How to choose the perfect fancy dress costume
Everybody loves a fancy dress party. Not only do they give party-goers the perfect opportunity to embrace their inner child and have fun, but they’re also incredibly creative and all the more memorable for it too. Fancy dress parties give people the chance to bend the usual rules, let their hair down and be whoever they want to be for the night, and the best thing is, the costumes don’t even have to be that expensive or elaborate. Some people are just made for fancy dress parties, as they always know the best costume to make and just where to find the right materials, but for others the lure of the fancy dress shop is strong and a ready-made outfit is the perfect accompaniment to a night out.
If you’re always a little short of ideas when a fancy dress party comes around, or even around Halloween time, then you can find inspiration from anywhere. Thankfully most parties have a strong theme, so this narrows down your options and gives you something to focus on whilst getting creative. However a theme can be anything, from a ’C’ party, where you have to dress as something beginning with the letter C, to a ‘cops ‘n’ robbers party’ and anything in between.
Theme aside though, there are many tried-and-tested styles of costume which can be altered and adapted as necessary, so by considering each one, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll find a fancy dress costume for the occasion. A classic fancy dress costume theme is the Hawaiian look. For guys this is great as it requires very little preparation and makes the most of items almost every guy has in his wardrobe. Baggy Bermuda shorts and bright short-sleeved shirts are all men need for this look, and girls can make or find cool grass skirts, garlands and decorative shells to look the part too.
Another classic fancy dress theme is Hollywood. ‘Come dressed as your favourite…’ themed parties often go down the movie star or celebrity route, so having a few key film star outfits in your wardrobe can prepare you for many different fancy dress parties. The key here is to think outside the box too, whether that’s spraying yourself gold and coming as an Oscar award, or coming as a film actor in character, like The Joker from Batman.
When in doubt though about what to wear to that fancy dress party coming up, think back to basics. Everybody dressed up in fancy dress costumes when they were at school, so just think back to what you did then. Animals are a favourite as they’re simple, easy to recognise and adaptable to loads of different party themes. Dress in orange and black stripes: you’re a tiger. Dress in yellow and black stripes: you’re a bumble bee. The options are literally endless and, better yet, a quick search online will give you all the tips and images you need to make something simple but memorable for your next fancy dress party.
