Fancy Dress Parties

[Bennietheball]

AIBU to think these are shit?

I've got to attend one at the end of this month. It's for a family members significant birthday so is unavoidable. They are obsessed with fancy dress and always ensure any celebration is fancy dress themed.

Honestly I can't bear it. It's just cringey and undignified. It's not an age thing, I never liked it in my 20s and I'm in my 40s now. I like parties, I drink, I dance.

But fancy dress frankly can fuck off.

It's not even abput dressing up. I'd be happy to go to a party in jeans and trainers. Just not a bloody chicken shit, frightwig, psychedelic print or what have you. Ugh.

I’m afraid if you don’t dress up you’ll look like the all time party pooper. Unfair, perhaps but true. Either offer apologies or go with good grace in fancy dress. Go as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh from the Crown or do the royal wedding. If you join in, it might break the ice with others.
Get yourself insured on your husband’s car for the day so he can drink.

We're definitely not going. DP isn't a big drinker so not drinking doesn't bother him. Plus it wouldn't make him enjoy it more. We've been to parties involving the same group of people before and I find them all pretty hard work and quite insular.

We did consider just popping in to show our faces, pass on birthday gift and so on, but it's a good 45 mins- an hour each way so a lot of effort for a 30 min drop in. I really don't think we will be missed and we just feel relieved now which shows that not going is the right decision I think!

I have my very own real blue Peter badge!

I don't know why people even bother to attend fancy dress parties if they don't want to dress up

Maybe because they want to see the people who invited them, and wish them well?
Maybe because they want to spend time with other people invited ?
Maybe because they like a party ?
Maybe because they are sociable people ?