Your first fancy dress party as a fully grown adult can be a terrifying affair. As a child it is all organised and arranged for you but as as an adult it is down to you to source your own costume, make sure it is appropriate and also ensure that you are confident enough to wear what you have chosen or made.
Don’t Panic
First things first, don’t start the whole process in a panic or your stress levels are guaranteed to simply keep on rising until they are stratospheric by the time the day of the party arrives. Stay calm, read the invite through a few times and make sure you are one hundred percent clear about the fancy dress expectations of the night. There is nothing worse than being the only one who really took it seriously and spent hundreds on a special costume or alternately being the saddo who didn’t put any effort in and everyone else is dressed up to the nines.
Get the vibe from the invite; How serious is it; What theme is it; What age or decade is it and last but by no means least; Is there a competition?
Plan It Out
Now that you’ve got the jist of the fancy dress requirements have a look online for ideas that fit the theme. Sites like Pinterest are brilliant as people have already done all of the hard work searching and gathering images into specific themed boards for your perusal. Scour your wardrobe for anything that you’ve got already that you could incorporate and if you’ve got one, check out your fancy dress box too. Remember that there is not just the clothing to consider you will also need shoes (often the hardest part of a costume), jewellery and perhaps even a wig.
Find Your Costume
Greta starting points are specific fancy dress stores like Ace Fancy Dress who can provide full costumes and list all of their costumes in themes so that you are sure to get the right options for your party. If you are looking to be a bit more DIY than that then search around local charity shops and thrift stores to see if you can find clothes that can be easily adapted to suit your costume idea. Another great place for inspiration, particularly if your party is decade, age or period themed, are second hand, retro and vintage shops. If you are going to a seventies party, it is perfectly possible to pick up an authentic maxi dress from one of these shops and be the real deal!
