Choosing 80′s costumes can be difficult, and with the relative ubiquity of 1980′s fancy dress parties, the chances are all of the best ideas have already been done. There is a way to give your outfit a truly unique edge, however, and create an 80′s talking point at your 80′s fancy dress party – with some essential 80′s accessories.

There are plenty of ways to embellish eighties outfits with accessories, and there are all kinds of items you can take along with you to 1980′s fancy dress parties that are sure to get your fellow guests talking. For example, if you are going to an 1980′s fancy dress party as one of your favourite 80′s rock stars, why not take along with you an eighties inflatable guitar or microphone – no wannabe eighties icon should be without one!

Whilst there are some general accessories you can take to a 1980′s fancy dress party that will really add an extra touch to an 80′s outfit, there are also some more specific accessories that will really complete your 1980′s fancy dress costume. For example, if you are brave enough to be going to a party in Pamela Andserson’s famous Baywatch red swimsuit, then why not finish it off with an authentic looking float.

At Fancy Dress Ball we’ve got loads of 80′s fancy dress costumes and accessories – including the Baywatch float – which means that you really can find everything you need for an 80′s fancy dress costume all in one place!

The 1980′s was an age of truly great sci-fi, whether it’s Wonder Woman, the Star Trek movies or Knightrider, and all this is rich picking for 80′s fancy dress costumes. So, why not make  an impact at you next fancy dress party with a sci-fi inspired costume?

Sci-fi costumes are perhaps not the coolest of 80′s costumes – or so you might think! Today, geek chic really is considered the cutting edge of cool – or to put it another way, the geeks have really inherited the world.

With this in mind, approaching an 80′s fancy dress costume from a geeky angle is a great way to create a look that will really stand out at a fancy dress party. You’ll also have a lot of fun dressing as you favourite sci-fi heroes.

There are two ways to approach your sci-fi inspired 80′s costumes. Either you could go down the obvious route and imitate those characters that everyone will recognize, or you could go down the geeky and proud route and imitate lesser known characters. Of course, your decision will depend on your 80′s fancy dress party, and how likely it is that your fellow party goers will appreciate your costume. However, if you get it right, you’re sure to make an impact on your fellow guests!

At Fancy Dress Ball we’ve got a selection of great sci-fi 80′s costumes, such as an 80′s She-Ra Costume from He-Man costume and a Flash Gordon Dale Costume.

There’s a lot to remember when creating those perfect 80′s fancy dress costumes – from the hair to the accessories – and therefore it is easy to forget one of the most important aspects of any fancy dress costume, especially 80′s fancy dress costumes: the make-up.

The 1980′s was decade of all kinds of different looks, and therefore when it comes 80′s make up you really are spoiled for choice! Of course, choice is no bad thing, and the sheer diversity of different 80′s make-up looks means that it is entirely possible to create a look that gets you noticed at your next fancy dress party!

For example, if you are planning on wearing a Madonna costume, then it wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t pay careful attention to the make-up. Madonna is a special case, however, and just in terms of her looks there is a panoply of make-up style to choose from, weather its the frivolous look of her early period, or the more refined make-up of her later periods.

One of the joys about fancy dress – and especially 80′s fancy dress – is that its a decade that really lends itself to flamboyant looks, and with this in mind, brightly coloured make-up can really enhance 80′s fancy dress costumes – and help you to create a look that everyone will remember!

Of course, once you’ve got your make-up sorted your going to need an 80′s fancy dress costume, and this is where Fancy Dress Ball comes in – with fancy dress costumes that will really get you noticed!

Fancy dress isn’t all about looking good, but that doesn’t mean that your sense of style has to completely fall by the wayside. Whilst the 1980′s has given us some truly ridiculous looks, it also gave us some really great fashions. Therefore, by choosing 80′s fancy dress costumes it really is possible to have fun – and look good doing it!

First things first, your eighties costumes aren’t going to cut the mustard if your hair and makeup isn’t up to scratch, and with this in mind you should take your inspiration from some of the most stylish people of the decade. For example, if you are planning on donning a Madonna costume then you owe it to the queen of pop to get the hair right – whether your going for that “Holiday” Madonna look with some teaseled hair, or your going for a sleeker look based on a later period.

Whilst by getting your eighties hair right you’re well on the way to great 80′s fancy dress costumes, achieving an 80′s look that you’ll actually look good in can be a real challenge – or so you’d think. In fact, there are plenty of ways to make an eighties outfit look great.

For example, rather than going completely 80′s why not incorporate some 80′s features into a contemporary outfit. For example, some leg warmers can be enough to create some great 80′s fancy dress costumes without making you look too ridiculous!

Whilst there are plenty of great options for 80′s costumes – from dressing like your favourite board game to dressing like an 80′s guitar – there is flaw in many of these great 80′s looks, i.e. they’re not so great on the dancefloor! Luckily, however, the 1980′s truly was a decade that loved to dance, and therefore creating 80′s fancy dress costumes that are comfortable to dance in is not only easy, but a whole lot of fun too.

Less is More

If you are attending an 80′s fancy dress party in a club for example, then some 80′s looks just wont be practical – not unless you like overheating! With this in mind the old idiom ‘less is more’ comes to mind. Luckily the 80′s fancy dress look can be achieved without having to over-dress, and oversize t-shirts and leggings can create a great 80′s look without any of the comfort issues.

Accessorise!

On a similar note, the 1980′s was a decade that loved its accessories and therefore there is no need to go overboard with your 80′s fancy dress costumes, when just a few well thought out accessories can do the trick! With this in mind some large “bangle” style earrings can really add a touch of the eighties to your 1980′s fancy dress costume, without compromising on your comfort.

