A successful eighties fancy dress party doesn’t just depend on great costumes, and for it to truly go with a Day-Glo coloured bang, here are some great 80s fancy dress party ideas:

Music

No 80s party would be complete without an appropriate 80s soundtrack, and luckily one thing about the 1980s is that its music output was extremely prolific. In order to keep your 80s fancy dress party unique, you should perhaps enjoy the most famous 80s songs (you know what they are!) and instead perhaps opt for 80s film soundtracks, such as the fantastic Lost Boys soundtrack.

80s Themes

A lot of things happened in the 80s, both in real life as well as on the big screen, and therefore the oppourtinites to run an 80s fancy dress party with a theme are endless. Some great ideas for themes include Dirty Dancing themes (which could involve some appropriate choreography!) and Michael Jackson themes, which would be great for parties in a club setting, where music is a main factor. The great thing about running a themed party is that its takes some of the hassle out of choosing a costume or a soundtrack.

Decorate!

If you want to go all out with the 80s theme, it should be fairly easy to decorate your home with some familiar 80s objects. Perhaps you still have that old 80s hi-fi in the cupboard, or even better all you old 80s furniture in your garage!

Whatever you need regarding eighties fancy dress, however, can be found here at Fancy Dress Ball.

The 1980s saw the birth of the pop-culture that so prevails in the modern age, and saw us turning to our entertainment sources for our fashion ideas. It is true to say that the 80s was the first decade in which we truly not only began to idolise our stars, but began to imitate them. This means then when choosing an 80s fancy dress costume, you’ll have lots of inspiration – from some immediately recognisable 80s idols.

The King of Pop

Perhaps the most recognisable figure in the history of pop-culture was Michael Jackson. Not only was he an innovative musician, but he was a bona fide style icon. This makes him a great inspiration for 80s fancy dress. Some great Jacko inspired 80s fancy dress outfits include orange leather jackets (the “Thriller” look) or rhinestone encrusted leather jackets (the “Bad” look.) Such is the nature of Jacko’s style that you can add some subtle accessories, such has his famous diamond encrusted glove, to give a highly distinctive Michael Jackson look.

The Queen of Pop

Whilst the Jacko look will wow at 80s fancy dress parties, its not ideal for the girls! But luckily women have there very own paragon of 80s style to inspire them – Madonna. A Madonna costume is a great choice for a wide variety of tastes, as she just has so many looks! Some examples include her “blonde ambition” look, and her distinctive 80s look; either way a Madonna costume is a great option for a highly stylish fancy dress costume, that will make a great impact whichever look you go for!

In recent years there has been definite resurgence of 80s music styles, from electro-pop to power ballads, which means that 80s style has never been more in vogue. They say that fashions are cyclical and if this is the case then it is safe to say that we are truly undergoing an 80s revival!

80s music isn’t just remembered for its innovative musical styles and its revolutionary use of synthesizers and electronic music, but it also saw a simultaneous reinvention of the fashion industry. This makes 80s music is the perfect inspiration for 1980s fancy dress!

With bands like The Cure, the 80s saw the birth of gothic fashions and saw men’s styles that drew upon feminine influences; lead singer of the cure Robert Smith in particular adopted a feminine style of make-up and teased hair and eye-shadow, that was not only ultra-cool, but also ultra-simple to recreate; this makes Robert Smith’s style ideal of a 1980s fancy dress costume.

As well as flamboyant gothic styles, there were also plenty of ultra-masculine styles that would be great for a man’s 80s fancy dress costume. Bands like Spandau Ballet, for instance, dazzled with their rolled up sleeves and power suits. In order to recreate a  Spandau Ballet inspired 1980s fancy dress costume, all you need is an over-size suit with the sleeved rolled up!

One of the main reasons why 80s fancy dress is so popular is the fact that it can mean many different things; and can give the option to be super-extravagant, super-stylish or both!

One key feature of 80s fashion was its use (and overuse!) of accessories. Whilst back in the day this led to some practical issues regrding fashion, but nowadays it affords us some fabulous oppourtunities in terms of 80s fancy dress.

Bracelets and bangles are a simple way to add a bit of 80s extravagance to any outfit, and are a great way to add an authentic finish to any 80s fancy dress. To give that characteristic 80s feel, you should opt for bangles that are oversized and brightly coloured – preferably in 80s colours, like neon and shocking pinks.

