Blog for Fancy Dress Costumes

Men get just as excited about Halloween as women do, especially if you have a Halloween party to look forward to. This year Halloween falls at the weekend so this is even more of a reason to get planning your Halloween costumes now.

Depending on your own personal preferences, you may decide to dress up as a twosome with your girlfriend or wife. One good option is dressing as a vampire groom and his corpse bride. You may even decide to dress up with a group of friends. For example, you could dress up as members of your favourite band or characters from your favourite horror film. Fancy Dress Ball has a number of zombie Halloween costumes for example, so you and your friends could have a zombie themed fancy dress party.

For you, Halloween may be a big deal and you may spend months thinking about an original outfit idea. If you are a bit of a joker and like to have a bit of fun when choosing your costume, why not think about dressing up in our cockroach or whoopee cushion costumes? They will certainly get you noticed. Or we also have hysterical mens halloween costumes such as the giant pumpkin costume, which will go down well with your friends.

If you still want to make an effort, but do not want to go to a lot of trouble, why not consider wearing a Halloween mask? We have options such as evil clowns, scary skeletons and even gorillas! We also have face paints and other props for you to come up with original ideas.

The 1980s is perhaps the perfect inspiration for a fancy dress party. However, it is perhaps a little too perfect, and such are the options that the 80s provides the potential 1980s fancy dress party planner that it can be difficult knowing exactly what to include.  As a starting point, however, you might consider incorporating some 1980s food into your 1980s fancy dress party plan.

Now the 1980s isn’t perhaps the most food-centric decade, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of ideas for 80s party food that will really help to foster the 80s fancy dress party atmosphere. Depending on how old you were in the 80s there are certain brands and kinds of food that just scream the 1980s. For example, if your guests where youngsters in the 80s then sweets and the like will give your party a nostalgic twist, alternatively you could opt for some familiar 80s brands, such as Whispas or Wham Bars.

You may even decide to base the food choices on popular culture references from the eighties, or even TV shows such as Bananas in Pyjamas! Whilst incorporating 80s food is one way to cater for a 80s fancy dress party – there is another way. For example, you could theme your food to represent certain 80s ideas – so, for example, you could host a yuppie feast complete with sushi and champagne!

When planning an 1980s fancy dress party, the food is often overlooked, which is understandable as unlike a decade such as the 70s, the 80s does not suggest many food ideas – however, with a bit of creativity is definitely possible to create a perfect 80s banquet!

Eighties fancy dress is one of the most popular fancy dress templates around, and bizarrely the 1980s seems to be continuously growing in popularity.

Whilst this is evidence that that everybody loves an 80s party, with great popularity comes a problem: how do you throw an eighties fancy dress party that is truly unique?

Luckily while the 80s is full of some pretty bold statements, musically, in terms of fashion and even that 80s attitude, the 80s was also a decade of cults. For example, with the advent of video tapes in the 1980s, movies really began to become cult classics – with genres such as horror really touching the zeitgeist.

With this in mind, if you really want your 80s fancy dress to be unique then why not opt for an 80s horror theme, drawing on films like dawn of the dead for inspiration – of course, if this a little too cult you could base your horror theme on Michael Jackson’s thriller video, either way your party is sure to be memorable.

Using cult movies to theme your 1980s fancy dress party is only one way to guarantee its uniqueness, and you could, for example, host an alternative 80s fashion night, drawing on alternative eighties fashion icons for inspiration – such as The Cure’s Robert Smith.

Of course it is possible for things to get a little bit too obscure, and therefore while you might choose and overarching cult theme for your shindig, you could also embellish it with some recognisable features – such as some 80s party anthems.

Perhaps unlike any other decade, the 80s was responsible to a whole host of no-nos, from no-nos in music to no-nos in fashion. Of course, these faux pas examples have their uses, and if you really want your eighties fancy dress costume party to go off with a bang then you’ve just got to indulge in some of the decade’s biggest embarassing mistakes.

