Archive for the ‘Hawaiian fancy dress’ Category

Jedward go Hawaiian

Friday, February 18th, 2011

An Hawaiian party just wouldn’t be, well, Hawaiian, without Hawaiian shirts. This month we’ve seen the X Factor stars ‘Jedward’ donning the attire for their starring roles in a TV advert for a comparison website. Jonathon and Edward Grimes lay on their sun loungers wearing matching yellow Hawaiian Shirts and sipping cocktails from Hawaiian style coconut cups. Jedward – as the twins are commonly known as – are fun-loving guys who love to party – maybe they headed off for a Luau of their own in their Hawaiian apparel – well, it would have been a shame to waste such high fashion, wouldn’t it?

What better way to chase away the winter blues than throwing a Hawaiian Party? You’ll feel instantly warmer and will get you in the mood for planning your summer holiday. So grab yourself a Limbo stick, a handle of Leis and a couple of Inflatable Palm Trees to get your Hawaiian Party plan rolling. Oh, and don’t forget your Jedward-esque Hawaiian Shirts. Aloha!

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Hau’oli Makahiki Hou – Happy New Year, Hawaiian style!

Monday, December 27th, 2010

FUNIf you’re having a house party this New Year’s Eve, why not help your guests forget about the freezing weather, snow and ice outside by having a Hawaiian fancy dress theme?

A few inflatable palm trees, parrots and hula girl cut outs should be enough to set the scene. Covering your living room in sand to recreate a Hawaiian beach is not recommended, particularly if you live in rented accommodation, or with your parents.

Put some Hawaiian steel guitar melodies on the stereo, and throw some fruit in the blender to make a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic tropical cocktails and you’re well on your way to a very happy Hawaiian New Year. Perhaps even consider organising some Hawaiian themed party games, such as limbo or hula dancing, or whack the piñata.

Greet your guests at the door with some home-made flower leis to make them feel at home in your very own tropical paradise, and perhaps encourage them beforehand to bring their own Hawaiian themed food contributions. Traditional Hawaiian buffet fare includes rice, grilled or barbecued meat, jerked beef, spam sushi, fish and coconut based desserts.

For Hawaiian fancy dress costumes, its shorts and Hawaiian shirts for the guys, and grass skirts or long flowing dresses for the gals.
Pomaika’i! Hau’ oli Makahiki Hou! Good luck, and Happy New Year!

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Hawaiian fancy dress costumes for women

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Imag22502es of Hawaii are often accompanied by beautiful exotic women with long flowing hair, dressed in grass skirts and with flower chains draped about them. Whether this is a true representation of the islands’ female population is another matter entirely, but why not bring the image to life yourself by dressing as a Hawaiian beauty for the fancy dress party?

Grass skirts are perhaps the first thing many people think of when considering women’s Hawaiian fancy dress costumes, and these are often combined with a coconut or shell bra for a truly tropical motif. However, as modesty or the weather dictates, a long flowing Hawaiian dress is also a very attractive way of pulling off the island look.

These Hawaiian costumes can be enhanced further by adding a few accessories. Flower leis, worn around the neck, are a traditional symbol of friendship and hospitality, and look great with most Hawaiian ensembles. A long dark haired wig and fake tan can also go a long way towards your transformation into a bona fide Hawaiian beauty.  Flowers worn tied into the hair or artificial flower hair clips can also add a little extra zing to your fancy dress costume.

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How to make a Hawaiian snowman

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

K035-Venezuala-Yellow_150pxThe past week has brought the reality of winter, with significant snowfalls experienced throughout the country. While it may be perhaps easy to become glum over the bitterly cold and harsh weather, the arrival of snow on the ground presents new opportunities for winter fun. Why not bring a bit of summer cheer to your garden or the local park by making a Hawaiian fancy dress snowman?

After making the basic snowman shape, the first and foremost decoration for your wintery friend is of course a Hawaiian shirt. Perhaps you have one left over from a Hawaiian themed fancy dress party, or if not it should be reasonably easy to acquire one from a charity shop.

Next, a grass skirt will add that extra tropical touch to your snowman, and certainly give it a unique look amongst all the other snowmen in the neighbourhood. You could perhaps even give him some flip flops, but these are probably best put in place before construction of your Hawaiian snowman has begun.

For the finishing touch, place a flower lei around the neck of the snowman, or at least where the neck would be if he had one, then step back to admire your unique Hawaiian winter creation.

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Make your own Hawaiian Tiki totem

Monday, November 1st, 2010

totemThe ancient Hawaiians made sculptures representing deities and spirits to ward off evil and bring good fortune. These were known as Tiki totems, and today they are used primarily for aesthetic decoration. If you’re planning on throwing a Hawaiian fancy dress party, a Tiki totem can help add to the atmosphere and provide an interesting talking point amongst guests.

1. Depending on your resources and skill, you can use either wood, papier mache or another material to form the basis of your totem.

2. Once you’ve decided on a material to use in the construction of your Hawaiian statue, it’s a good idea to take a look at some existing designs and pictures for inspiration. The simplest way to do this is to go to Google images and type in ‘Tiki totem’.

3. Draw your design first, and get a good idea of how you want the finished item to look, then mark out the details on whichever material you are using. Use your initial designs and these markings to cut, carve or mould your totem.

4. Once the statue is finished, use poster paints or something similar to make it colourful and attractive in preparation for your guests’ arrival.

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Have a Hawaiian Halloween

Monday, October 18th, 2010

hawaiian pumpkinIf you’re looking for a slightly different theme for your Halloween party, why not make it a Hawaiian Halloween Luau?

In preparation, decorate your home with a blend of Hawaiian props, such as inflatable palm trees and Tiki totem poles, but give it a ghoulish Halloween twist. For example, you could have a cardboard cut-out Hawaiian Hula girl, but give her a witch’s hat and broom.

