood Hotel.
Welcome
Helpful Sites
There are dozens of costume sites to visit in your hunt for your character's look. For example ...
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If you are crafty,(or know someone who is) you might do well to check out some of these pattern sites. They have clothes for men and women, casual and formal. Even if you're not a 'sew-er', the images can be helpful in learning the differing styles of an era. For patterns of the 70's & 80s, you may have better luck searching sites like ebay or etsy.
(You'll have to wade through a LOT of 'media' costumes, but there's some gems here too )
Speaking of Etsy, here are just a few shops that cater to the vintage market.
Analisa Splendid - Flapper Dresses Sizes S-3XL
Heart My Closet - Custom Vintage Dresses Custom sizes 00-24W
Pinup Dresses - 1950s-1990s Vintage 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, & 90s dresses in smaller sizes
A lot of male costumes can be started with a simple tuxedo, jacket, or suit. Check out Formalwear Outlet by MonkeySuits. They have suits, tuxes, dinner jackets, shirts, shoes, ties, vests, cummerbunds, even cufflinks. They sell from little boys sizes to 70L. Prices [for adults] start at $23 for a Vittorio Vasari tux (42L - jacket & pants) and the most expensive single thing I could find was a new Calvin Klein tuxedo for $199.
Some caveats.
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Make sure to read the sizes when you order, don't judge by the picture. A boy's Ralph Lauren tuxedo package may still be represented by the matching tux in the Adult sizes in the pictures.
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Pants come unhemmed, so you will need to get them hemmed to your personal preference.