There’s a famous scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary where Bridget turns up to a party dressed as a Playboy bunny and, upon seeing everyone dressed in smart outfits, politely enquires ‘where are all the other tarts and vicars?’ Her costume, and indeed the title, should give you some indication as to what this theme is about.
A tarts and vicars party is where all the guests and the host of the party dress up as either a tart or a vicar. Tart is British slang for a woman who dresses in revealing outfits, and a vicar is of course a religious church leader.
Combining these two elements for a party is quite a throwback to a Britain that was less politically correct and to a time when silly, yet sexually suggestive, TV shows and movies were made, like Benny Hill and The Carry On Series.
So let’s dive in and discover more about this very British theme party.
When and where to host a tarts and vicars party
In my experience, this theme is best suited to a birthday party, but it can actually work for virtually any occasion. Obviously this is an adult themed party, so no hosting for a twelve-year-old’s bar mitzvah! But for most parties at most time of the year, you can use this as a main theme.
Where to host this theme party depends entirely on your budget and how many guests you intend to invite. The party in Bridget Jones was a garden party, so why not host it there? Or, for extra authenticity, you can host it in a church hall if they let you! Better still, a venue that was once an old church.
What to wear to a tarts and vicars party
Dressing up for this party needn’t be a complicated affair. Women typically wear revealing outfits, with red and black being the leading colour theme.
Fishnet stockings are always a good idea as are high heels or knee high boots. I think at least one guest has to recreate the costume Bridget Jones wore, as the scene is so iconic.
This is just a guide outfit idea, but generally any revealing outfit will work for those attending as tarts. Don’t forget to lay on a good amount of make up too, especially the lipstick.
Guys just need to dress in anything related to the clergy, so all black for a catholic priest or white flowing gowns for a protestant vicar.
Remember, this is a theme invented in the 1970s in Britain. We live in the 21st century now so there’s nothing to stop guys dressing up as tarts and women as vicars.
Also, there’s no need to stick to the guidelines above so instead, for example, you can dress in a naughty nurse outfit, a nun with fishnet stockings or even combining the two and have a vicar outfit with knee-high boots!
For me, this theme is all about being fun and a bit flirty, so embrace it!
What food & drink should be served
This sort of theme is well suited to buffet and nibbles being laid on. As this is a British theme, why not lay on the same food traditionally served at a party buffet? So, cocktail sausages, mini pork pies, potato salad, mini sandwiches, crisps (potato chips), mini cakes and biscuits (cookies) will all work well.
For drinks, I would just operate a Bring Your Own Bottle policy, as this normally works best for these types of parties.
I think it is better to just let guests eat and drink what they want and when they want from the buffet table as opposed to a more formal sit down arrangement. Of course have tables and chairs, so people can sit, eat and chat but a formal sit down isn’t really appropriate for this theme
Party activities
There definitely has to be a prize for the best dressed guests. The best tart and the best vicar, naturally! This will encourage guests to be more creative in their costume styles and make some really great photos to remember the night.
Speaking of great photos, why not set up a photo booth? Make sure you have props related to the theme like giant crosses, bibles, makeup, and so on. General props work well too, like silly hats and inflatables. You can of course be a lot more imaginative with your props to match the adult nature of the theme, but I’ll leave them up to your, err… imagination. I think a confession box themed photo booth would be a brilliant idea too.
Music
As with most costume parties, the music is completely subjective and dependent on the hosts and guests tastes. However, as this is a British theme and one from the 1970s, maybe you can play some music from the era? 70s disco will go down well at a party like this, for sure.
You can also have fun interludes where you play the Benny Hill theme and have all the vicars chase the tarts round the venue in comedy fashion.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A party where you dress up as a tart or vicar is certainly at the more unusual end of the costume party scale, but it’s no less fun. Sure, some may view it as a little politically incorrect these days, but to me, it’s just a bit of harmless fun.
If you decide to host or attend a tarts and vicars party, I hope you have fun and that you found this guide useful.
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