Planning a fancy dress party can be a great experience, giving you the chance to let your hair down and plan an event that’s totally enjoyable without having to worry about formality. But, what theme should you go for? You could always opt for an “open” theme for the ultimate choice, but sometimes it’s nice to have a few boundaries to see the type of costumes that people can come up with. So, just how can you choose the right one?

Often, the one that you go for will all come down to personal choice. You could have a particular love of a certain era, for example; with 70s and 80s fancy dress being particularly popular. This can give people a great deal of free rein and can allow them to get creative, but the choices don’t stop there.

You might want a superhero party or perhaps a film star theme is more your thing. You could go for something totally different like nursery rhymes or historical characters, and if you’re planning a Halloween party then spooky options are compulsory. The list really is endless, and you could find inspiration from anywhere – ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and whatever theme really jumps out at you.

But, whatever theme you decide upon, you need to find somewhere that offers all the costumes you could need. That’s why you need to come to us. We’ve got women’s and men’s fancy dress costumes that span a whole range of themes – if you can imagine it, we’ve probably got it. Come to us today if you need a bit of inspiration, and you’ll soon find the costumes that you’re looking for.

There’s nothing quite like planning your fancy dress outfit when a party is imminent. It can be great fun trying to decide what to go as, and with so many options available there’s no end to the possibilities. But, if you really want to make the most of your outfit you need to remember the importance of accessorising, because it can make the world of difference to the final result.

Accessories really can transform your outfit from being plain and generic to something that’s truly unique, allowing you to inject your own personality into the costume. There are plenty of options you could go for, with things like wigs, hats and costume jewellery being ideal, and lots of them are perfect for specific themes or eras.

If you’re opting for 70s fancy dress, for example, then think lots of bling and glitz, or if you’ve got a soldier theme to stick to then don’t forget the gun and bullet belt for added authenticity. The choices are endless, and with the right accessories you really can bring your costume to life.

We know how important accessories can be, and that’s why we offer a fantastic range of everything you could need to add some personality into your costume. You’ll soon notice the difference and will really be able to make the most of your outfit, so whether you’re looking for men’s or ladies fancy dress costumes remember the added accessories and you can’t fail to be a hit at that party.

Whatever the theme of your bash, a few hints and tips never go amiss!

•    Plan ahead. OK, OK, we know you’re not idiots, but leaving party plans until even a week before the party is the ideal recipe for stress! The only thing you can count on getting sorted that fast are your fancy dress costumes!

•    Go for broke with the theme. Throwing an 80s fancy dress party and not coating the place in silly string, 80’s movie posters, neon everything and throwback snacks is party sin numero uno!

•    Provide a private place (with a mirror!) for party guests who perhaps a) didn’t want to take the tube in their 80’s costumes, or b) didn’t fancy sitting through eight hours behind a desk decked out like Freddie Mercury!

•    Make your bash an awards ceremony! Most Convincing Madonna, Biggest Hair, Most Committed Partygoer, Best Moustache – reward your party guests for their ingenuity, creativity and downright bravery!

•    If some folks don’t want to dress up… throw them in the pool! Only kidding! Fancy dress is meant to be a fun, silly way to add an edge to an event. Some people don’t like to make a scene, maybe some have a professional image to uphold, and maybe some poor individual is on-call throughout your party and doesn’t fancy attending an emergency situation dressed as Oscar the Grouch! Whatever the reason, if some folks don’t feel comfortable dressing up, leave them be and let them enjoy the shindig with everybody else.

Can we tell you a secret? Naughty fancy dress costumes are some of our most popular designs! Along with all the hags, superheroes, historical figures and clowns (clowns are rarely sexy!), our ranges of sexy costumes by Leg Avenue and The Fever Collection are mightily popular with you folks!

Bad Girls vs. Good Girls

Nothing is more like nectar to a good boy than a bad girl. Better still… a good girl gone bad! Go for the classic naughty maid, sexy pirate queen, gangster’s moll or bad, bad Miss Kitty!

If its good girls you’re after, take your pick from sexy fairies, fairytale characters (sexy versions, of course!), nurses, teachers and goddesses!

Bad Boys vs. Good Boys

What is it about bad boys? Well, wherever the attraction lies you can bet our range of men’s sexy fancy dress knows just where to find it! Be a gangster, a convict, a corrupt cop, a soldier gone rogue, a pirate, a biker – whatever turns her on!

That said, there’s nothing like the hero factor! Fire-fighters, soldiers, sailors, pilots! Re-enact your favourite movie scenes over, and over, and over!

Take your pick from our fancy dress “Sexy Costumes” area between army-theme, nautical-theme, fairytale-theme, pirates, bumblebees, hippies, police officers, 80s fancy dress characters and a whole bunch more! We think it’s pretty silly to hide away the fact that everyone loves to look sexy in fancy dress! And when else can you indulge such a public passion for latex!

Remember the days of making witch fancy dress costumes out of bin liners and superhero costumes out of painted old cardboard boxes? We shudder to remember such dark days! Providing great value, creative, diverse kids and adult fancy dress costumes was our dream for years… and now it’s come true! It’s almost like a real life pantomime genie granted our wish (and we didn’t ruin it by being the type of person who said “I wish for three more wishes”!)

Anyway, we understand that you might not get much of a chance to wear those 70s fancy dress flares, dirty costumes, ladies 80’s legwarmers etc, so we do our best to keep cost to a minimum. By including accessories with an outfit we aim to save a few pennies on your behalf too (and man hours trailing the market for neon leg warmers!)

If you’re not really up for investing in an entire outfit, the thrifty option of just buying a few telling accessories, wigs, masks or face paint is always an option. Check out the relevant areas (you can find them on the left-hand menu near the bottom) and see if you can’t spot the ideal frugal solution to all your fancy dress woes.

