A movie marathon is a fabulous lazy party idea. They take very little effort to organise and you can throw one together in half an hour. All you need is half a dozen friends and a few movies. A quick Facebook status post (Monster Movie Marathon at my place tonight!) will take care of that. You don’t even have to organise snacks if you’re feeling really lazy. Just wait until everyone arrives then order pizza – all the major delivery providers can bring you soft drinks and desserts too.

However, like anything in life, putting in a little extra effort will bring a greater reward. Give your guests a week or two of notice before your movie marathon and you’ll end up with a better crowd and a lot more fun. It’ll be even better if you pick a theme and have everyone arrive in fancy dress outfits to match the movies.

The theme can either be a topic, like vampire horror or the wild west, or an era. Watching the Austin Powers movies is a lot more fun with all your friends in 70s costumes and there’s nothing like a crowd of your best mates in vampire-themed sexy fancy dress costumes to add a little extra spice to a Twilight marathon.

You don’t have to put any effort into a movie marathon but it’s worth it when you do. Your friends will be impressed with your initiative and they’ll wonder why they didn’t think of the idea first. Of all the movie nights this year, yours will be the one they remember.

When you are trying to attract a partner, your first thoughts may not be to don fancy dress. After all, many fancy dress costumes are not designed to be attractive, but rather funny, scary or just strange.

But you should not rule out the power of men’s and women’s fancy dress to attract suitors.

Firstly, it is easy these days to get outfits that make you look sexy. For example, here at Fancy Dress Ball we stock a range of such ensembles.

If you’re looking for a feminine outfit, you can choose from a range of alluring offerings. You might want to go as a policewoman, an angel, a devil, a French maid or something else that could get pulses racing.

Meanwhile, our male offerings include soldier and sailor creations – and everyone knows that women can’t resist a man in uniform!

But there is another way in which fancy dress can help you get the attention from possible partners. Such outfits break the ice in a way that very few other things could. Because clothing is so immediately obvious, it gives you something to talk about straight away.

If you see someone you like across the dance floor, you have a legitimate reason to approach them. All you have to do is complement their garments and see what happens from there.

So, if you are keen to meet someone, you should make the most of any opportunities to don fancy dress adult costumes. What starts with the purchasing of a cowgirl ensemble may just end up with wedding bells!

When you are arranging a social gathering, whether it is a special meal for friends and family, a party or something else, you might be thinking of novel ways in which you can jazz up the occasion.

The only problem is that creating great entertainment can be expensive, and money may well be stretched at present. After all, while the festive season came to an end at the beginning of last month, its effects may be still felt on your wallet.

Although credit cards can come in very handy during times of such spending, they may seem less attractive in the weeks afterwards as the bills come in.

Meanwhile, the economy is still suffering the after effects of the credit crunch and this has been made worse by the austerity measures being implemented by the government.

However, you shouldn’t give up on your attempts to spice up your bash.

While paying a band to perform at the celebration, or getting fireworks to set off at some point in the evening may be out of your price range, there are other options to consider.

One of these is to introduce fancy dress into the mix. You could either get your guests to don 80′s outfits, 70′s costumes or other such things, or you could don unusual clothing yourself as part of an act.

For example, you could add a new dimension to a party by performing magic tricks while sporting the appropriate garments.

Such efforts are bound to be appreciated by those who attend the event and you don’t have to break the bank in order make the most of them.

Hosting a party can be a fantastic experience. As well as having a great night yourself, you can help ensure that all your fellow revellers enjoy themselves. And they are bound to be thankful to you for your efforts.

However, not all social gatherings of this kind are a success so it is vital you pull out all the stops to make sure yours goes with a bang.

One great way of achieving this is to introduce a fancy dress theme. Whether you go for 70s fancy dress, 80s costumes or anything else, your evening should be fun-filled.

While unusual clothing is not a necessity, there is something about getting dolled-up in whacky garments that helps lift the atmosphere and encourages people to really let their hair down.

This is partly because partygoers tend to lose their inhibitions more when they assume a different persona.

So, by getting your friends, family or colleagues to wear different clothes, you are helping to ensure they will have a night to remember.

If you do decide to take this course of action, you should make sure your guests have plenty of warning so they can source their garments. If you do not provide sufficient notice, you might find that some people do not turn up or, if they do, they are not following the fancy dress code.

In contrast, by giving them enough time, you will maximise the chances they will be able to attend and will get into the dressing up spirit.

This month is one filled with romance. On Valentine’s Day, happy couples hand each other gifts, write heart-felt messages in cards, take each other out for meals and toast their relationships with glasses of the fizzy stuff.

Well this is all well and good for those in loving partnerships, February 14th can be somewhat depressing for everyone else. There are even some couples who dislike the saccharine nature of the celebration.

Well, if you fall into either of the latter categories, you may want to recognise the occasion in a slightly unusual way. For example, you could throw a fancy dress party.

Of course, because you are trying to avoid the love fest, you will not want to base the dress code on a romantic theme. Perhaps you could leave it as a free-for-all and see what people choose for themselves.

Alternatively, you could specify a particular decade. For example, 80s fancy dress is always a hit among guests, as are 70s outfits.

By having a light-hearted bash like this that pays no homage to Valentine’s Day, you can ensure there will be no pining or self-pitying among revellers. Instead, they will get to have a good time in a fun atmosphere.

