There is something very exciting about attending a fancy dress party. You can plan in advance what you are going to wear, keep it a secret from everyone and then surprise everyone on the night.

There is so much fun and laughter that happens at a fancy dress party because of the costumes being so silly, interesting or weird. No one can be serious at costume party – unless it is in the character of your costume.

When selecting a costume for a fancy dress party, your main goal is to keep your look as original as possible. Avoid choosing adult fancy dress costumes that are common! There is nothing fun about a party with twenty Harry Potter’s, unless that is the theme of the party! Look for a costume you think that nobody else will choose so that you can look original and hopefully be the star of the party.

If you cannot think of anything creative have a look at an online catalogue to decide which one to choose. Here at Fancy Dress Ball, we have photos and catalogues that make it easier for you to make your selection. You can view by theme or go directly to our men’s, women’s or children’s ranges to see what you like.

What helps to improve a fancy dress party?

While adult fancy dress costumes are the main focus of a costume party, good food and props make the party even better. The excitement of everyone’s costumes will wear off. This is where the food and the props need to keep your guests entertained.

If you’ve never been to a ladies fancy dress party and never had the exciting experience of choosing ladies fancy dress outfits, then you also don’t know what you are missing. Fancy dress parties are extremely fun. Having a laugh at everyone’s costumes and being able to go out dressed in a way that you would not ordinarily do is so exciting.

But if you’ve never had this experience, you probably don’t have a clue of what ladies fancy dress outfits are out there and where you can buy them. There are a number of costume stores that you can visit to find fantastic and fun ladies fancy dress clothes.

Some of these stores, like us here at Fancy Dress Ball, operate online making it easier for you to get familiar with what is available and purchase hassle free.

Walk-in stores are also great. They allow you to try on the ladies fancy dress costume before you purchase and you can ask the store assistant for some advice on what is the trend, what’s common and what fits you well. Just because it is a fancy dress outfit, does not mean that it needs to fit poorly?

Some ladies fancy dress themes to choose from?

It is really up to you who you want to be, but here are some great costume ideas. Choosing a costume from an era such as the 70s or 80s is very easy – besides, you probably have some clothes of your own from these eras!

You will also find ladies fancy dress costumes in pirate themes, army themes, superhero, sailor, sports and many other themes.

If you are not a child or adult of the 70s, the best place to find inspiration and ideas for a 70s fancy dress party is to watch movies that were made and are about the 70s. You will find some really great styles that people back then had and will be able to pick up the attitudes that they presented.

Famous movies and TV series that were made in the 70s include Starsky and Hutch, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, The Godfather, Dallas and much more. These movies all have one thing in common, funky suits, heavy moustaches and bright, bold colours. Disco was in and everyone had the moves.

By watching these movies you can either do one of two things. Create your own 70s costumes by putting together various pieces or you can buy 70s fancy dress costume from a costume store such as Fancy Dress Ball.

Here at Fancy Dress Ball we stock an entire range of 70s fancy dress costumes. You will find a costume for all occasions, all themes, eras and seasons. Because we sell directly online, you can make your purchase conveniently and confidentially in your own home.

The most popular 70s movie influencing fancy dress costumes

There is no doubt that the 70s movie that people enjoy dressing up as and mimicking most is Grease. Whichever 70s fancy dress party you go to, you will always find a character from this movie in 70s costumes. This is no surprise, this movie is a classic and will remain that way!

A costume party is no longer only for kids. Many adults enjoy throwing and attending these types of parties. It is fun to get all dressed up and then compare costumes with all your friends and family.

While many people would like to put on a fancy dress party, it does take a lot of planning. Luckily, fancy dress suits any occasion, whether it’s a Christmas party, Birthday, Halloween or hen party, you can ask you guests to dress up to make it more entertaining.

It is always a good idea to stick to the theme of the occasion when throwing a fancy dress costume party.  For example, if it is Christmas, you should ask your guests to wear Christmas themed costumes like an angel or Santa Clause suits, the same with Halloween. You can also create a theme for your party such as a 60s theme or Hawaiian theme for your Birthday party.

If you are not that into themes, then just have a general adult fancy dress party allowing your guests to be as creative as they like. They can purchase there costumes here at Fancy Dress Ball at affordable prices.

Great themes for your fancy dress birthday party

There are a number of wonderful themes that you can incorporate at your party. These themes include Harry Potter, 50s, 60s and 7os themes, comic book hero themes, soldier party and playboy parties.

However, an adult fancy dress costume party is nothing without the right props. Remember that your theme only comes to life when you have the appropriate decor. Don’t rely on your guests’ costumes to create the theme for you.

It’s year end and there are many parties coming up. Sure, most of them just require that you turn up, but some of them will require much more.

If you have been invited to a fancy dress party, there is much more stress that is involved. You have the dreadful task of finding an original fancy dress costume that will get heads turning.

You want to look interesting enough to avoid bad reactions from other guests or blending in with the other 15 Elvis Presley’s that had the same thought as you.

So how do you make the best of your 2009 year end fancy dress function? Well, you choose an awesome costume! Look around and be aware of what new characters are on the scene. Check out the latest movies to look for costume ideas. Even the latest pop starts and musicians can inspire you. Remember that you want to be a show stopper, so forget boring and dull and think creative.

What’s hot for 2009?

You will find that you can get almost all fancy dress costumes here at Fancy Dress Ball. We stock old characters as well as new ones to suit the look you want to achieve. Even if you don’t know what you want to dress up as, look through our exciting range of men’s, ladies and children’s Fancy dress costumes.

Costumes that are popular for 2009 include various comic book action heroes such as Superman and Spiderman. With the new Harry Potter and Twilight being recently released, many people like to dress up like the characters from these movies.

