Halloween vs The Etiquette Expert: The Reckoning

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You know what’s scary? Misjudging your Halloween party hosts this weekend and wearing the wrong costume!

Is it a no-holds-barred, adults-only kind of party — or maybe something a little more family friendly? Etiquette expert Elizabeth Burnett suggests you should probably figure that out ahead of time.

“If you’re hosting a party, be clear with your invitation if it is a family, adult or gathering for all,” says the owner of Elizabeth Etiquette.

“If you’re attending, take a little time to think about your costume and dress appropriately for the party. Is it for work or is it a gathering of friends? Should your costume be a little more conservative or can you really go wild with the makeup?”

If you’re unsure, Burnett has a rule of thumb:

“Don’t expose too much skin and don’t expose too little,” she tells NEWS 1130, suggesting full face and body costumes should have some kind of opening to allow your hosts or trick-or-treaters to know who’s behind the mask.

When it comes to sexy costumes or dressing up as politcial figures, Burnett recommends erring on the side of caution.

“Anything politically or socially undesireable or offensive should be avoided. With ladies costumes, don’t overexpose. With too much cleavage, if you bend down to pick up things off the floor, it can be sort of offensive to some, perhaps to the hostess. Nothing too suggestive,” she asserts.

“Most certainly, avoid dressing up as a historically disgraced figure. We all know who those are — they can be googled — but I think those can be particularly undesirable and offensive, especially now with so munch politics in the news.”

Burnett says it pays to tread lightly.

“What are the views and opinions of your host and hostess? If you know that they are politically one-sided, then you wouldn’t want to dress as a figure who would perhaps be offensive to their beliefs. I think that one should really think about hgow they are presenting themselves if they want to have fun at the party.”