Decades seem to go in and out of fashion. For example, the nineties is not currently considered very trendy, but its time will come again. Currently, the hottest decade is probably the eighties or the seventies, so it’s no wonder that so many people are having 80′s themed fancy dress parties or wearing 70′s fancy dress.

Apart from anything else, there is some great cheesy music from those decades that is more than ideal for a really lively party.

At Fancy Dress Ball we are constantly adding to the range of 80′s fancy dress costumes that we have. You can go to a party dressed up as Prince or Madonna – or even pay tribute to Michael Jackson.

The eighties seems, to some, as the last time when pop stars were really pop stars, simply due to the lack of innovative, iconic fashion and mannerisms displayed by pop’s current high-fliers. For example, many compare Lady Gaga to a pale imitation of early Madonna. Whilst many of the currrent boy bands might be very popular, they are not instantly recognisable. You’d have to be a real Take That fanatic to recognise someone dressed as Jason Orange, which is why so many people prefer fancy dress costumes from decades passed.

There were also a lot of iconic movies in the eighties, including Ghostbusters, Robocop and Beetlejuice – and who can forget the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?  If you want something a little unusual, how about dressing as Dangermouse? This heroic rodent, voiced by David Jason, is as popular as ever amongst those of a certain vintage. However, if Dangermouse never tickled your fancy, you can always go for that other classic superhero from children’s television, Bananaman.

The next time you’re looking for a theme for a fancy dress party or event, we’d like to suggest you consider a Wild West party. Whilst cowboy films are’t as commonplace as they once were, they’ve never gone away and it’s never too long before a blockbuster movie goes back to that era in American history.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we’re particularly proud of the huge range of fancy dress for a Wild West party that we have. If you’re looking for ladies fancy dress, you could go as a sheriff. We’re not sure if there were any lady sheriffs back in the Wild West, but we don’t discriminate. The ladies sheriff costume has a more feminine design that flaunts a female figure.

We also have some superb saloon dancer outfits for the ladies. We like to think outside the box as well, though, and can provide a Wild West pin-up costume. As far as we know there weren’t pin-ups of this sort in the Wild West, but we’ve never allowed historical veracity to get in the way of a good costume. Making costumes more gender-neutral and available to anyone makes fancy dress unrestricted.

Of course we cater for the gentlemen as well, and whether you want to be a cowboy or an Indian we have just the fancy dress costumes for you. If you fancy something a little different, how about a Desperate Dan costume? The cow pie eating hero of ‘The Dandy’ is almost as popular as ever.

Ladies fancy dress shoes; what a concept! Surely the very idea is enough to bring a smile to the lips of any woman. It is not only the opportunity to dress up, but also the chance to buy shoes. At Fancy Dress Ball, we believe the costume is not complete without the requisite footwear – or, to put it another way, some killer heels.

Many of our ladies fancy dress costumes come with shoes specifically designed for them, although many of those shoes also work with other costumes. The choice is always yours. We listen to our customers and also supply some good general purpose shoes such as the classic, wide-fitting slide shoes.

Stilettos always lend glamour whatever else you’re wearing, or for that matter if they’re the only thing you’re wearing, so showgirl shoes in clear PVC are a clear favourite. Similarly, the dancing girl shoes and Venus sandals are classics and will add something to any outfit.

Our dolly shoes are particularly popular when compiling 70′s fancy dress. They come in a wide range of colours including black, red and white. There are even glitter options in pink and red.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the different types of glamorous shoes you can get. In fact you can dress as almost anything and we have the shoes to make it look even sexier. For example, camouflage stilettos will guarantee you have men wanting to enrol in the armed forces for one evening. We even have shoes to go with our sexy cop outfit if you want to look arresting.

Renting fancy dress costumes is definitely not the best way to go about preparing for your fancy dress party.

There are a number of problems with hiring your fancy dress costume, as we see it. First of all, whilst many of the larger cities may have a number of fancy dress emporia to choose from, most towns have just the one. In fact in many parts of the country the trip to your local store can be inconvenient to say the least. The thing that exacerbates this is that you often need to go for a fitting or to choose the costume. You then have a further two trips, one to pick up the fancy dress costume and the other to return it.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, you then discover that there is a limited selection available for the date you need the costume and the costumes available don’t fit you very well. Add to that the slightly shabby look to the well-worn costumes and the whole process becomes quite disheartening.

That’s why, here at Fancy Dress Ball, we decided to sell costumes rather than hire them out. This means you get your own brand new, never worn before facy dress costume. It comes in your size and you don’t even have to leave home. As if that wasn’t enough, it often works out less expensive to buy rather than hire.

Fancy dress for your children can be fraught with difficulties. After all, it can be hard enough for adults to deal with the logistics and decisions involved in preparing for a fancy dress party. This seems to increase exponentially when children are involved.

It is bad enough having to travel miles to your nearest fancy dress store but dragging children around with you always makes everything take twice as long. Whilst all good parents accept this and are able to build the inevitable delays into their timetable, it can still be difficult to fit everything in – especially if you’re working as well. It is amazing how often shops seem to operate hours to suit their staff rather than their customers.

Once you have got your progeny to the store, you have to hope that they are going to be in an outgoing mood and happy to try on various costumes and not embarrass you with their observations. (“Mummy, this costume smells funny.”)

Whilst you always want to look your best in a fancy dress costume, your concern for how your children will look and how their friends will see them is far greater.

We have the  solution here at Fancy Dress Ball. You can sit with your children picking a fancy dress costume that they will love. You can order it in their size (or slightly bigger if they’re enjoying a growing spurt) and then try it on them in the comfort of your own home whenever you have a few minutes to spare.