80′s Colour

If done right, rather than impede your dancing, a 1980′s fancy dress outfit can really add to the dance floor experience. By embellishing your costume with bright day-glo colours, you are sure to set the dance floor on fire – whether you’re at an 80′s fancy dress party or not!

If the 1950s was the decade when rock and roll was born, then the 1980s can be said to be the era when rock truly came of age! And with the advent of the music video, walkmen and cds rock truly began to take over the world. Of course all this is a boon for 1980s fancy dress, and with some of truly recognizable 80s rock and roll looks – why not rock out?

The 80s was known for all kind of rock music, each with their own distinct styles – it really is true to say that the 80s was a decade where style became as important to rock and roll as the music.

For example, the Gothic style with its truly unique fashions first appeared on the scene in the 80s, and it is a great template for a really individual kind of 1980s fancy dress. Unlike many other kinds of 1980s fancy dress outfits, the Gothic look can be fairly easily replicated, with, for example, the use of black eyeliner and leggings.

Whilst the Gothic look was a look for the introverted, the 80s was also a decade for the rock extrovert. If you really want to make an impact at a 1980s fancy dress parties then some choice mullet wigs and ripped jeans are a fabulous way to create truly edgy fancy dress costumes.

At Fancy Dress Ball we’ve got loads of eighties outfits and accessories which make achieving that 80s rock look a breeze.

The 1980′s was a time when graphic design was really taking off, and therefore 80′s logos and brands had a certain je ne sais quoi that arguably hasn’t been seen before or since. For the 1980′s fancy dress partygoer therefore, there is plenty of inspiration out there so why not do something unique for a change – and fancy dress as one of those famous 1980′s brands.

Food Brands

It might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of 80′s fancy dress, but the 1980′s truly was a decade remembered for its food brands! For example, why not take an inspiration  from food brands such as Pot Noodle – or even Spam?

Clothes Brands

Of course dressing like your favourite snack might be a little unwieldy – and perhaps not the stylish look you’re going for. With this in mind, if your want a 1980′s fancy dress costume that you can be proud to wear outdoors then why not dig out those old eighties designer clothes? With this in mind, old Adidas tracksuits can be a great template on which to build some truly great eighties fancy dress.

Other Ideas

One of the most exciting things about fancy dress – and 1980′s fancy dress in particular – is that the possibilities are immense, and therefore there really is no excuse for not getting creative with your costume.

Whether its because of Madonna’s Like a Virgin phase or Billy Idol’s White Wedding video, the bride look as a serious eighties fancy dress edge to it. Unlike many other kinds of eighties fancy dress however (rather than looking a little clownish), dressed as an 80′s bride you’re bound to look stunning.

There are many way to interpret wedding dress eighties fancy dress costumes. On the one hand you could draw upon that 80′s pop queen madonna inspiration, and pair the look with some other Madonna embellishments, for example oversize bangles, or teaseled hair.

Alternatively you could opt for the Billy Idol wedding dress look, which is all about bleach blonde hair and a sexy edge. With this look in mind, you might want to go to your eighties fancy dress party with a partner decked out as that 80′s male icon Billy Idol replete with bleached blonde hair and leather pants.

If you really want to make an impact with your wedding dress 80′s fancy dress look then you could opt for the zombie bride look. Whilst this will have a similar edge to it as the White Wedding or Like a Virgin look, it will got that little bit further to create a style that is as scary as it is provocative. In order to achieve this look you might consider putting tears in your dress and even daubing it with fake blood.

The 80′s was an age of excess and therefore no 80 fancy dress costumes should be without a wild child edge. Achieving this wild child look can be a challenge, depending on the lengths your willing to go to; which is where Fancy Dress Ball comes in with great wigs and 80′s fancy dress costumes to make achieving the wild child look a breeze.

Perhaps the easiest way to channel your inner wild child is by wearing an appropriate wig. At Fancy Dress Ball we’ve got loads of great wigs that will turn even the most staid of 80′s fancy dress costumes into a wild party outfit! When choosing a wig for an 80′s fancy dress costume, you should be looking at bright colours and wild styles – just like those 80′s rock icons.

Of course wigs aren’t the be all and end all of the wild child look, and if you really want to go the whole hog when it comes to your 80′s fancy dress costumes then you might consider some great 80′s wild child accessories. With this in mind, some brightly coloured bangles or oversize earrings are a great way add a little sassiness to 80′s fancy dress costumes.

As a final point, if your really want your eighties fancy dress costumes to have a wild child edge then its going to take a little more than wigs and accessories. To complete your wild child outfit, you need a little of that wild child attitude!

80′s fancy dress parties are now so ubiquitous, that making an impact can be a real challenge. Of course there are classic 80′s outfits, such as a Madonna costume or leg warmers, but whilst these costumes can be a whole lot fun, they are a little overused.

Luckily, for the the 80′s fancy dress partygoer the 80′s was known for its creative styles, and therefore creating an fancy dress outfit that is truly unique, but still retains that 80′s dimension is entirely possible.

Whilst the 80′s was an age of the pop idol, that doesn’t mean that you need necessarily dress in imitation of a human. And instead why not take some classic 80′s board games and brands as inspiration!

Whilst intuitively dressing like a game of Twister, for example, might seem like an arts and crafts nightmare, in reality the 80′s board game look can be achieved fairly easy. At Fancy Dress Ball our 80′s Twister costumes are ready to wear straight out of the box.

Of course board games are just the tip of the iceberg, and at Fancy Dress Ball we specialize in loads of novelty 80′s outfits. Rather than just stocking a few mullet wigs, we offer loads of truly unique 80′s looks, which means that whether you want a unique 80′s fancy dress costume or want to deck out your pals in different costumes you can do it in style.

For example, just check our our  80′s glam rock guitar costumes, or our 80′s air hostess costume – truly unique ways to wear 80′s fancy dress.