Every college girl knows that theme parties can be some of the most fun events to attend during your four years. And while the parties themselves are great, the act of planning out your theme party clothes can be just as fun.

We all know the importance of building a wardrobe full of basics for mixing and matching, but in college, creating a “dress up drawer” with a few key pieces for costume parties can prove just as useful.

Also read: Top 5 Most Epic Fashion Show Themes of the 21st Century

The best part? You probably already have some of these theme party “essentials” in your closet. Read on to see our top ten picks for theme party clothes and accessories!

Table of Contents

1. Animal Ears

Products: Floral cat ears – Claire’s, Lace cat ears – Yandy, Lace bunny ears – Claire’s

What Party: Anything with a “wild” or animal theme (e.g. hunter and hunted, jungle), or any party that requires a quick and cute costume.

How to Style it: There’s a reason animal ears are number one on our list of essentials! They’re cute, take up virtually zero space, make your outfit costume-like in two seconds, and are super easy to style.

Search for a pair of ears in the children’s section around Easter or Halloween or order online year round! (Amazon has a great selection, as does Claire’s.)

Pop a pair on with your go-to outfit and you’re automatically a cute kitten/sexy mouse/sassy bunny. Boom.

2. Masks

Products: Black Mask – Target, Pink Mask – Amazon, Other Masks – Amazon

What Party: For those Mardi Gras themed parties!

How to Style it: Outfit wise, you can wear almost anything if the party is going to be casual — even some jeans and a basic top will work great.