A person’s attitude to a party invitation is probably a sign of age or, at least, a sign of one’s mental age. When the first thing that you look for on a party invitation is a reason not to go, you’re probably slipping into your dotage. Relief at the date clashing with something already in your diary rather than frustration certainly suggests that. Complaints to your partner about how difficult it is to get to the venue other than by car and that means you won’t be able to drink are a further indication that you’re turning into Victor Meldrew.

When the fact that a party is going to be fancy dress elicits groans rather than cheers then you are clearly beyond help. “I can never think of what to wear” is one commonly heard complaint. At Fancy Dress Ball, we have so many costumes that objection can carry no weight whatsoever.

Another objection is that you will have to travel for miles to hire a costume. Add to that the limited selection at your local fancy dress store, the fact that the costumes have an odd odour no matter how many times they’ve been dry cleaned and they never seem to have your size and it seems you’ll be having a night in trying to find something to watch on television.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we deal with all of those problems. We sell fancy dress costumes so that they’re brand new, in your size and you don’t have to drive miles to find them, as it is all completed online. Why not accept the invitation and give fancy dress a try?

You might think the latest in fancy dress costumes refers to ideas generated by the latest hit films or pop stars, such as Lady Gaga. Actually, up-to-date fancy dress costumes can also be new versions of classic costumes. Many old favourites are made sexier or have new ideas applied to them. For example, superheroes have been a mainstay of fancy dress parties for many years. At Fancy Dress Ball, we stock the classic versions of the costumes, as well as ones with their own built in six packs so that you don’t have to go to the gym to look truly heroic.

A look through our latest fancy dress costumes will show you what we mean. Take a look at the new takes on favourites such as a Red Indian, a fireman, a Caribbean Pirate and a psychedelic hippy. We also have something a little different with inflatable fat suits so, for example, you can be a fat witch. What we are most interested in is bringing the full variety of fancy dress to you.

Fancy dress costumes are huge business in America and, not surprisingly, the choice and quality of them stateside is fantastic. We are able to choose from the best suppliers around the world whilst we are based in the UK and ensure prompt delivery. We also stock a fantastic range of make-up, beards and moustaches, wigs, hats, shoes and boots and all the other accessories that make for truly great fancy dress costumes.

Themed fancy dress is becoming more and more popular. People often prefer the theme not to be specific as they are then able to be more creative in what they choose to wear. There are some themes which can sound very specific, such as cowboys or pirates, but a look at our website here at Fancy Dress Ball will show that there can be infinite variety. Take a look through our huge selection of fancy dress costumes and you will be amazed at how many choices you have. When you take into account the fact that the costumes are fully customizable with our range of accessories, hats, wigs, make-up and even beards you will be inspired. In fact you might want to take a look through our costumes before deciding on your theme.

One of the advantages of having a theme is that it enables you to choose your decorations, setting, music and maybe even party games to tie in with the fancy dress and make it into a really memorable event. Choosing a particular decade is very popular. 70′s outfits are great as there are some great films to base your characters on. It was also the decade that bought us glam rock, which provides plenty of inspiration. Even the everyday fashions were loud and colourful. The 70s also saw the birth of disco and there are plenty of great cheesy tunes which still guarantee a packed dance floor.

Other fun themes include superheroes, children’s television characters and animals. Whatever you decide, we’re bound to have the perfect costume.

It is generally accepted that ladies concern themselves more with their appearance than gentlemen. With this in mind, it is therefore more likely that a lady will put more effort into her fancy dress costume when she is attending a fancy dress party, which is the reason for the extensive, elaborate range of womens fancy dress costumes out there.

Instead of going to a musty old shop in town to hire a worn-out, used costume, it is now possible to buy brand new, well-fitted fancy dress costumes online; at a store such as Fancy Dress Ball.

Fancy dress shops are full to the brim with ill-fitting, generic costumes, thus making the possibility of finding yourself wearing the same fancy dress costume as someone else all the more likely. Plus, there’s nothing worse than having to wear a costume all night that doesn’t even fit your properly.

However, there are now many considerations to take into account when you’re choosing your ladies fancy dress costume.

These are basic practicalities. For example, if you’re planning to spend the night dancing, a full body bear costume is probably not the best idea! However, ladies fancy dress should make you look good and, just as importantly, feel good. That’s why the extensive range of womens fancy dress at Fancy Dress Ball has something for everyone.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we have a huge selection of costumes that have never been worn by anyone else and can be ordered to fit you and only you. Buying a fancy dress costume this way is also more of an investment, as it allows you to use the same outfit again.

There was a time when the only events in the calendar that were considered worthy of real celebration were Christmas and the New Year. Gradually, more and more events are becoming a bigger deal. Whether you’re talking about Pancake Day, St Valentine’s, St Patrick’s, Easter, Mother’s Day or Halloween, there always seems to be some sort of celebration on the horizon. There is one that people of all ages seem to particularly enjoy and use as an excuse to dress up. It is not surprising therefore that there is now a huge demand for Halloween Costumes.

Halloween has its roots in Celtic traditions. It is believed to come from the Old Irish Samhain which was a festival held at summer’s end. The idea was to scare off evil spirits as the dark winter months begin to set in which is why many Halloween costumes are based on horror stories.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we can supply top quality costumes for you and your children for Halloween or any other event. The costumes are in your size and brand new. You also get to keep them as we believe buying your costume is far more economical.

You can go for a traditional costume such as a vampire, a zombie, werewolf, ghost or mummy, or you might prefer to go for something a little more exotic. Whatever you fancy, just browse our website. In fact, if you’re stuck for ideas, looking at the fancy dress costumes will inspire you and your problem will soon become that you’re simply spoilt for choice.