ABC. No, not the alphabet. No, not the American Broadcasting Company, but rather, ABC, as in “anything but clothes”. ABC is a popular college party theme where attendees wear anything… but clothes. This doesn’t mean that people can just show up to the party naked, that’s like – kind of against the law. Instead, this means that the party people have to be creative in their attempts to “clothe” themselves with materials besides the usual cotton, polyester, and denim pieces. Similarly to the “rhyme without a reason” party theme, ABC is one that involves a lot of creativity and humor — which I know you’ve got lots of.
While this theme is challenging, it’s definitely doable, especially in a crunch. Still, I recommend planning out your fit at least a couple of days in advance. Here is a list of 15 totally doable “anything but clothes” party theme outfit ideas that don’t require a BFA in fashion or a sewing machine.
- Toga
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If you go against my warning and decide to procrastinate and push outfit planning to the day-of, this idea might be the one for you! Although “toga parties” are pretty much restricted to stereotypes of 90’s coming of age films and rarely ever take place IRL, the classic fit is perfect for a super last-minute costume. All you need to achieve this outfit is a bedsheet and a handful of safety pins, just wrap and pin at your own discretion.
- Garbage Bag
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If you don’t have an extra bedsheet, then using a couple of trash bags would suffice if you’re trying to achieve a similar look to the “toga” theme. Or, you could wrap freely and achieve something super creative like this two-piece set.
- Caution Tape
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For this fit, it may be safe to wear a neutral-colored strapless bodycon (Amazon, $16) underneath to prevent any unwanted slippage, if you know what I mean. Nobody has to know that, however, if you wrap the caution tape well enough! All you need is a roll of caution tape and some packing tape (or safety pins) to secure the caution tape to your dress and you’re good to go! Or, you could just wrap the tape to your heart’s contentment. Whatever floats your boat.
- Duct Tape
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It doesn’t need to be anything intricate like the dresses you see on Tiktok for the Duct Tape Scholarship Contest that seems to go viral every year. All you need to do is fasten some duct tape around your body to create a bodycon dress. The best part about this idea is that you don’t need to sew, just tape it all together! Just, please remember to not put the adhesive side directly on your skin.
- Whiteclaw Boxes
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Or beer boxes, or wine boxes, or packing boxes, or whatever. All you have to do to achieve this look is to cut and secure some boxes to your body with tape. Again, I recommend wearing a swimsuit or form-fitting dress underneath to prevent any mishaps, as well as to help guide you in your taping adventures!
- Shopping Bags
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So, maybe you don’t drink, that’s okay! Sobercuriosity is in, bestie. This look can be achieved by using tape and paper or fabric shopping bags.
- Flag/Tapestry
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For this look, all you need to have are some safety pins and a funny flag or tapestry. Just secure the large piece of fabric to fit your figure by using some safety pins and scissors, if necessary. I recommend using the flag as a dress or wrapping it like a toga.
- Apron
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If you have a long cooking apron, this one is super easy and perfect for last-minute party people. All you would need to do is wear a swimsuit underneath the apron, and you’re all set!
- Bandanas
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I mean, we all kind of agreed that it’s socially acceptable to wear a bandana or scarf tied around your chest as a crop top, so why not do that for an ABC party? For the bottoms, you could use some safety pins to fasten some bandanas into a skirt to match!
- Monopoly Money
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If you have access to a laminator, this idea may be the one for you. All you would need to do is laminate a lot of monopoly dollars and staple them onto a strapless bodycon. I recommend going to a thrift store to scour through some old board games to save a few bucks — literally.
- Twister
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Maybe your friend needs a costume, too, and you just so happen to find an old Twister game at the thrift store. All you need to do for this outfit is to cut the Twister mat to size and secure it with duct tape or safety pins to make something like this!
- Pom-Poms
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For this, all you would need is some hot glue, a ton of pom-poms, and an old piece of clothing (a bodycon dress, an old bra and bandage skirt, etc.). Just throw on some Netflix and start gluing until you achieve a look similar to this.
- Tinsel
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The holidays are almost here! What better way to celebrate than to show up to your ABC party decked up like a Christmas tree? For this look, all you’d need to do is hot glue some dollar-tree-tinsel to a bodycon dress and you’re set.
- Beer Pong
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For this creative fit, all you would need is an old bra, a bodycon skirt, a ton of ping pong balls, some hot glue, and a good set of Solo Cups. Just glue the balls onto the bra and the solo cups to the skirt like a belt to create something like this!
- Paint Samples
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If you’re ballsy enough to go into Home Depot and “steal” a ton of paint sample cards, or just have a ton left over from when you were in your 2014 Tumblr phase when you’d “steal” them for the aesthetic (please tell me i’m not the only one who did this), then this one may be the perfect option! All you would need to do to achieve this look is to staple or hot-glue the paint cards to a bodycon dress.
So, time to grab your duct tape, safety pins, scissors, and scraps — and let’s get to work!