There is no denying that the 1980s were pretty special in style terms, but in particular it was male fashions that really blossomed during the decade. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten those 80s ideals of male 80s flamboyance, however for the nostalgic (or brave!) amongst you it’s pretty easy to recreate some iconic 80s outfits for men.

Just like women’s 80s outfits, male fashion in the 80s was defined by its bright colours, including shocking pinks and bright yellows (yes, we are still talking men’s fashion!) and somehow men in the 80s were able to were such ultra bright colours and still look ultra-stylish. Think of Miami Vice, for example; an inspiration for many 80s men, where pink t-shirts were often combined with “preppy” looks to create a truly iconic style.

When thinking of the eighties, shoulder pads definitely spring to mind, and it is certainly true that women took centre stage in terms of business as well as fashion. However, men’s business ware also became an issue of power, consisting of strong designs with pinstripes and oversize suit jackets.

During the 80s, sports began to share the stage with a vibrant pop culture, and sports-ware began to be considered highly fashionable. These sports inspired outfits not were not only ultra-stylish and fashionable, but they were also brightly coloured, thus in-keeping with the flamboyancy of 80s outfits.

For 80s inspired fancy dress costumes that promote authenticity and style in equal measures, make Fancy Dress Ball your first port of call. We supply a wide range of men’s and women’s 80s fancy dress costumes to suit any preferences.

Many famous actors often claim that when they become a particular character, they are able to forget their natural shyness and use the persona they create as a way of escaping from their everyday life. Wearing fancy dress costumes can sometimes have a very similar effect. When you are planning to go to a fancy dress party or event, bear this fact in mind and dress up as someone who is quite different to what people see as your normal personality. For example, you may be a respectable member of society by day, such as an accountant or solicitor. In that case allow the party to be your opportunity to see what life as an outlaw, a cowboy or a pirate, perhaps, would be like.

At Fancy Dress Ball, we have such a wide selection of costumes that whatever you want to dress as, we’re sure you will find the perfect costume on our website. The great advantage that we have over other fancy dress suppliers is that we sell you the costume rather than hire them out. This means the costume is in your size, brand new and yours to keep. What’s more, it is often less expensive than hiring the costume.

Just think, you’ll never have to trek across town to the nearest fancy dress shop to see what costumes they have in your size. Nor will you have to repeat the journey to pick up the costume and then take that trip a third time to return your fancy dress costumes. At Fancy Dress Ball, we supply mens fancy dress costumes and womens fancy dress costumes.

Fashions in fancy dress costumes change. They are affected to a large extent by the popularity of television shows and films. Some, of course, are classics. In 2009, the trends have been interesting and would no doubt give social historians a fascinating time as they write papers and essays on the subject. However, we’re not here to comment. We just thought we might be able to give you a few ideas for the next time you’re invited to a fancy dress party.

The show ‘Grease’ is as popular as ever and is still running in London’s West End. The film is often featured in rundowns of people’s favourite films so it will be no surprise that 50s fancy dress costumes generally and characters from ‘Grease’, in particular, are proving very popular. At Fancy Dress Ball, we can have you looking like Danny before you can say “Greased Lightning”.

‘The Armstrong and Miller Show’ has some of the best sketch comedy and characters around. One of the most popular is the Second World War pilots who talk in street slang. As a result, many people want to look like Biggles, the fictional war hero.

Although there hasn’t been a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film for a while, pirate fancy dress costumes are as popular as ever. Some superheroes never go away and Spiderman and Batman costumes complete with muscular chests are great fun. Other classics still popular include anything from ‘Star Trek’ and cowboy costumes. The ladies always seem to like seeing a man dressed as a fireman.