As we all know, the world of cinema is poised for the 23rd instalment of the legendary James Bond series, entitled Skyfall. It’s set for UK release in October.
The teaser trailer for Skyfall has just been released, which has inevitably increased the excitement ten-fold, especially in the Fancy Dress Ball office! The trailer itself (published on the YouTube accounts of both Sony Pictures and jamesbond007) has had around 7 million views collectively in a matter of days, which is a testament to how excited everybody is about seeing James Bond on the big screen again.

Looks good, huh? If only there was a way for us all to look like him, but in a funnier and less serious way…oh wait, THERE IS!

At Fancy Dress Ball, we have the perfect costume for you to celebrate the release of the next and potentially most explosive instalment yet in true James Bond style! The Morphsuit Tuxedo!
You might never catch Bond himself in one of these, but you can look as cool as a cucumber in one of the most head-turning morphsuits in the land. Who’s to say you’re not James Bond under all that lycra?

With the Jubilee fast approaching, it’s no surprise that the majority of articles out there are either about it or mention it at some point. However, none, as far as we can see, give you a collection of fancy dress Jubilee accessories that will ensure you can celebrate the big occasion in the most British way possible!

So, without further ado, here are some suggestions for your Jubilee outfit next month!

1) Union Jack Mini Top Hat
This mini top hat is the perfect fancy dress accessory for anybody, whether you’re going the whole hog or not! We actually have a Competwition on-going at the moment to win this little number – all you need to enter is a Twitter account!

2) Union Jack Cloth Flag
Nobody should go to any Jubilee celebration without a Union Jack to hand! This flag is super affordable and patriotic at the same time, so be sure to get stocked up if you’re having a party!

3) Union Jack Glitter Bowler Hat
For a bigger hat to keep the rain off your head (not to be pessimistic, but this is Britain after all!), why not go for this glittery bowler hat? Traditional in the British sense, but eye-catching in the glittery sense!

4) Union Jack Inflatable Hand
The Union Jack theme rightly continues with the inflatable hand! Who, we ask you, can have a celebration without an inflatable hand in sight?

5) Queen Elizabeth Card Mask
Another item up for grabs on Competwition is this Queen Elizabeth mask. There’s no sign of the Union Jack on this accessory, but the Queen doesn’t need it. She is Great Britain and now you can be, too, with this brilliant mask!

Only weeks after Tupac “performed” on stage at the Coachella Festival in California, the 10th anniversary of the popular West End musical ‘We Will Rock You’ was graced with the “presence” of none other than Freddie Mercury.

“How?!”, we hear you cry! Well, folks, the BBC reported last week that Brian May, the lead guitarist of Queen, confirmed that it would not be a hologram and that they would be using similar technology to that which they used in America.

It is designed to leave members of the crowd feeling as though they have actually seen Mercury live on stage, which must be quite a strange experience to say the least! Experts have been working on the technology for a good while and, according to May, were slightly disappointed that Tupac re-hit the world stage before Mercury.

However, Mercury made his appearance near the end of the show, NME reports, when timeless classic Bohemian Rhapsody was being blasted out in dramatic fashion by Brian May and the supporting cast. He came on to mouth the famous “Any way the wind blows” to finish off the song, as the show came to a climax with The Show Must Go On.

The tributes to Mercury himself, including of course, in the world of costumes, will most definitely go on for many years to come. If you’d like to pay tribute to the late great frontman, why not take a look at the Freddie Mercury costume we have here at Fancy Dress Ball?!

It’d certainly make for a great costume for the Jubilee celebrations!

We can’t wait for the Jubilee here at Fancy Dress Ball, so to make sure it’s the most British celebration since the Royal Wedding last year, we’re giving away some of the most iconic British fancy dress we have on the Fashion channel at Competwition!

There is a Ginger Spice Girl Union Jack costume, a Union Jack Mini Top Hat and, of course, a Queen Elizabeth mask up for grabs and all you need to enter is a Twitter account! Follow any (or all) of the links above and click enter – it really is as simple as that!

We’re hearing stories of parties in the pipeline all over the country and we’ll certainly be joining the British revellers amongst you! It’s remarkable that Her Majesty the Queen has been on the throne for 60 years now, so we need to celebrate in style.

As always, we’d love to see pictures on our Facebook wall before, during or after your celebrations in your best Jubilee costumes!

A Teesside couple has done the world of fancy dress proud by having a fancy dress wedding in their hometown of Billingham, County Durham, as reported by the Gazettelive.co.uk.

Tracey Weatherill and Alex Colquhoun invited their guests to attend in costumes and decided to put a twist on their own wedding attire when it turned out that a lot of people were on board with the idea.

The bride and groom got married in an orange dress and a kilt (respectively, obviously), while many of guests really went the whole hog and donned everything from the classic 118 118 costume to French Maid and Jessica Rabbit outfits.

Tracey, championing the idea of fancy dress wedding dresses, wanted to bring an even bigger smile to the faces of their guests, especially the children, with this quirky modern wedding. They did, of course, stick to tradition when it came to their vows, but the pictures tell a rather untraditional story when it comes to the apparel!
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Alex, the groom, and his family were kitted out in kilts, while his Jamaican brother-in-law, Michael, made a Jamaican ginger cake with white icing and tartan trims with his mum for the happy couple.

There’s nothing like the power of the sunshine, Jamaican ginger cake and fancy dress to make a wedding day extra special! Wishing Tracey and Alex a very happy marriage from all at @FancyDressBall!

The weather is taking a turn for the better (again), so the forecast is good for those of you getting married this summer. But there is one important pre-wedding event for everyone that needs equally good weather and almost as much planning…

Since many of us like to get married in the summer months, May and June are extremely popular months for stag dos and hen parties. So, if you’re planning a massive party to celebrate your best friend’s upcoming wedding, let Fancy Dress Ball help you out with some stag do fancy dress ideas and fancy dress for hen parties!

