The 80′s was a decade of iconic individuals and groups from music, fashion and even sport, although it was TV and film that provided the decade’s most iconic influences. These icons offer some great ideas for mens 80′s fancy dress costumes, so, if you have been invited to an eighties fancy dress party, you may want to consider the following.

Tom Cruise – Top Gun

As Maverick, Tom Cruise was a super-cool fighter pilot who showed his vulnerable side when his best pal Goose tragically died. Men liked Maverick because he was arrogant, whereas the ladies loved him because he cried in his underwear. This film cemented the white naval uniform’s iconic status, and any guy who wears it to an 80′s fancy dress party with some aviator shades and a cheeky smile shouldn’t be lonely for very long.

Mr T – The A-Team

Mr T, as ‘B.A. Baracus’ was the A-Team. He didn’t like airplanes, pitied a lot fools and drank a lot of milk. It is a classic 80′s fancy dress costumes, needing just military clothes, plenty of gold chains and a Mohican hair cut. Now, repeat; “quit your jibber-jabber!”

Patrick Swayze – Dirty Dancing

Swayze became a heart-throb to ladies the world over after gyrating in a black leotard all through the 80′s smash-hit, Dirty Dancing. Of course, this fancy dress costume is not for the faint-hearted as it will require you to live up to your character’s dancing credentials. Still, there should be no shortage of dance partners.

If you are a manly type of guy with an invite to an 80′s fancy dress party, but aren’t thrilled at the thought of dressing up in 80′s costumes such as Boy George or Adam Ant, then help is at hand.  Back in the 80′s, heavy metal music was massive and bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC and Metallica were worshipped. With their rough look and macho pomp, these bands revolutionised the way that musicians performed.  No other metal icon of the 80’s encapsulated this image better than the legend that was Guns N’ Roses front man, Axl Rose.

Axl is a great choice when it comes to 1980′s costumes as his look is simple to imitate. First off, you will need a brown coloured 80′s wig that is long and straight. You will also need to get hold of a bandana which must be tied around your head with some shades on top of it. Combine this small effort with a black leather jacket, some tight black jeans and bouts of spontaneous havoc and your transformation into Metal God is complete.

Another 80′s fancy dress option is that of GNR’s super-cool guitarist, Slash. All that’s needed are black leather pants, a long black curly wig, some mirrored shades and the trademark top hat. Throw in a blow-up guitar and this look will guarantee that you have instant recognition as an 80′s rock star in your fancy dress costumes.

Whilst there are many generic fancy dress costumes available for an 80′s theme, there are also an equal amount of more unique costumes on the Fancy Dress Ball website that may not represent the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of 80′s fancy dress.

Dressing up as your favourite 80′s cartoon character is a very unique idea that not many people tend to think of. With Madonna and Michael Jackson clouding their creativity, the option for dressing up as Dangermouse or He-Man doesn’t tend to cross peoples’ minds.

As the host of an 1980′s fancy dress party, you could even theme the event so that everyone turns up as their favourite character from an 80′s TV programme. Not only will this afford guests with a wide range of fancy dress options, but it makes the party more accessible to people that were perhaps young children in the eighties, rather than guests who were adults at this time.

Available on the Fancy Dress Ball website are cartoon character fancy dress costumes in a wide range of sizes and designs. You may find yourself dressing up as Count Duckula, or even Batfink from the parody of Batman and The Green Hornet.

With those Bananas in Pyjamas, Mario Brothers and even Jess the Cat from the Postman Pat series as options, guests will be simply spoilt for choice. Having a party of this theme is also guaranteed to bring about some nostalgia, and offers the party host the chance to add extra authenticity by playing famous 80′s TV shows at the party!

A few years back, getting hold of a decent 80′s fancy dress costume was quite hard. Today, with all things 80′s back in vogue and everything retro being cool, good quality 80′s fancy dress costumes are thankfully much easier to get hold of.

But why 80′s fancy dress? Well, an 80′s party is a one stop event for cheesy, guaranteed fun that pretty much takes care of itself. Because the 80′s was a shameless decade that made such a monumental impact, the fashion, music,  dances and even nibbles are known and loved by everyone. Thankfully, this means that an 80′s party doesn’t need that much preparation and all the guests can get straight in to the 80′s vibe as soon as they arrive. It really couldn’t be easier!