To truly exude 80s glamour you’ll need to spend a lot attention getting your hair just right; ideally, 80s fancy dress hair should be as big as possible, teased and should be clipped or tied by a bulky 80s hair band. If you don’t have big hair, a great solution is to were a novelty wig – that way you can be sure of getting your 80s hair just right!

Some fingerless gloves are a great way of adding a stylish element to any 1980s fancy dress costume, and will immediately add a little Madonna-style to your costume

Sweatbands of any colour will do, but for the definitive 1980s fancy dress costume feel you should opt for are Day-GLO colours. Sweatbands are great fancy dress accessories because they cause maximum impact for little cost – and will absorb all your party sweat!

It is true that 80s saw a reinvention of ideas regarding fashion, and the burgeoning of a brand new pop-culture. The main component driving this change was, of course, movies. Like no other age, films in the 80s and 80s film-stars truly defined the style of an age.

There is a reason why the 1980s stands out in the imagination, and this is due to a particularly vibrant pop-culture. Indeed certain 80s movies stand out in the mind even now – two decades later, as masterpieces of popular cinema. Culture in the 80s undoubtedly inspired 80s outfits, particularly their recent surge back in popularity.

Dirty Dancing holds a special place in any 80s girl’s imagination, and it inspired whole new ideas about fashion and filmmaking. In terms of fashion it helped kick start the trend for exercise gear – such as head bands and legwarmers – and it showed us the potential for big hair styles! This makes Dirty Dancing the perfect inspiration for any 80s fancy dress costume and a great way to recreate its styles is with leggings and teased hair!

For boys, one film defined the decade – Ghostbusters! Perhaps not the most stylish film in the world, but a perfect cast and iconic styles means that it holds a special place in the imagination. The iconic nature of Ghostbusters means that it is perfect for an 80s fancy dress costume – what 80s kid doesn’t secretly want to be Egon or Peter Venkman?

80s movies were not only great pictures, but were also trendsetters and offer some of the best and most iconic ideas for 80s fancy dress costumes and 80s themed parties. Luckily, Fancy Dress Ball have a range of 80s outfits that are extremely authentic, making them a one stop shop for fancy dress.

Madonna is a style icon, and owes her massive success, in part, for her ability to adapt her style and keep the media storm focused firmly on her. This makes Madonna the perfect inspiration for a fancy dress costume, with such a variety of modern looks there are plenty of options for a Madonna costume.

If you want to make a huge impact, just like Madge did when she first wore her iconic outfits, you might consider wearing a Madonna inspired wedding dress. Admittedly this makes for a pretty unwieldy Madonna costume, but it is perfect for anyone that truly wants to make an impact at a fancy dress party.

Madonna is not just known for her controversial styles, however; and you can give any outfit a definite Madonna feel just by adding a few accessories or making a few adjustments to your existing clothes. For anyone who wants 80s fancy dress, great 80s Madonna inspired ideas include off the shoulder t-shirts and teased hair.

However, if you want a Madonna costume that is extremely distinctive, then there are many looks that are unmistakably Madge-inspired. For example, who could associate her “blonde ambition” look with anyone else but Madonna, complete with iconic coned bra: the ideal costume for anybody who wants a humourous and dramatic fancy dress costume, whilst not compromising on overall sassiness.

A Madonna costume is a fantastic 80s fancy dress idea, because it means you can draw upon decades of dramatic looks; ideal for anyone, from the brave to the stylish!

The 1980s was a truly feminine decade, and saw women take centre stage in the fields of politics, fashion and pop-culture. Even masculine 80s clothes had a definite feminised aspect to them; embracing feminine ideas of colours and flamboyance. However, the most striking 80s fashions were definitely reserved for women, and that’s why 1980s fancy dress is such a great idea!

Although the effects of 1980s fancy dress can be truly dramatic, recreating an 80s look couldn’t be simpler, and there are some simple ideas that truly define the decade.

Just think of Madonna – the eighties was a time when much fashion consisted of loose clothing, such baggy t-shirts and oversize jackets. These fashions are most likely a hangover from punk trends, which definitely permeate through much of the decade. In order to recreate a post-punk 1980s fancy dress look, a great idea is to use plastic clips on torn t-shirts, or ripped jeans.

