--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think back to the parties Aimee and I…" description: "\"“I think back to the parties Aimee and I planned, and how all those tuxedos and ball gowns weren't really that much different, costumewise, than some o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/stacey-ballis-6284_be-yourself_i-think-back-to-the-parties-aimee-and-i_1994702.jpg" --- # I think back to the parties Aimee and I planned, and how… ![“I think back to the parties Aimee and I planned, and how all those tuxedos and ball gowns weren't really that much different, costumewise, than some of these getups. Not as elaborate or out there, to be sure, but not so different. After all, is an hour at Bobbi Brown for the perfect party makeup…” quote by Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/stacey-ballis-6284_be-yourself_i-think-back-to-the-parties-aimee-and-i_1994702.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/stacey-ballis-6284_be-yourself_i-think-back-to-the-parties-aimee-and-i_1994702.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/stacey-ballis-6284_be-yourself_i-think-back-to-the-parties-aimee-and-i_1994702.jpg) > ““I think back to the parties Aimee and I planned, and how all those tuxedos and ball gowns weren't really that much different, costumewise, than some of these getups. Not as elaborate or out there, to be sure, but not so different. After all, is an hour at Bobbi Brown for the perfect party makeup that much of a stretch from an hour putting on a Klingon forehead or Spock ears? Is searching for the perfect dress, shoes, bag, wrap, jewelry so much different from the perfect jumpsuit, ray gun, ammo belt, and communicator? And unlike most of the regular parties we did, these people are way open to each other and the experience. There don't seem to be gaggles of people standing back to judge the other gaggles. And while a lot of the subsets do seem to flock together, Star Wars over here, Lord of the Rings over there, I haven't overheard one snarky comment about someone's costume. None of the women here, in all of their variety of shapes and sizes, seem to be doing anything other than squeeing at each other and praising how gorgeous they are. And everyone seems to just own themselves. I've been at hundreds of events looking at a sea of black dresses because everyone thinks it is slimming. But today I've seen a riot of color and skin. Including a 350-pound raven-haired vixen in a chain-mail corset, with cleavage you could park a hovercraft in, surrounded by a coterie of clearly smitten men. I wanted to high-five her.”” [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker observes that costume parties and traditional parties share similar social dynamics, emphasizing acceptance, diversity, and self‑expression over judgment. **In simple terms:** Costume events foster openness and celebrate individuality. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity and celebrate diverse expressions. Themes acceptance diversity self‑expression community celebration Mood joyful inspired proud Type observational celebratory When to use this quote - cosplay conventions - fashion events - social gatherings Key Concepts social dynamics identity body positivity Questions to Reflect On - How does costume play challenge conventional beauty standards? - What can we learn about inclusivity from these events? A Different Perspective Some may still feel pressure to conform to mainstream aesthetics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic con](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-con/) [Cosplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosplay/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) ## Related quotes > [I said that in Beverly Hills, a woman going out to a party without makeup on is shocking. I was referring to women in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-richards/i-said-that-in-beverly-hills-a-woman-going-out-to-a-party-without/) [Kyle Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-richards/) > [The costume of women should be suited to her wants and necessities. It should conduce at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-bloomer/the-costume-of-women-should-be-suited-to-her-wants-and-necessities-it/) [Amelia Bloomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-bloomer/) > [The costume of women should be suited to her wants and needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-bloomer/the-costume-of-women-should-be-suited-to-her-wants-and-needs/) [Amelia Bloomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-bloomer/) > [“We'd been trying so hard to look like our heroes, we'd kinda forgotten what a hero really is. Capes, masks, powers — sure, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikko/we-d-been-trying-so-hard-to-look-like-our-heroes-we-d-kinda-forgotten/) Mikko > [I have friends who are majorly into the cosplay culture and have urged me to go to a convention for no other reason than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-have-friends-who-are-majorly-into-the-cosplay-culture-and-have/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [It can literally change someone's life; it's very positive for young teenagers to get into cosplay if they do it with their friends or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-han/it-can-literally-change-someone-s-life-it-s-very-positive-for-young/) [Yaya Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-han/) > [When hot guys cosplay as creepy pasta jeff the killer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-hot-guys-cosplay-as-creepy-pasta-jeff-the-killer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've done a lot of geeky things in my life, but I think the geekiest of all was my first effort to build props…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wil-wheaton/i-ve-done-a-lot-of-geeky-things-in-my-life-but-i-think-the-geekiest/) [Wil Wheaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wil-wheaton/) > [I think 'Heroes of Cosplay' will show a lot of the positive things, like how much effort it takes to make a costume. