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.

Unless you have spent the last few years living on a deserted island, you may have noticed the huge success of the Twilight books and films. If you are a fan, you may be thinking about taking inspiration from the films for your Halloween costumes. Likewise, if a lot of your friends love the series, why not have a Twilight themed Halloween party?

We have a wide range of mens Halloween costumes and ladies fancy dress outfits for you to choose from. For example, the most obvious range of outfits to browse is the vampire costume section. Depending on what you prefer personally, there are traditional vampire costumes such as the baroque outfits while there are also more comic options such as the disco Dracula costume. Also if you are going to a party with your other half, why not dress up as vampires together? One option to consider is the Dracula groom and bride outfits.

Make your outfit more authentic by adding some props and extras such as fake blood and white face paint. Another option is buying contact lenses to change the colour of your eyes. This will really freak out your friends while adding to the impact of your costume.

There are more than vampires in the Twilight series, however. There are werewolves and we also have a section in our Halloween costumes dedicated to the full moon creatures.  You can either wear a whole werewolf costume or browse our range of Halloween masks for a wolf mask.

You and the other half have been invited to a Halloween party and you have decided you want to dress as a twosome. But what Halloween costumes are there for couples?

This can be a great opportunity to have a bit of fun, while showing your friends and family what a great couple you are, always up for a laugh.  If one of you already has an idea, the other simply has to dress in Halloween costumes that complement each other.

For example, why don’t you express your love for music by dressing up as your favourite pop stars. We have a wide range of 1980’s fancy dress such as Madonna and Michael Jackson outfits. Likewise if you are a couple who loves horror films, why not dress up as zombies? We also have a number of different male and female vampire outfits, so if you love films such as Twilight or Dracula, dress to impress (and scare).

There are also more traditional Halloween costumes you could consider such as Robin Hood and Maid Marion.  Or take inspiration from the 1920s and dress up as a flapper girl and gangster. Other classic outfits to think about are Anthony and Cleopatra or a cowboy and a sexy saloon girl.  Have fun with it, but make sure to think about your outfits well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Make sure you pay attention to the details and get accessories that will complement your look. For example, make sure you have the right wig for Cleopatra and a hat for a cowboy outfit.

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!

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.

Everybody is mad for the 1980’s at the moment and 80’s fancy dress is going down a storm. All of your old 80’s favourites like Rocky, BA Baracus and Boy George are turning up at 80’s fancy dress parties up and down the country. One 80’s icon who every girl wants to emulate at fancy dress parties is Madonna. Madonna was innovative in her fashion as well as her music so there are many ‘looks’ to choose from. You can even mix and match clothes from different eras to make a killer Madonna costume.  To make sure that you are the number one Material Girl at the party, give your outfit some finishing touches.

Hair & make-up

Your hair should be radically wavy and tied up using a big ribbon that is finished in a bow on top of your head.  You will also need some very heavy eye makeup such as browns for eye shadow and heavy black eyeliner and mascara.  Lips need to be bright red and don’t forget to pencil on the trademark mole.

Accessories

Dangly earrings that didn’t match were a favourite of Madonna, with one earring bigger than the other.  Of course, there are the necklaces to consider, with crosses being a theme, as well as strings of fake pearls. To finish, find lots of bracelets, elastic bands and studded leather straps, and top off with some lace fingerless gloves.

And there you go, a Madonna costume worthy of Madge herself! For a wide range of fancy dress costumes and accessories to emulate your favourite 80s icon, browse the Fancy Dress Ball website and you’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for.

As with all fancy dress, you can achieve a lot with a few small details. If you don’t want to go all out and get a full 80s costume, that doesn’t mean you can’t turn up to the party and fit right in with the theme. The addition of a few carefully chosen accessories can make all the difference.

