Meeting a potential partner these days can be tough. We lead busy lives and often have little time to socialise in mixed groups. The situation is often made even worse if most of your friends are married or in long-term relationships.

You might be feeling particularly down about the situation this month with Valentine’s Day hype taking over the high street and the media.

However, you should not despair about your lack of a love life. There are ways in which you can increase the likelihood that you will find a match.

For example, you can arrange a fancy dress party. Such occasions are a great way of getting to know new people. All parties are like this in some ways, but ones in which men’s and women’s fancy dress is on display are even better.

Speaking to individuals you don’t know can be a little daunting and this can be worse if you feel attracted to them. You could find yourself getting tongue-tied and not having anything worthwhile to say.

But if you are adorned in 80′s fancy dress, or ensembles of any other theme, you will have an easy way of breaking the ice.

Taking an interest in the garments worn by others and explaining your own choice means you should not run out of things to talk about.

And people’s inhibitions tend to be lower in general because of the fun atmosphere of gatherings like this. So, if you are feeling lonely, why not organise a bash of this nature?

We’ve all experienced those awkward moments in social gatherings when two people are introduced and don’t have a clue what to say to one another, but one circumstance under which this is much less likely to happen is if both the individuals are wearing fancy dress.

Women’s fancy dress outfits and men’s fancy dress have the effect of breaking the ice and providing both people with something to remark on, and the more unusual the garments are, the more obvious the comments may be.

For example, if one of the partygoers is wearing 80′s fancy dress, this may reveal a passion for the decade and spark conversation on the era. Such chat can be particularly useful for those who are normally shy when it comes to meeting new people. Also, the simple fact that they have a different identity can raise their confidence.

Of course, by the time the occasion is close to wrapping up, plenty of drink has generally been consumed and tongues are often looser anyway, but the presence of fancy dress costumes is often a help.

And these days sourcing such clothing for a gathering couldn’t be easier. As well as the option of high street shops, you can search for products online.

As well as making the process more convenient, this also means you have a greater choice of garments to make your selections from.

There are outfits that suit every age, gender, taste and occasion, so there is bound to be something that takes your fancy.

The biggest challenge regarding fancy dress is choosing the theme for your party. With this in mind, choosing a theme based on a particular decade is a great idea, as it will give you loads of different party options. But which decade is best for fancy dress?

Well of course you might have a particular fondness for a particular decade in which case you should follow your heart! However, certainly two of the most popular decades for fancy dress themes have to be the 1980s and the 1970s – but which is better; 70′s or 80′s fancy dress themes?

The Music

Both the 1980s and the 1970s are renowned for the music; and therefore whichever decade that you choose for your template, then your assured of a fantastic soundtrack. However, if a choice had to be made regarding which is better in terms of music then it might just have to be the 70s, as not only were their great songs, but also great dance-moves – perfect for a 70′s fancy dress party.

The Food

Whilst the 80s was an age of excess, where many people dined on caviare on champagne in their lunch hour – the 70s was an age of more eccentric cuisine. Therefore the 1970s is the perfect inspiration for party food, with party staples like cheese and pineapple having their origins in the decade – making 70′s fancy dress perfect for food lovers!

The Clothes

This is one area were the 80s has the 70s beat, as the 1980s was the decade of extreme fashions, and pop idols that really pushed the boundaries of style. With this in mind, if costumes are your thing, then you won’t do much better than 80′s fancy dress!

It’s hard to believe that 80’s styles are considered vintage now—but time marches on, as they say. And if you’re a fan of the 80’s, or you lived through the 80’s, why not go to your next party in 80’s fancy dress?

The bold colours and the big plastic beads, rainbow stripes and fishnet stockings—all this and more make 80’s style women’s fancy dress costumes a lot of fun. And you’ll be sure to catch someone’s eye if you go as a Baywatch lifeguard, a blushing bride, or a red or pink sparkly rock guitar.

Pair a neon blue tutu with black fishnet stockings, add a pretty tank top, and you’re set to go. For more snazzy accessories and fun final touches, add big, false eyelashes in pink or purple, big sunglasses, or long strands of florescent beads.

Leg warmers were all the rage, so why not pop on a pair of orange or pink ones over your white fishnet stockings? Wear white heels and an orange or green tutu, and you’ve got the look.

And if you really want to cause a stir, why not add a fun wig? You can have long, luxuriously straight purple hair, or maybe you’d prefer bleach blond crimped locks? Glamorous curls or a frizzy afro – with a wig, you can have hair in just about any colour for one night.

Dress up your next fancy dress occasion with a fun 80’s costume, and you’re sure to get all the attention you want.

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.

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!

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!

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!