There’s no doubt about it: Brits love to have fun with fancy dress, no matter what the occasion. From birthdays and special holidays to themed parties, there’s always a reason to don a costume. Brits love to get creative – whether on their own or with groups of friends – when it comes to choosing fancy dress costumes. Many coordinate their costumes according to a theme – for example, Hawaiian or luau – while others opt to model themselves after movie or television characters. The options are endless when it comes to choosing a fancy dress costume; but a little fun, thought and creativity can help you in choosing a perfect costume for your next fancy dress occasion. To begin, consider whether you want people to recognise your costume immediately, or if you’d like them to have a bit of fun with guessing. If you want people to recognise your costume at first glance, you might consider dressing up as your favourite film or television character – for example, a character from Top Gun or Little Britain. There are numerous characters to choose from, from both recent and older films and TV programmes; but keep in mind that older, or “cult classic” films and programmes might get more recognition due to a greater number of people being familiar with them. Film and television characters also make for great group-coordinated costume ideas. If, on the other hand, you’d like a bit of fun guessing involved, you can always opt for more obscure characters. They don’t necessarily have to be characters from films or TV shows either – you can choose characters from literature, figures from history, or even your favourite celebrity. If you want to get witty with your fancy dress ideas, choose your favourite catchphrase or term, and try to create it using a costume. For example, dress entirely in black and attach Barbie dolls all over yourself to become a “chick magnet”. Or pair up with a friend to go as a piñata and the person “up” at the piñata – just make sure you use a balloon bat and perhaps a stocking as a blindfold, so you can actually see through it. The possibilities for witty fancy dress costumes are truly endless with a bit of creative thought. So, while Hallowe’en may be over, fancy dress opportunities still abound. Start thinking about ideas for your next adult fancy dress occasion, and you’re sure to be a hit with all the guests.

Fancy dress for charity events includes fairies, angels and convicts. Costumes to consider for your run include:

FairiesFancy dress for budding fairies is a tutu and a pair of wings.  Depending on how far you are running carry a wand.  If you’re running the London Marathon then give the wand a miss, it will just slow you down, but if you’re running for only a couple of kilometers in a local fun run then go for the wand.  If nothing more you can wave it at the people who are watching! This is one of the most popular fancy dress outfits for running in a marathon.

DevilsIf you’re feeling a little devilish then go for a devil fancy dress. These can be full costumes or short sexy outfits.  Maybe the time of year and the weather will play a part in your choice! Or maybe you want to wear the short sexy skirt anyway!  

Convicts and police fancy dress costumesThere’s a good choice in convict fancy dress.  Ladies can wear a frisky police outfit consisting of a short clingy blue police dress and belt.  Or a pink lady fancy dress outfit.  Men can wear an orange convict jumpsuit or a striped two piece convict outfit.

Check your event’s website for training tips and follow their training advice.  Choose your costume well in advance of the day and hound your friends and family for money!! 

Lots of people every year participate in fund raising events.  A really popular fund raiser is a short fun run or a more serious run such as the London Marathon.  Anyone can get involved.  Even if you don’t enjoy jogging, join an event that only has a one to three kilometer distance and walk the course instead of running.  Most people enter into the spirit of things by dressing up in various fancy dress.  Fairies, Convicts and Police are among some popular outfits. 

The internet has made it easy to sign up online and most charities have a website where you can easily create your own webpage where your friends and relatives can make online donations to sponsor you.  You can let people know how you are doing in your training, what fancy dress costume you’ll be wearing and how much you’ve raised for your charity. 

Fancy dress parties are a common happening in the UK. No matter what the occasion – whether a stag or hen party, birthday, or just a night out on the town – Brits love to dress up in costumes to party. But while showing up to a party in a costume is certainly one of the best parts of the fancy dress experience, the fun actually starts much earlier. Half the fun in going to a fancy dress party is in actually deciding on – and finding – what you’re going to dress up as. Some people like to surprise the party with their unique, self-made ideas, while others enjoy teaming up with their friends for a collective fancy dress effort. And groups certainly have a lot of fancy dress costume options to choose from, ranging from movie and TV characters, to rock bands and era costumes. Among these options, film character costumes – especially those from well-known or older films – have been rising in popularity over recent years. This likely has something to do with the fact that many fancy dress party guests can instantly recognise such costumes, as well as relate to them. From Indiana Jones and Beetlejuice to any of the characters from Star Wars or Star Trek, film character costumes are currently among the most popular for fancy dress parties. Certain film groups are also particularly popular with fancy dress group efforts – for example, the characters from Top Gun. Dressing up in a Top Gun fancy dress costume leaves no doubt in party guests as to who you’ve shown up as, simply because Maverick, Goose and Charlie are all so distinctive. Costumes for these characters are also fairly simple to find or put together, with no requirements that are out of the ordinary. With some large 80s sunglasses, white aviator uniforms, and – in the case of Charlie – a hair crimper – you can pull together a team of Top Gun’s most popular characters. Of course, it couldn’t hurt if your team can sing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”. Ultimately, planning for a fancy dress party – whether you’re going as a solo character or a team of themed characters – is a great way to have some fun together before the actual party. So get creative with your costume ideas, and make an entrance to remember at your next fancy dress party.