There is so much potential for Halloween fancy dress parties, that deciding on fancy dress costumes and party decor can be a bit of a challenge. However, Halloween needn’t mean a headache! By opting for a theme your fancy dress party should fall neatly into place.

But What Theme Should you Choose?

Well of course that’s up to you! But at Fancy Dress Ball we think that you wont do much better than an 80′s fancy dress theme,  as quite frankly there was no era quite as scary as the 1980′s – and not just because of the fashions!

Due to the advent of videos and “video nasties” there is perhaps no better symbol of eighties horror than the zombie, and therefore if you opt for an 80s Halloween fancy dress theme, then you can’t go wrong by incorporating a few zombie elements. Of course this can mean zombie costumes, or it could mean scattering a few zombie parts around the place – at Fancy Dress Ball we even sell those (not real ones of course!)

The 1980s was also an age of horror idols! Most notably Michael Jacksons Thriller video – possibly the most famous video of all time – arrived on the scene to scare the pants off the nation! However, whilst scaring us, it also gives a great idea for a Halloween fancy dress party – not just for the costumes, but also for the horror soundtrack.

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!

There’s nothing better than going to a 1980′s fancy dress party knowing that you’ve truly made an effort. You’re wearing the perfect outfit and are ready to impress, and no-one can fail to notice as you walk into the room. But, if you really want to find the 80’s fancy dress costumes of your dreams, you need to know where to look.

For a lot of people, that starts by heading to the high street. With 80′s fashion being well and truly back, there are plenty of places you can go to get style inspiration and the high street certainly won’t be short of it. Then there are the people that make up their own outfits by re-using things that are already in their wardrobe and simply accessorising, and if you’ve got the right pieces there’s no reason why this can’t be successful.

But, if you really want to find the ultimate 80′s fancy dress costumes, it’s always going to be best if you head to a specialist fancy dress shop. It’s here that you’ll be able to find all the costumes you could need, and any one of them could be perfect for your party. You’ll have the choice of everything from film and music star-inspired outfits to those that draw on popular culture and styles of the day, and you’re bound to be able to find just what you’re after.

So, you always need to go to specialist fancy dress shops if you want to find the ultimate 80′s fancy dress costumes. If you really want the best make sure to come to us here at Fancy Dress Ball, as with all the costumes and accessories you could ever need you’re bound to be a hit at the party.

If you’re thinking of throwing the perfect 1980′s fancy dress party, then I’m sure you want it to be a hit with all your guests. But, if you’re wondering where to start, here are a few tips to ensure it’s the success that you want it to be.

•    Get the music right. No 80′s fancy dress party will be complete without the right 80′s music to match, so always make sure that you’ve got a good compilation ready to play to keep your guests on their feet.

•    Make sure that your outfit is exceptional. Of course, you always want the 80′s fancy dress costumes of your guests to be great, but yours has got to be even better. You’re the host after all, so you need to set the standard by spending time on your costume to get it right.

•    Send out invitations that include 80′s fancy dress ideas. Some people could need a bit of help coming up with the perfect costume, so if you want to be the model host don’t be afraid to include a few ideas in the invitations.

•    Don’t forget the food and drink. You simply can’t have a party without providing refreshments, so make sure that you’ve got a fully-stocked fridge and alcohol cabinet to keep everyone happy.

These are just a few ways that you can help to ensure that your 80′s fancy dress party goes off with a bang, and if you want to cross one of the tasks of the list make sure to come to us here at Fancy Dress Ball for your perfect 80′s costume.

The 80s is a great theme for a fancy dress party. Most adults remember the era and the fashions, so even the shyest guest should be able to find an outfit that goes with the decade. Many of us secretly still have one or two items of 80s clothing tucked away somewhere, and are just waiting to be trotted out and made into the centrepiece of an out-there, radical 80s fancy dress costume.

Without a doubt, the key element for the 80s fancy dress party host is the sound track. In fact, pulling out the old tape player and a stack of Wham!, Adam Ant, and Duran Duran albums reason enough to hold an 80s fancy dress party in itself. A really great touch is to get hold of an 80’s karaoke disc for your games console. There are plenty of them around, because the soundtrack of the decade has all the key ingredients for singing along – punchy choruses, melodramatic lyrics, and embarrassingly heartfelt power notes.

Some old music posters will do a lot to add ambience to the party venue. If you or any of your mates still have a couple of Bananarama posters in the attic, dig them out and let them see the light again. Hosting a successful fancy dress party is all about the authenticity.

Of course, the other thing everyone remembers are the 80s outfits. Most of us wore them out and about and revelled in how cool we looked in hot pink leg warmers, fluorescent muscle tops, and tennis sweatbands. It’s hard not to have a giggle at our younger selves.