For drinks, serve tropical cocktails, but add food colouring where necessary to give them the appearance of blood or slime. For extra effect, give them names like Tiki Terror, or Island Zombie.

With the costumes you can get really creative in combining the two themes together to make a Halloween night to remember. Send out invitations to your guests with some ideas for inspiration. You might try creating a Hawaiian zombie with a flower lei around his neck and a blood-splattered Hawaiian shirt. Or perhaps an enchanting yet terrifying vampire wearing a beautiful Hawaiian dress and dead flowers in her hair.

For extra ambience and atmosphere it’s a good idea to create a soundtrack that fits with your Halloween theme. If you’re good with technology you could combine Halloween sounds and traditional Hawaiian steel guitar music on your computer, or if not, simply hook up two stereos- one playing island rhythms and the other Halloween sound effects.

Happy Hawaiian Halloween!

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What makes the perfect Hawaiian Party?

Friday, October 15th, 2010

hawaiiIf you’re thinking of holding a Hawaiian themed fancy dress party there are many things to consider to get everything just right and provide a fun and authentic experience for your party guests. This week we give you an overview of the basics that really make a successful fancy dress party with a Hawaiian theme.

Costumes- Think grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts. Handing out flower leis to guests as they arrive is a traditional Hawaiian symbol of friendship.

Props- A few well placed props, such as inflatable palm trees, parrots and sharks will give your party that little something extra, and can double up as toys to keep any attending children occupied.

Drinks- Tropical cocktails, such as the ‘Blue Hawaiian’ and the ‘Banana Lover’, are perfect for getting your party going. For those guests who don’t drink alcohol, exotic fruit juices, such as pineapple or mango, will go down a treat.

Games- Hawaiian party games, such as limbo competitions or hula dancing can help to liven things up. You could also have a competition for the best, and the worst, Hawaiian costumes.

Music- Play some Hawaiian steel guitar music to get everyone into the Hawaiian mood, or alternatively throw on some Hawaiian era Elvis.

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Hawaiian Traditions

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

u66988If you’re planning a Hawaiian themed party or fancy dress event you’ll no doubt want to make it as authentic as possible. Hawaiian fancy dress costumes, music and party games are great ways of achieving this, but adding little traditional touches from Hawaiian culture can really colour those island vibes. Most people will be aware of the tradition of handing out flower leis to guests and the culinary tradition of the Hawaiian luau, but here are a few lesser known island customs you might consider to help make your Hawaiian fancy dress party extra special.

No shoes, no worries- Hawaiians almost always take their shoes off before entering a house, so why not encourage your gusts to kick off their shoes in true Hawaiian tradition.

Encourage guests to bring food- If you’re throwing a buffet type event, you could ask each guest to bring a dish of their own. Bringing a gift for the host in the form of food is common amongst pacific islanders so the more the merrier!

Blow on a conch- If you can get hold of a suitable conch shell then bring it along to the party. An ancient tradition known as the ‘blowing of the conch shell’ still continues today to mark special occasions.

Dance the Hula- Hula dancing is one of the classic forms of dance native to Hawaii, and tells a story accompanied by traditional Hawaiian music. Learn a few steps of it and try to teach it to your guests!

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Hawaiian themed weddings

Monday, September 20th, 2010

grass skirtIf you’ve always dreamt of a colourful Hawaiian wedding on a paradisiacal island beach, there is one way to make it happen without spending your lifesavings on flying your family and friends half way around the world for your big day.

The answer is to hold your Hawaiian themed wedding right here in the UK.  Clearly you’ll want to pick a summer day with the strongest chance of good weather, and, this being Britain, it’s a good idea to have a marquee on standby just in case. Once you’ve set a date, its time to pick an attractive beach location to play host to your wedding. Somewhere on the south coast, such as Torquay or Brighton is perhaps ideal, and Torquay has the advantage of already having palm trees.

When you’re sending out the wedding invitations, let your guests know of your intentions, and give them some ideas for fancy dress wedding attire. For a low-key affair, grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts may be just the thing. For something a little more classy, long flowing tropical themed dresses for the women and white shirts for the men might be a better choice. Have ushers on hand to pass out traditional Hawaiian flower leis to guests as they arrive.

For the reception, a Hawaiian BBQ, or luau, followed by a beach party and tropical cocktails, can provide the perfect end to your Hawaiian themed wedding.

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Who’s who in Hawaii?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

hawaiianshirtIf you want to add extra depth to your Hawaiian fancy dress party theme, why not specify on the invites that guests should come as famous figures from or related to Hawaii. Although Hawaiian celebrities might not immediately leap to the tip of your tongue, you may be surprised to learn who has roots on the islands. Here we give you a few ideas for your Hawaiian celebrity themed fancy dress party.

Nicole Kidman – One of the world’s highest paid actresses, Nicole Kidman has dual Australian/ American citizenship, and was born in Honolulu. She spent the first four years of her life in Hawaii, making her the perfect Hawaiian celebrity if you want to show off your glamorous side at the fancy dress party.

Barack Obama
– The current President of the United States is in fact Hawaiian. Born in Honolulu to American and Kenyan parents, Obama spent much of early life in Hawaii, and returned several times to study.

Duke Kahanamoku
– A Five time Olympic medalist swimmer, Duke played a major role in the popularisation of surfing as a mainstream sport. Though he passed away over forty years ago, Duke is still revered in Hawaii today and has a chain of restaurants named after him. On Waikiki beach on the island of Oahu, he is immortalised in the form of a large statue with accompanying surfboard.

Akebono Taro
– Taro was a legendary sumo wrestler from Hawaii, and the first foreigner to achieve the highest rank possible in Sumo wrestling, that of Yokozuna.

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