There is an abundance of possibilities for both, but here is what we think are two of the best for each:

Hens
Blow Up Willy – OK, so it’s not a costume as such, but a hen party wouldn’t be a hen party without a blow up willy. Many a joke and many a memory will arise from this, we’re sure…

Police Lady Tutu Kit – Blow the whistle on the crudeness and go for pure sexy with this police lady costume. If the male stripper is one to wink at, you can even get handcuffs as accessories to lock him up for the night.

Stags

Well Hung Highlander Costume – Guaranteed to draw a few looks and laughs when you’re out on the town, this one is great for any stag.

Giving It To Ewe Costume – Another crude one, but that’s what stag dos are all about, right? Inflatable sheep are probably the most common guests at stag dos these days…

You can, of course, roam around our stag and hen sections (links above) if these suggestions aren’t floating your party boat. Whatever you go for, though, we sincerely hope the weather lets you party both the day and night away in style!

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the latest releases in the fancy dress world!

In the midst of all the hype surrounding the release of the new Avengers movie in the past few weeks, the American extras from the movie will be taking part in a huge fancy dress party in Ohio to celebrate its release.

Parts of the movie were filmed in the state of Ohio, so they’re all planning to dress up as the superheroes and party the night away! The event will take place in Cleveland and is expected to attract a lot of attention. To further commemorate Ohio’s part in the making of the movie, there will be an exclusive premiere of the movie for all the extras held at Cinemark in Valley View.

The Avengers has had a very successful first few days in the cinema and looks set to be one of the biggest superhero movies of the year. The blockbuster has received a multitude of great reviews, too, so it seems to be going down a storm with everybody.

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There hasn’t been so much hype about a movie in a lot of years, so now that the wait is over, the fancy dress parties can begin! People are kitting themselves out in costumes like the Thor movie costume and the Iron Man outfit to party in style.

There are plenty of superhero costumes available over at our dedicated category page, too, so even if you’re not a fan of the Avengers, you won’t be short of choice!

The cast of Coronation Street was snapped in fancy dress this week as they prepared for a special episode to mark the upcoming Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.

The Daily Mail reported on the fancy dress celebration and included some great pictures of the soap stars in their best fancy dress outfits. Paula Lane, who plays Kylie in the nation’s favourite soap, dressed up as Amy Winehouse, complete with the beehive bob and big earrings, while Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald, was in a time warp with his 1970s wig and purple flares.

Charlie Condu (Marcus) was grooving it up, too, in a shiny gold shirt with a white waistcoat to complete the 70s look. Ian Puleston-Davies, who plays Owen in the popular soap, seemed as though he was going for the Bono look, but perhaps we’ll have to wait for the episode to discover his intentions. It will likely be aired in the week of the Jubilee next month.

There was plenty of bunting and a fair number of Union Jacks flying around the set if the Daily Mail’s pictures are anything to go by, so we can’t wait for the episode to see the fancy dress outfits in all their glory.

The Jubilee week is set to be a nationwide celebration – let’s keep our fingers crossed for some good weather. Take a look around the site for some easy fancy dress ideas for women and men in preparation for the biggest celebration since the Royal Wedding!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ll be well aware that it’s the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen in less than a month!

A little over a year after the Royal Wedding celebrations, the British public will be hitting the streets in numbers with bunting to mark yet another historic event in British history. In the first week in June, the Queen will have occupied the throne for a remarkable 60 years and, what’s more, it will be marked with a double bank holiday – woohoo!

So you know what that means, Britain – it’s time to organise a party with your friends and family and get looking for some British fancy dress ideas to celebrate and congratulate the lady who has characterised the United Kingdom for the last six decades.

There is, of course, a huge party concert planned to take place at Buckingham Palace on 4th June to mark the special occasion. The BBC reported on the announcement of the line-up in February, with a star-studded bill set to wow the London crowds. Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Elton John are amongst the elite acts booked in to perform for Her Majesty the Queen.

If you don’t need to organise your own party because you’re lucky enough to be going to the celebratory concert, make sure you’re kitted out to look the part with some Jubilee fancy dress from @FancyDressBall!

Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk saw a six hour fancy dress auction today. Rail upon rail of fancy dress items were sold off as the collection accumulated over a 30 year period diminished.

Maureen Hammond was the owner of the vast collection and now, as she plans out her retirement, the decision to get rid of the impressive collection was an emotional but necessary one. Maureen had run the business with her husband long enough to develop a sentimental attachment to the collection but she can now rest from years of washing and ironing with a considerable cash sum from selling them off.

The auction itself saw over 8000 costumes on sale. A room was open for all costume enthusiasts to peruse before the auction kicked off. Fortunately for the auctioneer, there were only 800 lots meaning about 10 costumes per lot. The sale started at 10.00AM this morning at Lacy Scott in Bury St Edmunds.

Among those being sold today were some real curiosity pieces including costumes worn by performers at the Royal Opera House. Even more interestingly perhaps, is the 1,000 costume buy from the BBC. This purchase made it so that Maureen’s company Hammond’s Costumes were the proud owners of getups worn by the BBC’s fictional Dr Who, the band Hot Chocolate, famous eighties sketch show The Russ Abbot Show  and a variety of apparel worn by ‘Allo Allo’ star by Kim Hartman.

Many dresses worn by Shakespearean actress Barbara Jefford OBE were up for grabs, the majority of which may not be donned by their new owners, but simply worshipped.

If you, like most fancy dress shoppers out there, missed the auction, fear not! We have many sci-fi, seventies, war time and medieval costumes for all sizes and occasions!