Too Much Dread and Thread

Surely there are many clever excuses for not-quite-apropos costumes worn to parties with a theme. You know, like coming as Genghis Khan to a Naples on V-E Day party. Or as Evita Peron at a British Royal Family in Distress fiesta.

The best line we heard for an inappropriate get-up was from the pair of TV execs who arrived in dreadlocks and gold lame at a recent “Blazing Saddles”-themed bash. Amid cowboys, showgirls and outlaws, these were costumes that stood out.

When asked what part of the film the costumes were from, they responded: “We were in the director’s cut--it never made it to the screen.”

Watch for this line to be reissued at Halloween next year.

Gone to the Dogs

Social Climes made the rounds of Election Night parties, stopping for a time at the mostly Republican bash at Chasen’s. Instead of the usual expensive mountain o’ shrimp bonanza, the hosts had ordered hot dogs and hamburgers. When told of this at a Democratic party at Tripp’s, one Clinton backer remarked: “Boy, can they see the handwriting on the wall.”

Massaging Beverly Hills

We know that Beverly Hills is having a tough time with the recession, just like the rest of the country. (Note those tasteful little “Sale” signs in many store windows.) But does its image as the city of Beautiful People need bolstering?

We didn’t think so, but recently we got an invitation to “The Beauty of Beverly Hills” symposium discussing trends in exercise, massage, diet and nutrition, skin care, plastic surgery and aromatherapy to be held Monday and Tuesday at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel, with a kickoff party tonight at the Jose Eber Salon.

The Beverly Hills Visitors Bureau is hosting the invitation-only seminars, which got us thinking that maybe too many of the wrong kind of people were seen hanging out on Rodeo Drive wearing Bermuda shorts, and something had to be done about them.

But we suddenly realized we were way off base when we saw that one of the symposium topics is “The Spirituality of Beauty.”