As the end of the semester approaches and you find yourself stressing over finals, it’s important to surround yourself with people who recharge your batteries. Between studying, classes, and juggling college life, have you ever stopped to think when was the last time you spent the night at home with your closest friends? A girls’ night in, an elixir for exams and external anxiety, allows you and your friends to share snacks, smiles, and sweet memories to push you through the days ahead. When going out on the town starts to sing the same old tune, turn up the volume, and take your girls’ nights up a notch with a creative theme from the comfort of your home! From outfits to activities, elevate your evenings with a unique theme for you and your friends to enjoy. Don’t know where to start? I’ve got you covered!
50’s SOCK Hop
Colors: Anything pastel, especially lighter shades of pink, turquoise, and yellow.
Outfits: Twirl in your fullest skirts, and don’t be afraid of a pattern! Polka dots and florals adorned with dainty jewelry defines a chic 50s look. If you’re looking for a more comfortable alternative, suit up in your silkiest pajama pants or a lacy nightgown. Complete the cozy look with a flowy, luxurious robe!
Food: With a rise in popularity for family diners during this era, enjoy your favorite comfort meals hot and fresh off the grill. Whether you’re ordering your dinner or making it at home, aim for items such as sandwiches, burgers, and fries. But don’t forget the classic diner style desert! Top of your meal with a milkshake flavor of your choice.
Activity: Painting leather jackets to match with your Pink Ladies! Have everyone bring a jacket to customize using paint, rhinestones, and any other craft supplies. While this activity is inspired by the T-Bird jackets featured in the movie Grease, decorate your jacket in a way that’s true to you! This idea gives you and your girlfriends a personalized statement piece, while also serving as a memento to remember your night together.
horror MOVIES
Colors: Darker tones, mostly black, as well as shades of red and purple.
Outfits: With this theme, you don’t have to wait until Halloween to dress up! Create an outfit inspired by your favorite horror movie characters and villains. If you’re not a fan of horror movies, iconic figures associated with fear and frights can also make for drop-dead gorgeous outfits. Whether you’re the fashionista version of Freddy Krueger or you’re cute in vampire chic, playing around with dark, sinister outfits can make for a scary good time!
Food: This meal gives you the opportunity to become Frankenstein and create your own monster! DIY pizza making allows you and your friends to customize a dinner tailored to your preferences with a spooky twist. Get creative with the shapes of your pizza and the toppings you use to make ghosts, skulls, and other creepy characters. A frightening twist on a classic dish to die for!
Activity: Go beyond the adrenaline rush of a horror movie marathon by creating your own murder mystery or escape room at home! Create a storyline and develop your setting through the use of decorations and tangible clues hidden throughout your space. If you do an escape room, up the stakes by putting a time limit on how long you have to break free. If you go the murder mystery route, build suspense among your friends by involving them as characters in the story you created.
pop Stars and Singers
Colors: Shades that are often shiny, such as gold and silver, communicate the famous, “Hollywood” appeal. These accent colors can be paired with most others!
Outfits: Pick your favorite artist and recreate one of their signature looks. You can utilize elements such as similar makeup, hairstyles, and color schemes that match your favorite album to transform into a pop star! Alternatively, show off your fangirl status by sporting your pieces of merchandise. Styling a tour t-shirt can be comfortable, cute, and still on theme.
Food: For this theme, you can put the “pop” in “pop stars.” Lean into any food items that have “pop” in the name, such as popcorn, soda pop, cake pops, and even Pop-Tarts. Additionally, get creative with drinks and snacks that relate to the artists you love. Incorporating foods inspired by music videos or naming a drink after a song is a unique way to contribute to the theme while showcasing your fangirl knowledge.
Activities: You’ve got the outfits and the fuel to take the stage, so what’s left? Showing off your stardom skills! Watch the concert of your dreams from the comfort of your home by singing karaoke with your friends. You could stop there, but if you’re on the search for the next Britney Spears, your dancing has to match the vocals. Find out who has the smoothest moves among you and your friends by having a Just Dance tournament!
Color Wars
Colors: If you couldn’t tell by the name, all colors are fair game for this theme. Rock the rainbow with your friends!
Outfits: One of the best things about this theme is the versatility of what you can wear. Whether you’re wanting to be comfortable or dressed to the nines, you can show off your signature style! However, there wouldn’t be a theme to follow if there wasn’t a catch. You and your friends each have to pick a color to represent, preferably with no repeating colors unless you want to make teams. Challenge your creativity and style by incorporating your assigned colors into your outfits!
Food: If you prefer to prepare food on your own, make an array of snacks that follows a rainbow gradient for you and your friends to enjoy. A variety of sweet and salty snacks plays into the theme of the many shades of colors. Starting with red foods like strawberries, orange foods like Cheetos, continue the scheme and incorporate your favorite treats. Additionally, your friends can contribute to the colorful cuisine too! Have each of your girls bring a dish to share corresponding to the color they chose.
Activities: Face off in the clash of the colors through a series of competitive games, with prizes offered to the winners! Keep tabs of who wins each round, whether it’s board games, video games, or relay-style party games as you race against each other and the clock. While the games don’t have to be color-related, this theme provides the perfect opportunity to play a few rounds of Twister! However, if competition isn’t your speed for a night with your girls, use this theme to kick back and get creative. Play into the rainbow outfits and food by coloring, painting, or tie dying t-shirts!
Photos are from our very own “Girls Night In” photoshoot. Check out @hercampusncsu on Instagram to see the rest of the photos and models!
DETAILS:
Styling: Models own
Photographer: Sara Boyd
Location: Valentine Commons Student Apartments
Models, as featured: Maggie McCrostie, Alexa Davidoff, Ann Clair Sibi, Diya Rau, and Kyra Thomas