Perhaps the most fertile ground for no-nos in the eighties was fashion – one need only say mullet or shoulder pads to send a chill down anybody’s spine. However, such is the nature of 80s fashion with its exuberance and theatre that it is the perfect template for a fancy dress party. With this in mind, there are a few easy tips to really set off 1980s fancy dress outfits. For example, you could opt for day-glo colours, or embellish an outfit with some 80s accessories such as oversize bangles.

Of course an true 80s fancy dress party should go beyond costumes, and if you really want to create an 80s atmosphere then you’re going to want some 80s anthems. The options for this are diverse, and range from iconic hits from 80s legends such as Michael Jackson and Madonna to more obscure hits from 80s electro pioneers such as Gary Numan. Of course, the 80s is also home to plenty of musical no-nos such as cheesy dance anthems, and dare I say it, flamboyant artists such as Duran Duran or Adam and the Ants.

Whatever 80s theme you choose, by incorporating some no-nos into your 80s fancy dress party you can be certain that your party is one to remember.

Even though the 80s was three decades ago, it has never really gone out of fashion. Mobile phones started to come out in the 80s, as did some of our greatest pop-stars, such as Madonna to name but one. With this in mind then, the 1980s provides the perfect template for a fancy dress party, as not only are there a wealth of 80s fancy dress options, but even if your guests weren’t around for the 80s they are likely to understand the references.

So, what are the options for 80s fancy dress?

Well, were do we start? How you choose to throw an 80s fancy dress party will depend on a few factors. For example, if you and your friends have a clear recollection of the 80s, then you’ll probably get away with some obscure film and music references.

On the other hand, if you and your guests are on the younger side, then the chances are that some of the more obscure references might be lost on people who where young in the 80s. With this in mind, decorate your party with some immediately recognisable 80s icons – or better yet choose a theme that still has relevance in the modern day – such as a Madonna theme.

Right, so you’ve been won over to the idea of 80s fancy dress, but where do you get the gear? Well at Fancy Dress Ball we’ve got everything you’ll ever need to host the perfect fancy dress party – 80s or otherwise.

The 1980s was a decade of powerful women. Whether it’s the femme fatales of Dallas or Dynasty or it’s pop superstars like Madonna – the 1980s was the first decade that was truly defined by its women. This makes an 1980s fancy dress party perfect for girls, who will not only have loads of style options to choose from, but will have plenty of female 80s style icons to imitate with fancy dress.

Undoubtedly the queen of 80s fashion was Madonna, and therefore she is the ideal template for 80s outfits. In fact her 80s styles where so diverse that choosing exactly what Madonna look to go for is a real challenge. Of course you don’t have to go the whole hog and dress entirely as Madonna, and you could use her style to inspire a more modest look by, for example, wearing some large earrings and having your hair teased.

If a Madonna costume is a little to obvious for your tastes, never fear, as she’s not the only 80s superstar. In fact there are loads of other female stars that are perfect for drawing inspiration from for 80s outfits! For example, perhaps you are going as a couple, in which case you and your partner could opt for the iconic style of Dirty Dancing. Or maybe you want to truly make an impact, in which case the flamboyant style of Cyndi Lauper is a great fancy dress look to copy.

The 1980s was the decade of icons, from iconic bands like Duran Duran, to iconic TV stars like Mr T. The 1980s, however, is perhaps most famous for its iconic film stars, which makes it the perfect template for a fancy dress party.

In particular 1980s film stars offer some great style ideas for men’s 1980s fancy dress, and, if your struggling to come up with an eighties fancy dress costume, dressing like an 80s male style icon is a great way to go.

Ghostbusters

Perhaps the most iconic of all the 80s films is Ghostbusters, and therefore it is easily one of the best eighties fancy dress costumes available. Whether you want to go as a Bill Murray’s “Peter Venkman” character or Dan Ackroyd’s “Ray” character, a Ghostbusters’s costume is a simple but highly effective way to make an 80s impact.