The most obvious element is hair, and that’s what a lot of people associate most strongly with the era. An 80s fancy dress wig will make almost any outfit pass muster at a costume party. Go for volume or bright colours. A big platinum blonde perm is the icon of the age, but a fluorescent bob will do just fine, and women can add ponytails and hair scrunchies for extra effect. For men, think power ballad. A bush of curls is ideal, or if you’re taking a really minimalist approach to 80s fancy dress, get your hands on some really thick gel or wax and create something with your own hair.

Moustaches are great too, for men or women looking for a little extra fun. It should be dark and brushy, and doesn’t need to match hair colour at all. In fact, there is a lot to be said for the blonde wig and black moustache combination at an 80s costume party. Find our moustache collection in the general wigs and moustaches section.

Sweatbands for the wrists and forehead were all the rage, and they were pretty much restricted to the 80s, so they’re guaranteed to make any outfit iconic. A very simple jogging outfit can be transformed into a fancy dress masterpiece with some sweatbands and a wig, or maybe a tennis-style visor cap.

If you’re attending an 80s fancy dress party and you’ve decided upon the costume, your complete 80s makeover shouldn’t end there, as the 80s fashion statement was also strongly achieved through the use of accessories. So, take a look at the fantastic range of accessories that Fancy Dress Ball has to over to make sure your 80s fancy dress costume has the ultimate wow-factor.

Hairstyles – the 80s was very influential when it came to hair styles. Men dared to be different with big hair and hairstyles became very androgynous. Why not try:
-    Multi-coloured hair
-    Hair tied in a ponytail to one side
-    Brightly coloured headbands or bandanas
-    Crimped hair
-    Big clips in your hair
-    Hair Bows
-    Messy, big, knotted hair (both male and female)
-    No parting to the hair.

Accessories – these were worn wherever possible – the head, the arms, on the clothing – so be sure to have as many 80s costume accessories as possible:
-    Leg warmers
-    Big Earrings
-    Men wearing one earring in their left ear
-    Bracelets (as many different colours and as many as possible). The rubber bracelets were incredibly popular during this time
-    Black hats; take a look at Boy George’s style to ensure the right type of hat
-    Sunglasses
-    Gloves with no fingers. “Punk gloves” were leather and fingerless. Equally, leather gloves with spikes on them are even more outrageously 80s
-    Leather jewellery with spikes; chokers, bracelets and so on
-    Beads and feathers
-    Bows tied anywhere; e.g. around the waist
-    Leather clothing items with chains attached
-    Beauty Moles
-    Purses and bags that are see-through.

Just looking at this list you can see that almost anything goes in your 80s fancy dress outfit, so be confident and experimental when putting together your fancy dress. You’re sure to find all of these accessories and more here at Fancy Dress Ball.

Most people find they have an attraction for a member of the opposite sex who is dressed in uniform.  What better for a fancy dress costume event to pair up with your better half and both go for a similiar theme.  In this case the people pictured below have gone for a military theme.  The three people below were not out in the same group however they were drawn together by mysterious higher forces working on behave of the great fancy dress entity!

The guys are wearing a classic US Navy Sailor - you know girls the one from An Officer and a Gentleman.  The lady is showing herself off in a sexy little army uniform, similiar to the popular Army Cadet costume but adapted to show off her midriff!

Army Navy fancy dress

All costumes lend themselves to being adapted to suit the wearer.  The best way to customise your fancy dress costume is to add accessories.  The bullet belt is popular addition when dressed as a soldier.  So take a look at our choice of costumes and get the basic look and then accessorise!  Hope to see you all marching round your next fancy dress event!

The 80′s – a decade of memories.  New wonderful toys like the rubik’s cube and space hoppers!  The decade of memorable music by the likes of Wham! Terence Trent D’Arby and one of my personal favourites The Proclaimers!  I challenge you all not to get up and chant to ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)’

Fashion took a colourful turn during this decade giving us brightly coloured costumes with bright jewellery and not forgetting the legwarmers and other great accessories.  The 80′s allowed people to combine those colours which were previously not even allowed in the same drawer at home.  Take a look at the classic 80′s look shown below.

80's fancy dress