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-han/i-think-heroes-of-cosplay-will-show-a-lot-of-the-positive-things-like/) [Yaya Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-han/) > [Me as nina the killer but I look like the joker...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-as-nina-the-killer-but-i-look-like-the-joker/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Pop culture. Nobody does bullshit better than us. Right? China took over manufacturing. And the Middle East has us on fossil fuels. That's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-suede/pop-culture-nobody-does-bullshit-better-than-us-right-china-took-over/) [Damon Suede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-suede/) > [I discovered cosplay because I was going to an anime convention and did some research, and found out people dressed up as characters. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-han/i-discovered-cosplay-because-i-was-going-to-an-anime-convention-and/) [Yaya Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-han/) > [“There should be a soundtrack playing for me as I walk down the street... And for what I'm about to do, cosplay is for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-wilder/there-should-be-a-soundtrack-playing-for-me-as-i-walk-down-the-street/) S.R. Wilder > [Me as nina the killer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-as-nina-the-killer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The content that Jessica Nigri puts out, really displays cosplay in the wrong light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-han/the-content-that-jessica-nigri-puts-out-really-displays-cosplay-in/) [Yaya Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-han/) ## More by Stacey Ballis > [“Jack was the kind of guy you could take into any situation and he would figure out how to fit in. Wayne, not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/jack-was-the-kind-of-guy-you-could-take-into-any-situation-and-he/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Volnay is prancing, head up proudly; her squat little bowlegs producing a smooth gait that would make the dog show people preen. She carries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/volnay-is-prancing-head-up-proudly-her-squat-little-bowlegs-producing/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Deciding that he was essentially useless, I made him a large glass of sangre del tigre- "blood of the tiger"- a lethal Bloody Mary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/deciding-that-he-was-essentially-useless-i-made-him-a-large-glass-of/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I cooked with so many of the greats: Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz. Rick Bayless taught me not one but two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-cooked-with-so-many-of-the-greats-tom-colicchio-eric-ripert-wylie/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Last night I read about a dish Gemma made for the staff for breakfast, which sounded really good despite its horrible name. Toad-in-the-hole. Seriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/last-night-i-read-about-a-dish-gemma-made-for-the-staff-for-breakfast/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I'm going to explode," my dad says, rubbing his stomach gleefully. He's just put down a massive sandwich piled with corned beef, pastrami, chopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-m-going-to-explode-my-dad-says-rubbing-his-stomach-gleefully-he-s/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Miss A-la-na here seems to think that my pork medallion with caramelized-onion pan sauce is a little heavy-handed, that the onions need a lighter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/miss-a-la-na-here-seems-to-think-that-my-pork-medallion-with/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Relax, princess. If your prince arrives, I'll vacate. Just keeping you company. Besides, he should know better than to leave a beautiful girl waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/relax-princess-if-your-prince-arrives-i-ll-vacate-just-keeping-you/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Yeah, just what I needed, a massive three-day Hostess binge, followed by a week of trying to replicate recipes so that if no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/yeah-just-what-i-needed-a-massive-three-day-hostess-binge-followed-by/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Going to the gym...all those people who always told me that you get addicted to it, that endorphins kick in, that eventually you crave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/going-to-the-gym-all-those-people-who-always-told-me-that-you-get/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/this-year-i-am-doing-praline-pecans-an-old-favorite-family-favorite/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“I pick up my teaspoon and take a small bite, and am transported. The cake is nutty and moist, the cream with the