The eighties has always seemed like the decade in which the unofficial female revolution took place, and women finally saw it fit to dress in whatever way they wanted – however outrageous. If you’re attending or hosting an 80’s fancy dress party, here’s a fantastic rundown on some of the inspirational ladies of the music world that took us by storm during this influential decade.

Madonna – of course Madonna became a style icon of this time and with the eccentricity of her outfits, girls dared to be different. Some of her costumes were outrageously provocative, with suspenders, garters and lacy tights being just some of the clothing items featuring in her stage wardrobe. Therefore, becoming Madonna for the eighties fancy dress night is the perfect excuse to go out dressed like you’ve never dared to before. Don the coned bra, the wild hair, the red lips and the gorgeous corset and you’re bound to steal the show just like Madonna herself.

Cyndi Lauper – the lady that just wanted girls to have fun. However, her song “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” shows the empowering sexual appeal Cyndi and other style icons of the 80s gave young women. With Cyndi’s overall wardrobe style being more punk than Madonna’s, she too allowed girls to dare to be different. Adopting her style for fancy dress would entail chic vintage dresses, bright colours and so on.

Debbie Harry – glamorous, gorgeous, sophisticated… a sure fire way to add the glam to your 80s fancy dress party. With blonde wigs, red lips and gorgeous outfits, becoming Debbie Harry for the night won’t fail to make you feel like the most glamorous woman in the world.

Fancy Dress Ball provide a host of authentic eighties-inspired fancy dress costumes to make any 1980′s themed fancy dress party a night to remember.

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!

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.

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!

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.

What a selection of 80s outfits for your next 80s fancy dress party! Whoever you’ve dreamt of impersonating from the 80s, a simple visit to Fancy Dress Ball is bound to give you what you want. Imagine the fun you can have being someone famous, or simply dressing up in a way that wouldn’t go down well today!

Just to give you a taste of who you could be with 80s outfits is Disco chick Ra-Ra – a layered frilled mini skirt off a sexy strapless bodice. Wonder Woman, Baywatch, the wild child 80s look, a Ghostbuster with a sexy twist and not forgetting the Heavy Metal 80s fancy dress costumes all make up a small portion of the 80s outfits for women.

Not forgetting the men, the presentation of 80s outfits that Fancy Dress Ball offer includes common favourites, such as The Village people, a sailor, a soldier or a policeman. The super rock star look is also available for the more daring.

A pop icon is popular for a man’s 80s outfit, such as the all-time King of Pop Michael Jackson. The Ghostbuster costume is also ideal for taking a trip down memory lane.

Because the 80s is such a popular theme, Fancy Dress Ball has a huge selection of 80s fancy dress costumes to which they are constantly introducing new and exciting costumes, helping you to turn heads at your next 80s fancy dress party.

Being a fancy dress party fanatic, I can say with all honesty on Fancy Dress Ball’s behalf that this is most certainly your one stop shop for 80s costumes.

Isn’t it cool to let your hair down – so to speak – once in a while? The best place to do just that is at a fancy dress party, especially a 1980s fancy dress themed party; a decade which seems to grow by the day in popularity.

1980s fancy dress party theme just blows the doors wide open on choice with the wonderful array of celebrities, movie stars and TV characters which came to the fore in the 80s decade.

A 1980s fancy dress party guarantees that your party will not flop, simply because there will be too many characters which will spark conversation and keep your party spinning.

When it comes to 80s costumes, Fancy Dress Ball has tons of fun 1980′s costumes to inspire you. At Fancy Dress Ball we know that men’s fancy dress costumes are often looked down upon, or not considered much at all because fancy dress is considered by many as something ‘feminine’. However, we’ve some great 80s costumes to help any man stand out from the crowd.

The 1980s was a great time and has so much to offer and draw inspiration from. Look back in history and you’ll find 1980s characters you’d probably forgotten about. Maybe one of them will inspire you!

A 1980s fancy dress theme also has such a diverse array of styles and characters that there’s always something you’ll feel comfortable in.

With any of the 80s costumes from Fancy Dress Ball you’ll be bound to keep tongues wagging about how great you look.