The term ‘Bad Taste Party' should give due warning of what might be encountered -  some people have a low tolerance threshold of what constitutes bad taste and we live in days where people are keen to take offence, even on behalf of others - the concepts of ‘Political Correctness’ and ‘Cultural Appropriation’ has had student unions objecting to people wearing sombreros unless they are actually Mexican!

Others can go too over the top and create offence, still thinking it’s a great idea to dress as Jimmy Saville or depict the New York Twin Towers. ‘

On a different topic 'Blackface' or 'Yellowface'  - people using  make-up to depict ethnic characters - has also become a problem. That said, a Bad Taste theme suggests suspension of the ‘rules’, but even if the party is a private one, you probably have to travel to and from the event and, as celebs know, these days social media is everywhere. If in doubt, exercise caution and restraint!

For some, doing ‘Bad Taste’ is just a question of going to their closet and deliberately mus-matching colours and styles to create a major fashion faux-pas.

If your closet is not that big (or varied) because you shop carefully and get rid of what you don't (or won't) use, then go out of your way to create a style nightmare with what you’ve got, or just overdo your hair and make-up to err on the slutty side (Girls could do that as well)

Some might alternatively be able to dig out Fashions that Failed from the deepest recesses of their attics and cupboards (if it hasn’t already been flogged on eBay) to create some retro bad taste.

Here are a few ideas with which you can get creative. Please note that we at Antrix do not necessarily have costumes for all ideas listed (you may find some of them elsewhere on the Net) and anyway, not all of these outfits and ideas are necessarily available ‘off-the-peg’:

Pregnant Nun: This idea has been around for a lot longer than you might think - at least medieval times. Obviously it's a good go-to outfit for the truly pregnant!.

Black & White Minstrel; Right up to the 1970s the BBC had no problem with singers blacking-up like Kentucky minstrels in the name of light entertainment, and the Net still offers outfits!.

King Herod; Interesting idea, but possibly runs the risk of you being asked who you are unless you have (in)appropriate props.

Mr Creosote: The diner who exploded (from Monty Python’s Meaning of Life).

Mary from ‘There’s Something About Mary’: The key element here is the ‘hair gel’.

Muff Diver; This has been available as an off-the-peg on the internet. Basically a diving suit and snorkel.

Captain Condom: Again, can be found in various versions on the commercial market.

Heart Patient/Organ Donor: A few Halloween outfits can form the basis, along with a sign 'Organ Donor - See Inside For Details'

Knife Thrower & Tina the Target: Commercially available, but reasonably easy to improvise.

Arab Terrorist: Be extremely careful in these high-alert times. Best change at the venue if you must do it!

Steve Irwin (Australian Naturalist) & a Stingray (which killed him) (Rubber Stingrays can be found in some toy-shops)

Dead Elvis, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse or any other pop star who has ‘passed on’.

Zombie variations on other past pop stars: Johnny Rotting, Bloody Holly and the Spice Ghouls, for example

Tampon Girl: Interesting use of some fake dark blood, cotton roll and a piece of string - apparently.

Mini-skirted girl in a burkha: Multi-cultural mixed message

Brussels Sprout (well it’s bad taste to some): Fine, but we’re not sure brussel spr(out-fits) are that easy to find!

A jar of Marmite : Ditto

Hitler (or failing that, a Hitler European Tour T-Shirt): Prince Harry famously tried something similar and see what happened...

Klu Klux Klan member; We once had a ghost outfit that kept getting mistaken for this ‘character’.

Jack the Ripper

Sweeney Todd

Serial Killer: Raid the Halloween stock (Mike Myers, Jason, Freddyetc.)
and take a few empty cereal boxes and a rubber knife): Punny and just about PC

Horror Fairy-tale characters – Snow Fright, Creeping Beauty, Little Dead Riding Hood, Sinderella

...you get the general idea. As we've said, costumes are not always available, but we'll help if we can