Such parties provide a great opportunity for people who may otherwise have been sitting at home by themselves worrying about their lack of a partner. Who knows, some of those at the event may find romance with fellow guests. Whatever happens, a good time will be had.

If you are organising a fancy dress party, there are various ways in which you can jazz it up.

Obviously, the outfits in themselves will be a great source of amusement and entertainment, but that is not to say you shouldn’t try to add to this with other things.

One way of doing this is to introduce accessories that match the theme of the fancy dress costumes.

For example, if it based on a particular colour, you could serve food that matches it.

Another thing you could introduce is a competition to see who has the best outfit in the room.

And if you announce this contest will be taking place in the invitations you send out, you will be able to increase the likelihood that people will make the effort.

Of course, the prize you give away to the best dressed individual, whether they are wearing 70s costumes, 80s fancy dress or anything else, will depend on your budget and what sort of event you are throwing.

It could be something as small as a homemade certificate, or you could go all out and give away an expensive item. The greater the incentive, the more likely people will go all out to win.

To build the tension concerning who has won the offering, you might want to delay announcing the winner until late on in the party.

Extra touches like this kind of contest can make the difference between a good bash and a brilliant one, so make sure you pay careful attention to them.

If you are planning a Christmas party, you may well be in a quandary about how you will organise it. The gathering may be for work colleagues, or it could be for friends and family.

Because the festive season comes round each year, it can be difficult to think of new and exciting ideas for these events.

If you announce in your office that you have reserved the same all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant for the fourth year in a row and you will all be heading to the bar next door afterwards, you may be met with sighs and looks of disappointment.

However, it doesn’t have to be like this. You can make the party new and exciting by introducing a fancy dress theme.

By doing this, you are adding a different dimension to the event and allowing people to really use their imaginations.

And because you are responsible for arranging the gathering, you can select the theme.

For example, you could opt for 70s fancy dress, 80s costumes or any other subject you feel may be appropriate.

Of course, the clothing isn’t the only aspect of the celebration that needs planning. You will also need to choose a venue and establish whether or not you will be providing food.

Also, the music and any other entertainment you want will have to be arranged.

However, by deciding to go for an unusual fancy dress code, the inspiration for these other things may well fall into place.

So, if you are stuck for ideas, worry no more. You’re perfect Christmas party could be easier to arrange than you think.

Everyone goes to parties. Such social gatherings can occur at birthdays, during the festive season, to celebrate engagements and anniversaries and for many other purposes.

For this reason, it can be hard to make a bash you organise stand out from the rest and live on in people’s memories.

However, there are ways of ensuring such gatherings are more prominent in individuals’ thoughts.

Choosing a fancy dress theme is one such approach. This means that those who attend the event are less likely to forget it.

For example, you may have reached a milestone age and are planning to host a special party.

By selecting a theme, such as 70s outfits or 80s fancy dress, you will be sure to get people talking and your event will be different from most other such occasions.

After all, partygoers tend to lose their inhibitions more when they are masquerading as someone else, or themselves but in a different era.

There is something fun about getting dressed up in this way and plenty of photos are bound to be taken.

Using fancy dress to make your bash stand out may be particularly important during the festive season because of the number of social gatherings that take place during this period.

Often work parties occur, along with meetings of friends and family and, following Christmas, the New Year celebrations kick off.

So, if you do not make the effort to come up with a memorable theme for your party, it is likely to get lost in people’s minds among the other events they are invited to.

If you are a parent, you will know how excited your children can get as their birthdays approach.

After all, a year is a long time when you are young and the passing of each one is a big event.

So, it is crucial that you make sure they have a good time when they celebrate the anniversary of their births.

One way in which you can ensure their parties go off with a bang is to invite the youngsters attending to wear fancy dress costumes.

This can really get their imaginations going wild and mean they have even more fun interacting with their pals than usual.

Although fancy dress is popular among older people and often adult fancy dress is seen in parties and other social events, you should not underestimate its potential for improving bashes held for boys and girls.

They love getting into the spirit of such occasions and you may find it hard to get them to stop wearing the outfits you buy them after the festivities have stopped.

We’ve all seen mums and dads in supermarkets and parks and fighting their way through the crowds in town with a child in tow who is wearing their favourite Bananaman suit or Buzz Lightyear outfit.

They simply can’t get enough of dressing up as their favourite characters.

Of course, you can’t just stop at arranging a clothing theme for a party. You also have to make sure you have suitable entertainment, plenty of snacks and drinks on offer, and who can forget the all-important party bags?!

We all experience moments when we pine for the past. It may be that you suddenly hear one of your favourite songs from your younger years, or you see a re-run of a classic TV programme from decades gone by.

This kind of nostalgia can leave your feeling sad about the time that has passed and make you think about all the people you used to know and the things you used to do.

Often, it can leave you feeling a sense of loss about the freedom you used to have and have now relinquished because of family and work responsibilities.

While it may not be advisable to quit your job and leave your partner and children because of these feelings, there is one way in which you can relive your youth.

You can organise a fancy dress event. This is the perfect way to enjoy a light-hearted evening reminiscing about all things past.

For example, you could opt to base the party on 80s fancy dress, or, if you fancy heading back further in time, go for 70s costumes.

Not only is this a great way of spending time with your friends, but it can also help you get over your melancholy about how much your life has changed over the years.

Although we all have to grow up at some point, it doesn’t hurt to celebrate our less responsible times every now and then.

So, next time you hear your favourite 70s or 80s tune on the radio, why not plan an event in homage to the era?