National Costume of any country for a Christmas party - help!

[BiddyPop]

Our wonderful neighbours usually have a Christmas jumper theme to their annual party. This year though, it's "please wear the national costume of any country - it doesn't have to be your own!"

The party is Saturday and I have been in denial for 10 days (and busy at work).

DH is going "no way" (very stressed anyway from work and travel, and doesn't really "do" dressing up at all).

DD (12) will just turn up in tshirt and shorts and ignore what others are wearing. (In fairness, she might manage it as she actually has, somewhere, an Austrian national dress dress).

DH and I have nothing suitable.

Any ideas on what we could wear, without buying a lederhosen or something, that could get away with being a "national costume" of somewhere?

Do you have anything tartan?

The Lamba of Madagascar: 2 sarongs, one around the waist and one around the shoulders.

Longyi or sarong? Or is that too much of a cop out.

White sheets and go as Ancient Greeks?

Toga! Toga! Toga!

Any kind of wafty boho kaftan or beach cover up could stand in for quite a number of national dresses. You could belt it over a skirt, wear a waistcoat on top and a headscarf and claim it's the national dress of the Republic of Syldavia.

Or buy a lovely salwar khameez and you'll never want to wear jeans again 😁

DH can wear a flannel shirt, braces and jeans and be the national dress of New England. Bring maple syrup and wear boots!

Black tie - the U.K.? Jeans and a white T-shirt - USA? I hate these sorts of events though luckily I have a proper silk kimono and shoes, a gift from my Japanese friends mother. Dh doesn't even comply to "smart dress" requirements.

Actually, I have just remembered that I have a pair of harem pants - I could do a Middle East thing with those. Plain top, and I possibly have a scarf suitable to go over shoulders. (They are summer wear, that's why I didn't hink of those).

Or else I could use the length of glittery tartan fabric that I usually fold into a tree skirt to make some class of a proper skirt for myself.....(if I have time with a sewing machine....ok maybe not).

I like the idea of flannel shirt and jeans for a US prairie man-type outfit for DH (braces may be too far for him to go). And he does have a tux, so I could get him to go in that if all else fails!

I had to google salwar khameez - tempting!! But I need it by Saturday.

In the end, I went in the "National Costume of the North Pole", as effectively an Elf. Using things I already had.

Red and white stripey stockings under navy bermuda shorts, with a pair of "Merry Christmas" ribbon braces safety pinned to the waistband . A red polo neck top, and a santa hat. Makeup included a heart on my cheek (it probably should have been a star I realized later). And a pair of Oxblood docs that did nicely as elf shoes.

DD went as a Canadian - red shorts with a white stripe, navy sports socks with Santas all up the leg, and a Canadian Ice Hockey jersey.

DH didn't dress up, but there were a few who didn't. It was quite an array from around the world - India, Japan, lots of French, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Poland...and it was lots of fun!

Thanks for saving my sanity with ideas, which actually got me thinking again.