I am attending a conference next week in Dallas, TX for psychology regulatory boards. I attend two of them a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. These conferences are rather dull, given the topics we deal with. The organization that sponsors these conferences always tries to spice up the week with a big party on the Friday night. There is always a theme for the party, and it is no big surprise that the theme for this party is Cowboy Chic.

We have been encouraged to come in costume, such as classic western wear, fringe and leather, dresses with western twist, clunky and chunky jewelry or outsized belt buckles, and sequined cowboy hats. I own neither a cowboy hat nor cowboy boots. I have very little jewelry, and hardly anything that is sequined. No gingham or leather or fringe, either. I have no intention of buying any of the above, either. I can hardly wait to see what the folks from the Canadian Maritimes wear!

The party is on November 1, which is also All Saints Day. I would prefer to dress up like my favorite saint or martyr than dress up in western wear. I suppose, living where I do with real cowboys, that Cowboy Chic isn’t that fun or alluring. Joseph Gabriel of the Rosary, also known as the Gaucho Priest, is the patron saint of cowboys, He had leprosy, so the makeup for that would be rather challenging. I may just show up in jeans and a sweatshirt.

We used to have costume parties when we were in graduate school in Winnipeg. The most memorable was when I dressed like a large strawberry for a Halloween party. I wore tights, and the two sided pink costume went down to my knees. I got a call in the middle of the party that one of my clients was in the ER with suicidal ideation and needed to see me ASAP. It was a little hard to get the ER staff to take me seriously in that getup. My client, despite their distress, though it was hilarious.

What would you wear for Cowboy Chic? What was the last costume party you went to?