Fancy dress should be fun, creative, exciting and accessible to all, so don’t panic about your budget, just browse our website for the perfect cheap solution.

Our top tip of the day – a red hooded tracksuit top, plus jeans, plus E.T mask equals the easiest fancy dress costume ever!

Whether you were born in the 80s, lived through them, or only know what My Little Pony is thanks to the abomination re-branding of the last few years (they’re not the same!), 80s fancy dress is still one of the most exciting, ridiculous, thoroughly ingenious fancy dress themes for any party… ever!

So, the guys have Freddie Mercury, He-Man, Top Gun and The Village People to draw inspiration from. Time to buckle-up ladies!

Typical 80s Girl

Ra-ra skirts, neon bangles, big hair, fishnet tights, mesh tops! The original 80s girl was a crimp-haired, florescent spectre! Our range of complete 80s ladies fancy dress outfits includes individual cheap components available from our accessory section to complete the look from head to toe.

Characters

Is there a better female 80s icon than She-Ra? Oh wait, what about Wonder Woman? Or Dale from Flash Gordon? Take your pick ladies!

Wacky 80s costumes

Maybe you’d like your homage to the 80s to be a little more conceptual… Rubik’s Cube costume perhaps? Or maybe you were just nuts about Twister and would love nothing more than to ask various partygoers to spin the needle!

Tons of ladies visit us every day looking for the best 80s costumes on the web. You can be assured of quality, creativity, well-described sizing information and the biggest range of ridiculous, fun, sexy, unlikely, brilliant fancy dress costumes around!

fancy dressladies fancy dress outfits

Don’t they say silliness is next to godliness? We’re pretty sure that sounds about right! Fancy dress events are the ideal excuse to kick back, dress like a dafty and have the time of your life with your favourite folks. Always wanted to dress up with your best mate as Mario and Luigi? Always held the belief that you are, in some way, destined to be She-Ra? That’s your inner child talking!

Characters

Our range of adult fancy dress character costumes is second to none. Elmo, Betty Boop, Big Bird, He-Man, Spongebob Squarepants, the Honey Monster, Charlie Brown, Count Duckula, Fraggle Rock, Bananas in Pyjamas – we’re pretty confident you’ll be too stuck choosing between fancy dress character costumes to notice the nostalgic tears of joy streaming down your 2011 face!

Games and Silly Things

Rubik’s Cubes, woopie cushions, Crayola crayons, massive sumo wrestlers, human dartboards – take your pick from all the ridiculous creations kept safely in our “Funny Costumes” area (if we let them run free they’ll take over!)

We reckon few things are more satisfying than letting that mischievous little inner child out for a chaotic episode every now and then. Fancy dress – be it 80s costumes, 70s outfits, scary, romantic, Hawaiian, food-themed, everything – is about having fun doing something you wouldn’t usually have the freedom to do. And by that we mean… dress like a crazy person!

Fair enough, we know you may only wear that E.T mask for one night (and maybe a little when alone on a Thursday night watching the telly!), so we try to keep costs down as much as possible too.

Getting dressed up for our partners is nothing new. A nice dinner, family event, trip to the beach – we care about how much we please the eye of our beholder. So why keep other naughty pleasures locked behind the shame door! Sexy fancy dress costumes could be just the ingredient to take a night of watching footie on the telly to a night playing footsie in the bedroom!

Bottom line, some less adventurous folks could feel a little awkward rocking up at bedtime wearing one of our dirty costumes instead of pyjamas, so here’s our pick of the old favourites to help ease you in…
•    The Combat Army Girl Costume is one of our best sellers! Not too over-the-top dirty, but what guy can resist a lady with a bullet belt sash!
•    Be a naughty cowgirl in the Bijou Boutique Wild West 3pce Costume (complete with belt and garters!)
•    Maybe a little dominance is on the cards? How about the Sultry Sheriff Costume – show ‘um who’s the boss!

In the mood for something a little more… creative? Check out these fancy dress gems!
•    The Sister Bliss Nun Costume is one of our budget best sellers. We reckon there’s definitely a joke in here somewhere about confessing your sins!
•    The heart wants what it wants… And we think the Fairytale Snow White Costume is as desirable as they come!

Having fancy dress fun between the sheets could be one of the most exciting bedroom adventures you and your superhero/cowboy/sexy doctor/pirate/Charlie Brown/Elmo/convict/sumo wrestler share this year!

Being a fairy princess in today’s princess-eat-princess world can be pretty tough! We think one of the most brilliant things about fancy dress is the option for little fairy princesses (who happen to inhabit adult bodies!) to show their fabulousness on the outside as well as in!

•    Princess stories don’t come much older than the Egyptian tales of Cleopatra. Our Egyptian Queen Costume is elegant and could help you command the attention of your loyal subjects (as it should be!)
•    Sticking with ancient theme, how about the Greek Goddess Costume to put a spell on admirers…
•    Ladies’ fancy dress doesn’t come much more badass than the Warrior Princess Costume – perfect if you want to look like you could cut the throats of disloyal subjects in a second!

•      Who are we not to include some fairytale magic? Princesses don’t come much sweeter than the Classic Snow White Costume (although we’re not sure she really wore suspenders…)
•    The Sexy Indian Princess Costume is the ideal choice for sultry princesses (who know how to handle a bow and arrow!)
•    Fancy being queen bee? Check out the Queen Bumble Bee Costume, and don’t forget your honey pot purse!

Women’s fancy dress is all about having fun playing dress up… and remember how much fun that used to be! A real princess is never shy with her fashion sense, so be brave in your fancy dress outfits ladies!

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.