One day last week at my local primary school , teachers and students alike regaled themselves in the colour orange , which is apparently the colour signifying the promotion of mutual respect, social wellbeing, inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

This fact about the colour orange was something I did not know.

I also had no idea why my grandson was wearing fluoro orange long socks, orange sunglasses and an equally hued headband to school.

But as we walked into school, I was in awe of the creative,fabulous, and sometimes riotous outfits parents had produced, all very orange, and worn to school that day. From just a modest orange scarf, to a full blown head-to-toe sartorial experience, it was all there, and I was impressed.

Of course! It was Harmony Day. A day for us to recognise and respect our cultural diversity. And to wear the colour orange.

The smiles on the children's faces told a positive story. They were loving dressing up, as part of a learning experience.

This led me to think more about the act of dressing up, and how much fun it is.

From the time we are toddlers, there's a dress-up box of some kind. In most toy cupboards, in kindies, playgroups and childcare centres, you'll find capes, masks, tiaras, wigs and an assortment of dress-up gear.

Dressing up is instilled in our psyche from a very young age. Little children love to be superheroes and princesses - we see Spider-Man and Elsa constantly at the school drop-off, the playground and the supermarket.

And as we all grow, our love of dressing up gets stronger.

Whether it be birthday parties, school formals, weddings, funerals, Christmas or New Year’s Eve parties, it's the done thing to dress up. Think about Melbourne Cup day in Australia. A fine example of adult dress-up, and it's not just about the hat.

Come to think of it, where would the world be without Hollywood's red carpet at the Oscars, the Paris fashion shows, Elton John's crazy glasses, the make-up that made Kiss a world famous rock band, Dame Edna Everage’s enduring persona, Eurovision and that most important dress-up day of all - Halloween where scary, often grisly costumes bring great joy.

Call me superficial, but I love it all.

And of course, I have also indulged in many a dress-up over the years at parties.

I have been Morticia Addams, in black wig and white powdered face, Patsy Stone, complete with French Roll and pretend Bolli, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and my last dress-up affair was my favourite. 

It was more a dress-down, which ended hilariously. The venue was one of those island holidays where, every night a different entertainment was organised. The problem for me was what to wear? 

Nothing in my luggage was giving me any ideas. Then hubby came to the rescue. The Creature - a black garbage bag, a staple gun and about 5kg of seaweed did the trick. I was completely covered, head to toe, in brown seaweed he had collected from the beach. 

I paraded around, won the prize of a bottle of very bad bottle of bubbly, and then the seaweed got incredibly smelly. Hilarious fun, and a very long lasting memory.

We have all had to dress-up at some stage or another in our life. It should be creative, and it should be fun. As someone once wrote: no matter how you feel - get up, dress up, show up and never give up.

By Carol Goddard