Well-known for her love of fancy dress, global superstar Adele recently celebrated her 30th birthday with a Titanic-themed costume party.
Initially hitting the headlines for the usual star-studded reasons, it soon became clear that not everyone thought the theme was a good idea.
Adele dressed up as Rose for the event and posted a number of photos from the party on her Instagram account. One shot in particular attracted a lot of negative attention across social media, with many criticising the singer for choosing a distasteful theme. Around 1,500 people lost their lives when the Titanic sank in 1912.
The picture in question showed Adele and a number of guests dancing while wearing lifejackets.
The resulting controversy instigated a conversation about historical fancy dress and what is and isn’t appropriate.
An article in The Independent asked whether the amount of time which has passed since a tragic event can make it less poignant in the eyes of society – and if so, how long that period of time has to be.
“There are evidently some historical events that will always be viewed as off-bounds when it comes to fancy dress, including the Holocaust and the slave trade,” said the article.
“However, if there’s the slightest chance that your choice of costume could be regarded as culturally or historically insensitive, then it may be a good idea to reconsider.”
