Christmas is nearly here, and as the festivities start to take over there may be some of you planning a spectacular seasonal party filled with fun, food and drink. For many,  though, hosting the traditional fancy dress party is the highlight of the year, and preparations will already be in full flow. If you have children there is always the problem which fancy dress costume it’s going to be this year, so let’s take a look at some beautiful childrens christmas costume classics.

Elf: That much-loved film Elf is the reason why the Santa’s little helper elf costume has soared in popularity. The outfit consists of trousers, jacket and an elf hat in christmas green and red colours. Add some elf slippers to finish off and, if you look around, you may find some that even have bells on. An ideal comfortable costume to wear for both kiddies and adults makes this a popular choice.

Reindeer: Our children’s love affair with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is everlasting and puts this outfit in the Christmas costume top ten list. For the man who’s still a child at heart there are adult versions of this costume, too. Looks great with the large black eyes and nose. Just be careful you don’t poke anyone in the eye with the antlers when you’re doing lots of under the mistletoe kisses if you’re an adult. A little tip here – the suits don’t always come with a red nose, but you could always use your Comic Relief leftover or buy one at a clown accessories store.

Santa suit: This is a suit available for any age, male and female, such is its popularity. For the Santa baby,  your little darlings will be in festive favour in their Santa suits and, if you’re out and about visiting relatives on Christmas morning, be prepared for your baby to take centre stage. For baby boys, the suit comes with some cutie pants and jacket with traditional white fur edging and pretend black belt for comfort. The Christmas hat is a must for the perfect finish. For the little Miss Santa, the costume becomes a beautiful red dress edged in white fur around the bottom, neck and cuffs. TIP: If she doesn’t want to wear a Santa hat, then a red coloured sparkly hair band can be sported to great effect.

Wooden Soldier: This super looking costume will have your little boy marching off with all the attention. The red jacket traditionally will have silver braiding and some embroidery with buttons, with the white pants bearing a stripe down the sides. The matching hat is a perfect finisher. A super looking little outfit.

Angel: Your little ones will look heavenly and will certainly steal everyone’s hearts in any angel costume. This beautiful outfit will come with sparkly halo and wings edged in gold or silver. Always remember the comfort of the child wearing this costume so that, when they need their nap, they’ll be able to do so. TIP: A little gold or silver hair band or scrunchie is ideal if your child doesn’t get on with the halo.

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.