For all the ladies who dreamed of being Madonna or any guys who longed to be Rambo, this is the chance to really indulge yourselves and rekindle your dreams. Today, really good quality 1980′s costumes are available, from Michael Jackson to Adam Ant, complete with more ra-ra skirts and shoulder pads than you could shake your deely-boppers at! The range of costumes is amazing so take a good look around and see if an individual Robocop outfit would suit your party sharking or whether causing havoc as one of the Ghostbusters with a group of mates would be more to your taste. Whatever your choice, an 80′s fancy dress party, much like the decade itself, is all about fun!

The 1980s saw the release of some truly iconic films; Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back To The Future, Rambo and Terminator to name but a few. So iconic are these films that the scope for 80s fancy dress costumes is massive. Sadly, the popularity of such films means that you will probably not be the only Jedi or Ghostbuster at an 80s fancy dress party, so it may be worthwhile looking at other 80s films for more unique costume ideas.

The decade’s TV is also rich in 80s fancy dress ideas. Ladies can put on a beret, saucy underwear and a saucy French accent and voila; a barmaid from ‘Allo ‘Allo. Gents could turn up in a flat cap and fur-collared coat, puffing on a cigar as ‘Del Boy’ from Only Fools and Horses. And for the middle-aged receding man, a faded brown leather jacket with jeans and a grimace makes a transformation to Terry from Minder.

For a touch of glamour, there are also the American 80s TV shows to consider such as Miami Vice. Pull up those sleeves, grow a bit of stubble and put on your shades then you’re ready to smooth the ladies. Ladies can counter by drawing inspiration from soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty for 80s fancy dress ideas. These costumes really couldn’t be easier; big hair, big shoulder pads and bold make up and then you’re on for your fight over Sonny Crockett!

It was once the decade that was best forgotten, but the 1980s are back in fashion in a big way. This brash and bright decade is now having a major influence on today’s music, clothes and styles, and this resurgence has resulted in the popularity of 80s fancy dress parties going through the roof. 80s fancy dress is a great theme for a party because of the wide range of 80s fancy dress costumes available. Just for starters, consider the music.

The 1980s were a very innovative time for popular music, giving us a wealth of references from which to take inspiration for 80s fancy dress costumes. But just who were the true musical icons of the decade?

Well, think of the 80s and probably the first names that spring to mind are Madonna, Michael Jackson, Adam Ant, Prince, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Madness, Wham!, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Boy George, Van Halen and Bon Jovi.

As far as fancy dress goes, that list by itself throws up some wonderful opportunities. You could moonwalk the night away as Jacko, camp it up as the moustachioed biker dudes from Frankies’ ‘Relax’ video, or bounce around the room whipping the crowd into a frenzy as Freddie Mercury, a la Live Aid. Although male musicians and bands dominated 80s music, ladies looking for inspiration needn’t worry. Madonna was by far the decade’s leading fashion innovator and presents more costume ideas than all the 80s male musicians combined!

The 80s were a golden age for many reasons, but chief among them was the fashion, at least for the ladies anyway. It is no wonder that 80s fancy dress parties are huge right now as ladies fall out of taxis dressed as Madonna, Princess Di and even Margaret Thatcher. There were some ladies fashion ideas that are uniquely 80s, and these can be applied to make your 80s fancy dress costume look perfect!

Shoulder pads

All manner of ladies dresses and tops had large shoulder pads that made women look like NFL quarterbacks. This style was made popular by glamorous, feisty women in TV shows such as ‘Dallas’ and ‘Dynasty’ and went on to define eighties power women, making them perfect for imitating in fancy dress costumes.

Accessories

Madonna practically funded the accessories industry in the 80s by wearing single earrings, fluorescent beads, and plum coloured hair. She was a female fashion icon and girls across the world copied her penchant for fingerless gloves, tight laced corsets and fishnet tights.