Patrick Swayze

If you feeling particularly flamboyant you might opt for Patrick Swayze’s “dirty dancing” look, which consists basically of a black leotard. Of course this eighties costume is not for the faint hearted, but it will make dancing that little bit easier! Also, the dirty dancing look is best pulled off by a twosome, so is a great option for a couple.

Mr T

Although technically not a film icon, Mr T deserves a special mention, basically because he is just so iconic. Not only that but he is also the perfect template for 1980s fancy dress, as not only is his look instantly recognisable but it is also pretty easy to pull off with some fake gold chains.

People usually think of the 1960s when they consider the ultimate party decade, but it was only in the 1980s when parties really reached their apex – why? Well with the most flamboyant fashions, and most memorable party anthems, the 1980s truly was a decade of party fun.

The 1980s was particularly memorable because it was so bright. With Day-Glo and florescent fashion at the heart of 80’s style, this means that for 80s costumes you need to ratchet up the bright colours to the max for an authentic fancy dress costume. For example, you could embellish your 80s costumes with some shocking pink jewellery or some neon leg warmers.

The 1980s was a decade of excess, and this means the fashion too! Therefore with 80s costumes you should dress to high excess. For example, you should definitely go overboard with the jewellery and accessories wherever possible to achieve that overdone 80’s look.

The challenge with 1980s fancy dress is that there are just so many options, so choosing accessories can be a little daunting. With this in mind, choosing an 80s theme is a particularly good idea as not only will it help you to choose a fancy dress costume, but it will also help with the choice of music and decor for the party venue itself.

A Madonna costume, for example - whilst giving you plenty of style templates and a whole library of classic party anthems - will also afford you plenty of options – from material girl Madonna to vogue Madonna.

With arguably the best music, and probably the best style icons, the 1980s is the perfect template for a fancy dress party. However, if you want to truly throw the most memorable 1980s fancy dress party then you need to go beyond music and costumes, and turn your house into an 80s paradise!

Posters

Where other decades had wallpaper the 1980s had posters, and therefore putting up a few posters of 80s icons or iconic film posters is a simple and an affordable way to transform a room into an 80s haven, so why not dig out those old 80s posters or track some down online?

Gadgets

The 1980s was also a decade that was full of iconic gadgets. Whether its Walkmans or ZX Spectrums – and incorporating some 80s gadgets into a 1980s fancy dress party is a great way to create that recognisable 1980s aesthetic. You could use gadgets merely as decoration, or better yet, if you’re luckily enough to still have some functioning 1980s technology you could create a fully interactive 1980s centre-piece.

Films

Of course no 1980s fancy dress party would be complete without some 80’s tunes, but have you ever considered putting 80’s films at the centre of your party? This could mean decorating your home with 80’s film posters, or even better you could even make films the centre-piece of your 1980s fancy dress party and put them on TV.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we have got all of your authentic 1980s costume needs taken care of. With fancy dress costumes inspired by traditional 80s looks, music icons and films of the decade, we are your one stop shop for affordability and quality.

The modern world is an amazing place. However, in large doses all that modernity can get a little tiresome – the solution? Why not take a break from the present and relive the past - and in particular, the 1980s.

Remember the 1980s? A time when technology was still blossoming, and space invaders was considered cutting edge. Well why not take a time machine to that exciting decade, with a 1980s fancy dress party?

There is a reason why the 1980s shines so brightly (or fluorescently!) in the memory, and this is because it was a decade of great fashion and even better parties. So, what better theme for a fancy dress ball than the 1980s?

For example, you could ditch that modern style and break out the day-glo, which will guarantee a party that glows with 80s fun, even when the lights are out!

Or why not draw upon your 80s back catalogue to provide a 1980s fancy dress soundtrack that is guaranteed to get keep the party going, long into the night.

Of course, perhaps the most memorable thing about the 1980s was the movies. And with films like Ghostbusters or Beetlejuice, with a 1980s fancy dress party, you will never be short of great ideas for a party theme.

There’s surely nothing better than a nice big dollop of nostalgia, and with a 1980s fancy dress party not only will you be able to relive those nostalgic memories – but you can do it in style.