My husband and I go to a Mardi Gras charity ball every year, and this year’s theme was “Big Boots, Big Buckles.” We interpreted this to mean “dress up like Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.”
My love for Lo-retta (as I like to call her) started in 2004 when a co-worker played the Van Lear Rose album for me on a road trip. I was fascinated by Loretta’s folksy, unpolished voice and the honesty in her lyrics. Later, I watched Coal Miner’s Daughter, bought the soundtrack and Loretta Lynn: All Time Greatest Hits, and maaaaay have sung “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man” at three or four (or five) karaoke nights.
With Conway, it started with Family Guy. The random, hysterical “and now … Conway Twitty” segments always had my husband and I watching in jaw-dropped awe as he rocked those pastel polyester leisure suits and pompadour hairdo. We maaaaay have sung a duet of “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” at karaoke a couple of times, too.
So when the time came to dress up as a country-singing duo for the Mardi Gras ball, obviously we were going to be Conway and Loretta! I googled photos of the pair and came up with such beauties as this:
Lord help them, those two sure loved the polyester. To dress up like Conway and Loretta, all you really need is three things: A partner, a willingness to embrace polyester, and big hair.
Conway often wore sherbet-tinted leisure suits, especially with collarless shirts (as pictured here). Loretta wore leisure suits and conservative dresses, or sometimes more glamorous dresses. They often color coordinated their outfits for their performances.
As for me and my hubs, I just so happened to have already bought this crazy 70’s vintage dress with a mint green marabou collar. Then, by some miracle, I found a mint green Western style polyester leisure suit in my husband’s exact measurements. When it came in the mail, he tried it on and had such fun strutting around the house. I could tell he didn’t want to take it off, and I felt the same way about my dress!
The big hair we struggled with a bit. D just doesn’t have the right kind of hair for the smooth Conway pompadour, didn’t have time to grow his sideburns, and my teasing technique needs work. But we had a blast at the party anyway and got lots of compliments, despite the fact no one but us (and every person we announced it to) knew we were supposed to be Conway and Loretta.
Moral of this story: It doesn’t matter if your costume is perfect down to the last detail and totally recognizable. If you’re having fun, look a little crazy, and feel good in it, who cares?
If you don’t have any pastel polyester in your possession (and your teasing technique is as terrible as mine), here are some items at Candy Apple Costumes that might help you out:
Adult Orange Leisure Suit Costume
Adult Orange 70’s Leisure Suit With Shirt
Adult Teal 70’s Leisure Suit With Shirt
Adult Hazy Daisy Hippie Costume
Or just browse our 60’s and 70’s Costumes section! However you dress, I hope you have as much fun as we did!
