Costume ideas need the greatest input you have - your ideas. You don't have to buy or hire a costume unless you want to. You can make a costume instead with your innovative and unique ideas. The first step will be obviously to know about the situation. You cannot have a jazzy, glittery costume on a formal dinner. On the other hand, a stiff-collared formal dress will ruin the mood of a hip-hop party.
For a fancy dress party, you probably have the maximum liberty to run your imagination wild. For example, you can play Pinocchio in Mystery in the Library with a cardboard pencil nose and tying it on with white or skin coloured elastic. A heavily built person can colour his skin to become Aladdin's Genie. Think of the historical character or a character from your favourite Shakespearean play and start preparing the "period-specific" dresses and ensembles to match with it. Sure, this will be an exclusive costume, which no one can copy.
Innovative, creative and imaginative are the key essentials to creating a fancy dress costume. Have a good look in your wardrobe for everyday clothing that you can use. A baseball themed event can have you posting a hilarious slogan on a T-shirt. You can dress up quite easy as a klutz by wearing mismatched clothes or odd socks.
Ever had a bit of fun with your children's watercolour tubes? Dress them up in an ordinary shirt and jeans. Then draw a moustache and give them a hat and holster. Then just sit back and watch them enjoying playing cowboys. Costumes can be a powerful visual aid to raise awareness on certain issues.
Let's say you are trying to address the issue of eating genetically modified fruits and vegetables. You can dress in a tomato or carrot costume, this will help the viewers get more interested when you are talking about the pros and cons of genetically modified fruits and vegetables. This is a good way to make your message stick out in the minds of the viewers and less boring than reading it from somewhere.
Costume ideas can also represent how you are and what you like as a person. If you are someone who loved the Disco era then choose or make a costume that would reflect that time period. If you love the renaissance then make or choose a costume that would represent that particular look of the period. On the other hand if you are wild and crazy at heart choose a costume that reflects just how crazy you can be. You can plan costumes for all occasions. Do not go and buy any more ready-made costumes and expensive dress clothing to make an impression make your own.
About the Author:
If you have been invited to a fancy dress party, check out Helen Evans' website for some costume ideas.