One thing’s for sure, in the 1980s we weren’t afraid of a bit of colour, and there are certain ultra-bright colours that truly define the age – specifically florescent colours like shocking pink, or neon yellow. This means that to create 80s outfits all you need are the right colours! These can be added to an outfit extremely easily, and ideally will come in the form of ultra-80s headbands or legwarmers.

Lets face it, some fancy dress costumes can be a little naff, and for the fashion conscious they can be a nightmare. However, a great solution is to wear an 80s outfit, combining a recognisable look with great style!

There is no denying that the 1980s were pretty special in style terms, but in particular it was male fashions that really blossomed during the decade. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten those 80s ideals of male 80s flamboyance, however for the nostalgic (or brave!) amongst you it’s pretty easy to recreate some iconic 80s outfits for men.

Just like women’s 80s outfits, male fashion in the 80s was defined by its bright colours, including shocking pinks and bright yellows (yes, we are still talking men’s fashion!) and somehow men in the 80s were able to were such ultra bright colours and still look ultra-stylish. Think of Miami Vice, for example; an inspiration for many 80s men, where pink t-shirts were often combined with “preppy” looks to create a truly iconic style.

When thinking of the eighties, shoulder pads definitely spring to mind, and it is certainly true that women took centre stage in terms of business as well as fashion. However, men’s business ware also became an issue of power, consisting of strong designs with pinstripes and oversize suit jackets.

During the 80s, sports began to share the stage with a vibrant pop culture, and sports-ware began to be considered highly fashionable. These sports inspired outfits not were not only ultra-stylish and fashionable, but they were also brightly coloured, thus in-keeping with the flamboyancy of 80s outfits.

For 80s inspired fancy dress costumes that promote authenticity and style in equal measures, make Fancy Dress Ball your first port of call. We supply a wide range of men’s and women’s 80s fancy dress costumes to suit any preferences.

The 1980s stands out in the last century like a Day-Glo t-shirt, and was a decade when we truly learnt the meaning of modern-glamour. In fact, you might consider the 1980s the decade when fashion truly reached its limits! It wasn’t all shocking extravagance, however, and some aspects of our 80s outfits were so stylish that they survive with us today.

Perhaps the most memorable trend from the 80s was shoulder pads; they are synonymous with the 80s outfits because they truly represented 80s philosophy, specifically powerful business and even more powerful women! If you want to want to add instantly recognizable 80s glamour to your 80s fancy dress then shoulder pads are an easy solution.

The 1980s saw some creative uses of exercise accessories, specifically legwarmers and headbands; which are a great way to add some colour to your 80s fancy dress costumes. They are also practical, and will mop up your sweat should you be partying particularly hard!

80s style wasn’t just about unbridled extravagance, and some 80s fashions are exactly pretty stylish and fit easily in to today’s more refined fashion tastes. Specifically, if you want to add some 80s glamour to an 80s fancy dress costume but don’t want to be too extravagant then a great solution is a pair of 80s jeans or leggings.

No 80s outfit would be complete without a suitable hairstyle, but don’t grow a mullet just yet – there are some great novelty wigs available here at Fancy Dress Ball that are ideal to complete that 80s look.

Only in recent years have the 1980s taken their place alongside classic decades, such as the 1920s and 1970s; and only now are we realising just exactly what a revolutionary period it was. Our whole notions of entertainment and style were completely redefined as we got to grips with the invention of pop culture and 80s outfits. In fact, pop culture so prevailed in the 80s that to look back on them is like looking in on a landscape of iconic TV idols and electro-pop.

Perhaps the reason we let our hair down (specifically our mullets!) during the 80s was due to the political circumstances, such as the cold war and Thatcher’s Britain – its no wonder people escaped into brave new entertainment worlds!

It’s true to say that in the eighties, we knew how to enjoy ourselves – and we knew how to do it in style! 80s outfits reflected this; like no other decade we took inspiration from our idols, with 80s outfits straight from the movies and pop-music. Whether it’s a Madonna costume or pair of Chuck Taylor high tops, we certainly knew how to live the movie life in the 80s.

This influential decade is often the theme of fancy dress parties, and we have recently seen a revival in the fashions of the times. It makes sense to jump on the bandwagon, especially with the wide array of 80s fancy dress costumes available at Fancy Dress Ball.