Make-up

80s make-up was characterised by bold, pink cheek bones and painted eyes. Any colour of eyeshadow would do, with bright blues and greens being favourites. Eyeliner was plentiful and shiny red lipstick was a given.

Ladies 80s fancy dress costumes can be any length of dress or skirt and can be complemented by most colours of make-up and accessories. Be bold and bright, add some stockings and fingerless gloves and your 80s fancy dress costume won’t be too far wrong.

When it comes to 80s fancy dress parties, one of the coolest costumes for men has to be that of the 80’s most iconic pop star – Michael Jackson. Although Michael Jackson had been a star from his youth in the Jackson Five, it was in the 1980s that he became a global superstar with his thrilling music videos and amazing dance routines. Never resting on his laurels, Michael Jackson was diverse in his style as well as his music, meaning there is plenty of scope for your 80s fancy dress costumes.

Of course, the white socks and black shoes are the obvious choice for whichever fancy dress outfits you choose, but there are also the red leather trousers to consider with the classic red and black leather jacket. If you prefer his look from the ‘Billie Jean’ era then you will need a black tea-shirt and a white suit. However, if you want to be completely unique then you could really go the extra mile by ransacking the Halloween costume department and announcing yourself as a zombie from the ‘Thriller’ music video.

Remember, Michael Jackson still had afro hair in the early 1980’s so this can be another string to your bow as there are lots of 80s fancy dress wigs available to complete the look. No matter what Michael Jackson costume you choose, you are sure to make quite an impact at your 80s fancy dress party; just be sure to practice your moonwalk!

For a wide range of accessories suitable for creating an authentic Michael Jackson look, browse the Fancy Dress Ball website.

A great way to get inspiration for an 80s fancy dress costume is to re-visit the music and television of the day. The hard, confrontational Punk look of the late 1970’s evolved into softer, friendlier styles which then went on to typify the decade. TV, music and video were a driving force behind this transformation, so that is the best place to look for iconic 80s fancy dress ideas.

Music

The New Romantic look used frills for a softer look and Princess Diana, Duran Duran and Adam Ant are obvious ambassadors of this style. With a few tweaks, pirate costumes can double-up as 80s fancy dress as New Romantic outfits in the 80’s often involved waistbands, cummerbunds and jackets with velvet lapels.

TV

Everybody still remembers the 80s Levi jeans advert on TV where Nick Kamen stripped off his 501’s in the launderette. Of course, a pair of jeans with a white T-shirt and trainers is a very easy 80s fancy dress costume, and you could make this more unique by adding some of the many accessories available from Fancy Dress Ball.

Video

Fitness exploded in the 1980’s and it suddenly became fashionable to keep in shape. Many celebrities enthusiastically embraced this new fad and Olivia Newton John’s ‘Physical’ video became a smash hit. So, if you can carry it off, a great 80s fancy dress costume is that of headband, lycra top and bottoms, with acrylic leg warmers.

Everybody is mad for the 1980’s at the moment and 80’s fancy dress is going down a storm. All of your old 80’s favourites like Rocky, BA Baracus and Boy George are turning up at 80’s fancy dress parties up and down the country. One 80’s icon who every girl wants to emulate at fancy dress parties is Madonna. Madonna was innovative in her fashion as well as her music so there are many ‘looks’ to choose from. You can even mix and match clothes from different eras to make a killer Madonna costume.  To make sure that you are the number one Material Girl at the party, give your outfit some finishing touches.

Hair & make-up

Your hair should be radically wavy and tied up using a big ribbon that is finished in a bow on top of your head.  You will also need some very heavy eye makeup such as browns for eye shadow and heavy black eyeliner and mascara.  Lips need to be bright red and don’t forget to pencil on the trademark mole.

Accessories

Dangly earrings that didn’t match were a favourite of Madonna, with one earring bigger than the other.  Of course, there are the necklaces to consider, with crosses being a theme, as well as strings of fake pearls. To finish, find lots of bracelets, elastic bands and studded leather straps, and top off with some lace fingerless gloves.

And there you go, a Madonna costume worthy of Madge herself! For a wide range of fancy dress costumes and accessories to emulate your favourite 80s icon, browse the Fancy Dress Ball website and you’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for.