It’s coming up to that time of year again. As October 31st approaches, consumers up and down the land are seeking advice, searching the web and trawling the high street for Halloween fancy dress ideas.

Because the event occurs annually, it can be difficult to keep coming up with new ideas for the celebration and you may be in danger of getting stuck in a rut.

That zombie outfit that started off with a few holes in for decoration may now have a few more where the moths have decided to take a bite.

If you are in this situation, you might want to take a different direction and consider a whole new genre for your fancy dress.

One option is to adopt music as inspiration and dress up as the late king of pop himself Michael Jackson.

Despite his tragic death, the legend remains a firm favourite among those with a passion for fancy dress costumes because of his high profile and unusual wardrobe.

Mens Halloween outfits that are based on Jackson include ones modelled on his Bad and Billie Jean music video costumes.

For the hits, he wore dark clothing that has become iconic since the songs were released.

Indeed, in terms of horror fancy dress, the celebrity was pretty creative himself. In the Thriller video, he morphed from a regular man into a monster.

So, what better role model could you have for your fancy dress this Halloween than the pop superstar? It could make a change from your previous efforts.

If you get it right, your Halloween fancy dress party could be the best party of the year – and definitely the spookiest! However, as with all fancy dress parties, the key to success is all in the planning. With this in mind, how do you host the perfect horror fancy dress party?

Theme

If you really want to make things easy on yourself, try matching your party to a particular theme. This way, choosing the music and even the costumes will be much easier. However, you will need to ensure that your theme is broad enough that it allows for people to dress in different costumes. A great idea for a theme would be a Halloween based 1980s fancy dress party, as arguably it was the age of horror – and there are some great 80s horror idols and music, such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, to provide inspiration.

Food

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your eatables, and simply by giving your food a horror twist will you bring a smile to the face of your guests – and hopefully a few screams too! Why not try setting some fake flies into some jelly, for a real food-based scare.

The Costumes

Arguably the most important thing about Halloween parties are the costumes, and Halloween is an occasion where you can really unleash that inner monster. As previously mentioned, setting a theme could help you decide on Halloween costumes, or even better why not visit us at Fancy Dress Ball for some truly gruesome inspiration!

When it comes to 80s fancy dress parties, one of the coolest costumes for men has to be that of the 80’s most iconic pop star – Michael Jackson. Although Michael Jackson had been a star from his youth in the Jackson Five, it was in the 1980s that he became a global superstar with his thrilling music videos and amazing dance routines. Never resting on his laurels, Michael Jackson was diverse in his style as well as his music, meaning there is plenty of scope for your 80s fancy dress costumes.

Of course, the white socks and black shoes are the obvious choice for whichever fancy dress outfits you choose, but there are also the red leather trousers to consider with the classic red and black leather jacket. If you prefer his look from the ‘Billie Jean’ era then you will need a black tea-shirt and a white suit. However, if you want to be completely unique then you could really go the extra mile by ransacking the Halloween costume department and announcing yourself as a zombie from the ‘Thriller’ music video.

Remember, Michael Jackson still had afro hair in the early 1980’s so this can be another string to your bow as there are lots of 80s fancy dress wigs available to complete the look. No matter what Michael Jackson costume you choose, you are sure to make quite an impact at your 80s fancy dress party; just be sure to practice your moonwalk!

For a wide range of accessories suitable for creating an authentic Michael Jackson look, browse the Fancy Dress Ball website.

Music is a great theme for a fancy dress party, as not only does it afford partygoers with a whole wealth of costume options, but you’ll also have the music sorted, too. With this in mind, what are the options for a musically inspired 1980s fancy dress theme?

Well the best way to give your fancy dress party an 80s theme is to base your theme on your personal tastes, and the tastes of your guests. For example, if you often reminisce about your days as an 80s goth, then your might opt for a theme that brings all of those memories back.

With this gothic theme in mind, there are some simple ways to create that immediately recognisable eighties gothic look – for example, you shouldn’t be afraid to use plenty of eyeliner – and most importantly you should dig out all of those old gothic tunes from the likes of Gary Numan and Siouxsie and the Banshees to really make your 1980s fancy dress party go with a gothic bang.

Of course a gothic theme won’t be for everyone, and perhaps you weren’t even around in the 80s; in which case a less esoteric theme might be more in order. With this in mind, even people who were too young to remember the 1980s will appreciate a 1980s fancy dress theme. Some ideas for a more accessible kind of 80s party include a Michael Jackson theme or a Madonna costume theme. Let’s face it, who hasn’t heard of them?

Today we are spoilt for choice for style icons, whether for everyday fashion or ideas for fancy dress costumes, and we might assume that we are the only decade to really experience what a celebrity culture is. However, there was a decade when trendsetters where not only famous, but also true style icons – the 1980s. It is this distinction that makes the 80s the real celebrity decade.

Unlike today, where celebrity is more often than not short-lived, in the 1980s icons where so memorable that they are still as famous as they ever were, which means that hosting a 1980s fancy dress party will not only be a nostalgia fest but it will appeal even to people who weren’t around in the 80s.

So, who exactly are these 1980s icons? The King of Pop Michael Jackson was at his best in the 1980s and single handedly defined the era with his iconic songs and his defining tracks – even more so his outstanding presence in everyday media. What better template for an eighties fancy dress party, as not only will you be able to draw upon a whole library of looks, but you will have loads of party anthems to play that are guaranteed to get guests into the eighties moonwalking mood.

Of course the eighties wasn’t all about Jacko, and Madonna was equally symbolic of the flamboyance and exuberance of eighties styles, which makes her the ideal template for an 80s fancy dress party. Of course a Madonna costume is perhaps most effective when worn by ladies, but don’t be afraid to let your guests know that humour is on the cards for fancy dress costumes, too – you may even get some of the male guests turning up as Madonna!