See all the pictures for the August 2007 adult party. click here

Big hair, Lacoste shirts, and Jello shooters.

Well, it was another banner evening in HHSTC Adult Party history.  Co-hosts Jean & Chuck Hall, and Lisa & Danny Smith, put on an Eighties party that will not be soon forgotten (or perhaps lived down).  We were shameless in our love of all things Eighties.  Not just the music, the big hair and the Lacoste shirts, but also the Jello shooters.

Our female attendees divided roughly into either the Good Girls or the Bad Girls; apparently, there was no room for ambiguity in the 80s.  “Good” girls included Preppy Sorority Sisters Jean Hall, Lisa Smith, Linda Grass, Karen Boor and Casey Campana, all decked out in various combinations of pink and green.  I had a momentary flashback of being rejected during sorority rush and almost started to cry, until I remembered that our HHSTC girls are a whole lot nicer than those Tri Delts at U.Va. were.  Thank goodness all those add-a-bead necklaces didn’t break and create a liability situation on the dance floor.

Our other “good” girls were from the Flashdance club.  Beth Jones, Nancy Halloran, Anne Duma, Heather Feigelson, and Leigh Ann Greco were all Jennifer Beals look-alikes, with leggings, ripped sweatshirts fetchingly falling down on one shoulder, and side ponytails.  It seems that they were able to leave their night-welding jobs last evening to attend the party.  Leslie Claxton was the precursor to Paris Hilton in her cute Valley Girl duds, omigod!

Hard to say what category pig-tailed Brooke Kremer fell into.  She showed up to the party wearing her actual school blazer from Roland Park Country School, a much too short St. Martin’s Episcopal School jumper, and white knee socks.  I thought she looked nice, but my husband said she looked “naughty”.  Since her date, Dan, came in an AC/DC tee shirt, she probably falls into the Bad Girl category.

And then there were the undisputed Bad Girls.  Michael Liss strutted his stuff as Robert Palmer, with his two Robert Palmer babes, Christy Liss and Chris Klein, on each arm.  With their tight black minidresses, sleeked back hair and pouty red lips, they were “Simply Irrestible”.  Mara Robb was intentionally less sophisticated but nonetheless just as Bad with her punk rock costume.  Donning torn jeans (that she actually wore in the 80s and are actually loose on her, don't you just hate her?), a bad girl tank top, blue nail polish and spray painted hair, she reminded me of Patti Smith, even though, thank goodness, Mara opted not to display bushy armpits.

As for the guys, we saw a lot of obnoxious plaids and the marginally more tasteful staple, madras (John McCard’s slacks come to mind).  The prepsters all made sure to flip their collars up and leave the laces of their Docksiders casually untied.  You would think that these guys would be paired with the Preppy Sorority Sisters, but not necessarily.  Prepster Jim Greco and wife Flashdancer Leigh Ann, for example.  And appearances can be deceiving, because Leigh Ann, I hear, despite her fresh-scrubbed, clean good looks, apparently went to at least 5 Judas Priest concerts in her youth.

Not every guy was preppy, though.  We had our Question Authority nonconformists as well.  Chris Robb looked very cool (yet also very hot) in his black mullet wig.  He was gracious when I mistook him for Billy Ray Cyrus, only realizing my error when I noticed he was wearing a Metallica tee shirt.  He later abandoned his mullet due to the heat, and I believe a squirrel ran off with it.

The award for most creative costume, in my opinion, goes to Jeff Klein.  He came dressed as a bandmember from Devo.  Devo is to music what cilantro is to spices … you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em.  Jeff looked uncannily like Mark Mothersbaugh in his black shirt, black shorts, black belt, red flowerpot hat and black bullwhip.  Only his black socks and black wingtips gave him away as an actuary.  As for the bullwhip, I understand that is NOT a prop and that he just “happened” to have it around the house.  What goes on behind closed doors is none of my business.  Whip It Good!

Robert Palmer lookalike MichaelLiss was joined in his suaveness by Don Johnsons Tim Halloran and Rob Claxton.  I guess neither Rob nor Tim could agree on who would be Tubbs, so they both decided on Don Johnson, even though after Tim took off his jacket, he kind of looked like a skinny Richard Simmons in his blue tank top.

My husband Brian, advising me that my punk rock chick costume looked “ridiculous”, eschewed trendy fads as always.  He traded out his Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts from the Seventies party for a red checked shirt and Bermuda shorts. He calls this his “timeless and classic look”.  He’s nothing if not consistent.

Many, many thanks to the Hall and Smith families for hosting the party, providing the delicious vittles from Beyond the Bayou, and keeping the margaritas and keg flowing.  Also a shoutout to Rob Claxton, who provided the amazing playlist for the night!

Enjoy the pics.

Renee Neary

Secretary, HHSTC