The 31st October marks a day filled with ghosts, ghouls and goblins. It is Halloween, and besides all the scariness, it is a good opportunity to throw or attend a Halloween party. The best part of a Halloween party is the fact that you get to dress up in your most terrifying and frightening Halloween costumes.

If you cannot make Halloween costumes yourself, there are many costume shops where you will find many scary outfits. The easiest place to shop for Halloween costumes is online.

Online costume stores like us at Fancy Dress Ball allow you to look through a variety of Halloween fancy dress costumes and then select the one you want at the price you would like to pay. You can shop by theme and not only can you purchase costumes, you can also get a range of props and accessories.

What are the scariest Halloween costumes?

While there is no costume that is the most terrifying, there are lots that rank very highly. We all remember the Freddy Kruger movies and no matter how unbelievable it was, Freddy Kruger Halloween costumes are very popular and get many screams.

While the Addams Family might not be that scary, these costumes are still very much Halloween.  Friday the 13th, Dracula and Frankenstein are also high on the frightening film scale and while Harry Potter may be new, it’s a popular costume choice for Halloween.

For the ladies, scary may not exactly be what you looking for. It’s more about looking good. However, there is no rule against combining sexy with scary when choosing Halloween fancy dress costumes.

So you have a fancy dress party to attend in a few weeks and haven’t got the foggiest idea as to what to wear. You don’t know where to start and it seems like an overwhelming task picking out a fancy dress costume.

If this is where you find yourself, then you should consider the following great tips. Firstly, don’t panic. There are a number of great stores including our online store here at Fancy Dress Ball that sell a variety of ladies fancy dress outfits for you to choose from. You can literally page through our catalogue to find some unique and creative costumes in our ladies fancy dress range.

Secondly, decide on what you will feel comfortable wearing. Do you want something long to cover yourself or are you ok with something short and revealing. Also, consider the weather so that you don’t get stuck with a fur coat in summer.

Take note of the age group who will be attending the fancy dress party as well. If there are going to be a lot of elderly and children at the party avoid wearing something too open.

Don’t break your budget on a costume

Budget is another concern that you should have. If you can afford to spend a lot on ladies fancy dress outfits then good, but if you can’t, consider hiring. However, here at Fancy Dress Ball we offer a great selection that is not very expensive.

Try to purchase ladies fancy dress outfits that you can wear again and that will look original with different accessories.

If you have a fancy dress party to go to or you feel like dressing up, finding something to wear can seem like a major mission. However, you will be surprised to find that there are a number of costume outlets that stock amazing costumes for you to choose from to make any occasion fun. No matter the theme of your party, you are bound to find a great costume to match.

Here at Fancy Dress Ball, we have a wide variety of costumes designed for ladies. We understand that no matter whether it is Halloween, a Christmas party or someone’s birthday bash, getting into an oversized bear suit is no lady’s idea of a great fancy dress costume!

Ladies like to feel sexy and hot when they dress up and that is why we stock some sizzling ladies fancy dress costumes for all sizes. There are costumes for ladies that like to show some skin and some for those who don’t, but still like to look attractive.

Ladies fancy dress costumes for indoors

If you don’t feel comfortable going out or to parties in a sexy costume, you can purchase naughty ladies fancy dress costumes to wear indoors. Surprise your man and dress up like a naughty schoolgirl, a bad kitty or sexy secretary.

These ladies fancy dress costumes make you look desirable and allow you to live out your fantasies. No man  alive can resist these costumes…

What makes Christmas special? Is it the presents, the snow, the family all getting together or is it all the food and Christmas cake? While this a very big part of Christmas, a great percentage of it is the parties that you attend during this season. Everyone is festive and looking forward to having a fun holiday.

Many people throw fancy dress parties during the Christmas season. These create an even jollier atmosphere and gets people into the Christmas spirit.

Picking out a costume for fancy dress is tons of excitement, and no matter how cold it is outside, ladies want to look and feel sexy at Christmas. Therefore ladies fancy dress costumes here at Fancy Dress Ball and many other stores are becoming sexier and more flirtatious. Just because you are in costume, it does not mean that you have to be covered up, feeling unattractive.

Is it appropriate to be sexy at a Christmas party?

While many women feel that it is inappropriate to wear sexy ladies fancy dress outfits during such a festive holiday, others feel that it is totally acceptable. You might not dress sexy for your Christmas lunch but it is quite appropriate to do so at a Christmas fancy dress party.

Fancy dress is a time to dress in a way that you would not dress everyday. It allows you to have some fun and be creative. Ladies fancy dress outfits that are sexy should not be taken too seriously, it is just all in the name of fun!

If you lived in the 70s and kept some of your clothes, then a 70s fancy dress party is no challenge for you. It is, however, sad if you are still wearing those 70s outfits everyday!

If you not as lucky to have these outfits, then you may have to look to external sources to purchase or hire a 70s fancy dress costume for that 70s inspired costume party that you will be attending.

There are a number of reasons to personally visit a costume store when looking for a 70s fancy dress outfit. This includes the fact that you can go through all the costumes and try on the ones you like most. You can therefore see exactly how it fits before you make your purchase. Another advantage is that you can ask for store assistance so that you end up with a great 70s look.

So what’s the upside of shopping online?

While there are many benefits of going to a costume store to pick out your 70s costumes, there are more even advantages to buying online here at Fancy Dress Ball.

Firstly, you get the opportunity to page through a very precise online catalogue. You can have a look at all the 70s costumes and select the one that brings out your personality best.

You also can make your purchase without any worry as shopping online is safe and delivery is fast.