80s fancy dress is easy, and with a few carefully chosen details you can create the perfect 80s outfit for the discerning man. There are a few very different styles to think about, and as long as you pick one and run with it you won’t go far wrong.

The easiest is probably the suit and tie approach. This can be a bit boring unless you pay attention to details, but there is an instantly recognisable 80s fancy dress outfit with a suit (big shoulder pads and loose cut for preference) and tie (skinny and usually white) as the key components. If it doesn’t look quite 80s enough, add some chunky white grill sunglasses and reach for the hair gel.

On the casual end of the 80s fancy dress spectrum, there is the sporting theme. Again, this one is pretty easy. All you need is a fluorescent pink or yellow tank top, or muscle shirt and baggy short shorts. Complement the clothing with a set of stylish sweatbands and away you go. This is an ideal 80s fancy dress costume to add a fake bushy moustache and mullet wig to.

The other option is to go outrageous. Two of the best 80s costumes are the punk and MTV glam rocker type. For the punk, you want a mohican wig, ripped denims and as much leather and spiked metal gear as you can get your hands on. For the other, think Adam Ant and Michael Jackson. Have a look through our website and you’ll find plenty of ideas.

Although punk’s not dead, the 80s was its grand heyday. Throughout the decade it was stronger, dirtier, rougher, and altogether more punk than before or since. A punk theme makes one of the most striking 80s fancy dress costumes, and it isn’t a difficult look to achieve.

The basic punk 80s outfit starts with a pair of old jeans, as ripped as decency allows. Get down to your local charity shop and take their most battered pair off their hands, then go straight to our 80s fancy dress accessories section. Pick up a pair of leather-look fingerless gloves and maybe a spiked collar, or anything with metal studs.

Any t-shirt will do, or you can leave the shirt out altogether and just wear an old leather or denim jacket. If it’s denim, rip the arms off for added authenticity. This sort of fancy dress theme is extremely easy to achieve.

As for hair, the mohican is the classic punk look, and we’ve got a range of mohawk wigs that are perfect for fancy dress. Anything brightly coloured will also do nicely. Remember that you can savage a neat and tidy, brightly coloured wig with a pair of scissors to make it more punk rock.

There are also some little details you can add yourself. A packet of safety pins strategically deployed to hold ripped clothing together, or just for decoration is good form on any punk-ish 80s fancy dress. Tattoos can be drawn on with eyebrow pencil – ‘love’ and ‘hate’ across the knuckles is a classic. Mock scars can be drawn on in the same way.

The first 80s outfits most people think of are the ones that look like the clothes worn by rock stars of the era, be it glam rock, new wave, punk, or whatever you used to listen to as kids or young adults. It’s true that those are the 80s outfits that really defined the fashions of the decade, but there are other things we all associate with the 80s. It was also the golden age of Saturday morning cartoons, for example.

With that in mind, we’ve got a range of cartoon-related 80s fancy dress costumes that will impress on two levels. First, they are high-quality costumes, instantly recognisable and sure to bring back a flood of fond memories from other party guests. Second, they take a different route to most 80s fancy dress costumes. Do something different and you’ll stand out from the crowd.

The Danger Mouse costume is wonderful. A true icon of the age and a favourite for millions of 80s kids, you can find Danger Mouse in the men’s 80s fancy dress – but he’s really suitable for anyone. We’ve also go He-Man, Skeletor, and She-Ra. They are especially effective if you can form a group of three and arrive together. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is another great group theme.

Other 80s television fancy dress includes Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless, Postman Pat, and Ghostbusters – including a more feminine version for ladies. Have a look through the catalogue and see what you remember best from Saturday mornings long past.

If you’re thinking of having a fancy dress party and aren’t sure what theme to have,why not take a wild step back in time and opt for the 80s? Having an 80s fancy dress party is guaranteed to get everyone dressing up and enjoying themselves as they relive their lives over twenty years ago. Fancy Dress Ball can make you look absolutely sensational with their fantastic 80s costumes, but here’s what you need to do to make sure your party goes with a swing!

Why not dig out some old 80s games you may have lurking at the back of your cupboard? Or, if you don’t have any, then picking some up at car boot sales or on eBay, or even asking a friend will no doubt guarantee trivia fun for your party. Whilst some games at parties can be tedious for guests, having an 80s trivia game will also help the step back in time as you quiz them on their knowledge of the time they all knew and loved.

If you’re having your 80s fancy dress party at an event hall with a dance floor, nothing will set the theme and excitement than an 80s soundtrack. Having this playing will almost certainly get everything thinking, or at least wishing, they were still living in the 80s.

If you are playing games, or would like party bags/gifts for your guests, why not have an 80s theme revolving around this too? Things like bandanas, bright hairspray, cool sunglasses, wigs and so on are fantastic gifts that will just add to the 80s fancy dress theme and certainly entertain your guests – all of which are all available at Fancy Dress Ball.

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.