barest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/i-pick-up-my-teaspoon-and-take-a-small-bite-and-am-transported-the/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“Yep," I say, cutting a large slice of the Dutch Baby pancake and sliding it onto her plate along with two pieces of thick-sliced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/yep-i-say-cutting-a-large-slice-of-the-dutch-baby-pancake-and-sliding/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“The cake is pretty simple; they didn't want anything too fancy. Two tiers. The bottom is the Frango mint tier from the cake contest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/the-cake-is-pretty-simple-they-didn-t-want-anything-too-fancy-two/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) > [“In a frenetic whirlwind we chop and dice and mince, turning anything we can think of into a possible pizza topping, and packing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-ballis/in-a-frenetic-whirlwind-we-chop-and-dice-and-mince-turning-anything/) [Stacey Ballis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) [Explore all 99 Stacey Ballis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-ballis/) ## More Be yourself quotes > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Make-up can't cover up an ugly personality!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-up-can-t-cover-up-an-ugly-personality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I does wat I does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-does-wat-i-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Change nothing, just be yourself to experience peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/change-nothing-just-be-yourself-to-experience-peace/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [No matter how badly people treat you, never drop down to their level. It will only excite them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-badly-people-treat-you-never-drop-down-to-their-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [It's always brave to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-yifei/it-s-always-brave-to-be-yourself/) [Liu Yifei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-yifei/) > [My true Self is free. I cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/my-true-self-is-free-i-cannot-be-contained/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Why is it that anyone can pretend to be someone there not and never be someone they are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akeem/why-is-it-that-anyone-can-pretend-to-be-someone-there-not-and-never/) Akeem > [You can never change the Past, not control the future. But, you can change the mood of the day, by touching someone's Heart with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/you-can-never-change-the-past-not-control-the-future-but-you-can/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [Just be you. Do what you love. I've learned that in the end, you can't make everyone happy no matter what you say or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/just-be-you-do-what-you-love-i-ve-learned-that-in-the-end-you-can-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Nothing has power over you unless you allow it. No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be who you want to be, not what people want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-who-you-want-to-be-not-what-people-want-to-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm might not be the best , I might not be strongest or the fastest or the smart ,but I'm sure as hades ain't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/i-m-might-not-be-the-best-i-might-not-be-strongest-or-the-fastest-or/) MrAwesome > [I'm not a person to judge but I really don't care for people that follow I love the ones that want to lead unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-brown/i-m-not-a-person-to-judge-but-i-really-don-t-care-for-people-that/) [Jordan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-brown/) Browse all 2,115 Be yourself quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think back to the parties Aimee and I planned, and how all those tuxedos and ball gowns weren't really that much different, costumewise, than some of these getups. Not as elaborate or out there, to be sure, but not so different. After all, is an hour at Bobbi Brown for the perfect party makeup that much of a stretch from an hour putting on a Klingon forehead or Spock ears? Is searching for the perfect dress, shoes, bag, wrap, jewelry so much different from the perfect jumpsuit, ray gun, ammo belt, and communicator? And unlike most of the regular parties we did, these people are way open to each other and the experience. There don't seem to be gaggles of people standing back to judge the other gaggles. And while a lot of the subsets do seem to flock together, Star Wars over here, Lord of the Rings over there, I haven't overheard one snarky comment about someone's costume. None of the women here, in all of their variety of shapes and sizes, seem to be doing anything other than squeeing at each other and praising how gorgeous they are. And everyone seems to just own themselves. I've been at hundreds of events looking at a sea of black dresses because everyone thinks it is slimming. But today I've seen a riot of color and skin. Including a 350-pound raven-haired vixen in a chain-mail corset, with cleavage you could park a hovercraft in, surrounded by a coterie of clearly smitten men. 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