Some of the best 80s fancy dress costumes are those based on 80s characters. These could be characters from 80s TV shows, 80s films or 80s movies, 80s cartoons or books released in the 80s. Lots of fantastic 1980s fancy dress costume ideas can be had by thinking about each of these 80s fancy dress categories.
80s TV show characters fancy dress costumes
There were lots of iconic 80s TV series, and lots of great 80s TV charcters for 80s fancy dress. How about a JR Ewing costume, or a Mork costume? How about a Hannibal Smith costume or a Michael Knight costume?
80s film characters fancy dress costumes
Lots of 80s movies have achieved cult status and any of the characters from these movies would make a great 80s fancy dress outfit. How about a Marty McFly costume, or a Maverick, Top Gun fancy dress costume? How about a Daniel Larusso Karate Kid costume, or a Chuck Goonies costume? The possiblities for 80s film fancy dress are almost endless.
80s cartoon characters fancy dress costumes
The cartoons of the 80s were great. Lots of the key cartoon characters would make fanctastic 1980s fancy dress outfits. Think Danger Mouse costumes, Dogtanian fancy dress costumes, a Mighty Mouse costume, a Bananaman fancy dress outfit, Ewok fancy dress costumes, Thundercat fancy dress costumes, He-Man fancy dress costumes, She-Ra fancy dress costumes and many more. Again there is a wealth of 80s fancy dress ideas to inspire you.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Friday, 13 March 2009
Bananaman Fancy Dress Costumes
One of the most popular cartoon series on British TV in the 80s was Bananaman. The show was based around the 80s comic book hero, Bananaman, and was known for its tongue-in-cheek style and sense of fun. Bananaman would make a fantastic 80s fancy dress costume because the superhero is so instantly recognisable.
Lots of companies produce Bananaman costumes, and purchasing one, or hiring a suit is probably your best bet with this 80s fancy dress costume because it would be quite a difficult one to put together from scratch. It is however an easy fancy dress costume to accessorise. Any Bananaman costume would be completmented by the addition of an inflatable banana or a supply of real bananas to hand out to other 80s party guests.
It might also be a good idea to request that the Bananaman theme-tune is played at some point during the 80s fancy dress party - have a word with the hosts in advance. This would give you a great opportunity to show-off your Bananaman costume.
Bananaman costumes work really well when other guests wear fancy dress costumes of other 80s cartoon characters. Try to convince your friends to don Mighty Mouse costumes or Danger Mouse costumes or Dogtanian costumes and you will be the stars of any 80's costume party that you attend.
Lots of companies produce Bananaman costumes, and purchasing one, or hiring a suit is probably your best bet with this 80s fancy dress costume because it would be quite a difficult one to put together from scratch. It is however an easy fancy dress costume to accessorise. Any Bananaman costume would be completmented by the addition of an inflatable banana or a supply of real bananas to hand out to other 80s party guests.
It might also be a good idea to request that the Bananaman theme-tune is played at some point during the 80s fancy dress party - have a word with the hosts in advance. This would give you a great opportunity to show-off your Bananaman costume.
Bananaman costumes work really well when other guests wear fancy dress costumes of other 80s cartoon characters. Try to convince your friends to don Mighty Mouse costumes or Danger Mouse costumes or Dogtanian costumes and you will be the stars of any 80's costume party that you attend.
Back to the Future Costumes
One of the best movies released in the 80s was Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox. The 'present day' parts of the movie are set in 1985, and Marty McFly, the main character, is very 80s, making him a great subject for an 80s fancy dress costume. The other key character, Doctor Emmett Brown (Doc), is also a really great 80's fancy dress costume.
Marty McFly 80s fancy dress costume
To pull-off the a Marty McFly costume, you will need to get hold of a pair of faded blue-denim jeans, a 'body warmer' type sleeveless jacket (in red), an 'old school' walkman, a cream checked shirt, a pair of braces and some white, plain Nike sneakers. Marty McFly spends a lot of time in Back to the Future riding a skateboard, so this would be a good prop for this 80s fancy dress costume.
Doc 80s fancy dress costume
Doc wears a white lab coat and has crazy, wispy white hair (a bit like Einstein), his pocket is full of pens and he wears a utility-type tool belt for some of the film. This would make a great costume for an 80s party, particularly if one of your friends went as Marty.
Another option for a Back to the Future fancy dress costume is to go for a radiation suit fancy dress costume. Worn by both Marty and Doc during the movie, this outfit would certianly go down really well at a party.
There are lots of Back to the Future t-shirts available, and Back to the Future button badges too, and these would be good accessories to wear as part of a Back to the Future costume. Because Back to the Future was such a popular movie, these outfits would be fantastic 80s fancy dress costumes, and would certainly be appropriate for an 80s fancy dress party.
Marty McFly 80s fancy dress costume
To pull-off the a Marty McFly costume, you will need to get hold of a pair of faded blue-denim jeans, a 'body warmer' type sleeveless jacket (in red), an 'old school' walkman, a cream checked shirt, a pair of braces and some white, plain Nike sneakers. Marty McFly spends a lot of time in Back to the Future riding a skateboard, so this would be a good prop for this 80s fancy dress costume.
Doc 80s fancy dress costume
Doc wears a white lab coat and has crazy, wispy white hair (a bit like Einstein), his pocket is full of pens and he wears a utility-type tool belt for some of the film. This would make a great costume for an 80s party, particularly if one of your friends went as Marty.
Another option for a Back to the Future fancy dress costume is to go for a radiation suit fancy dress costume. Worn by both Marty and Doc during the movie, this outfit would certianly go down really well at a party.
There are lots of Back to the Future t-shirts available, and Back to the Future button badges too, and these would be good accessories to wear as part of a Back to the Future costume. Because Back to the Future was such a popular movie, these outfits would be fantastic 80s fancy dress costumes, and would certainly be appropriate for an 80s fancy dress party.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
3 80's Fancy Dress Costumes
Here are some classic examples of 80s fancy dress costumes. All of them are inspired by the music of the 1980s and would be fantastic costumes for an 80s themed party or an eighties costume party.
Michael Jackson costume
Michael Jackson was at the top of his game in the 1980s. Thriller was the biggest selling album and Bad spawned number one singles all over world. Michael Jackson's look and outfits were as memorable as his music. A Michael Jackson costume is easy to put together. If you're going for the Thriller costume, you'll need red trousers and a red jacket. Add to this some white socks and slip-on black shoes and you're almost there. If you're going for a Bad-era Michael Jackson costume, you've got to go a bit further with the accessories. Start with some black trousers (preferably with a stripe running down the sides), add a dark military jacket (with medals), some shades, a shiny belt and a sparkly glove on one hand. For extra authenticity, you could get hold of a Smooth Criminal style hat and add some plasters to the non-gloved hand. Michael Jackson costumes always make great 80's fancy dress outfits. A Thriller costume could also be re-used as a Michael Jackson Halloween costume.
Madonna costume
If Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Madonna was the queen. She made great music in the eighties. Because Madonna changed her look so often, it is probably best to recreate her early look for an 80s fancy dress party, as this is most readily associated with the 1980s. For this Madonna costume you will need a dark dress with leggings (fishnets) and a short funky jacket (in a dark colour). It's the accessories that make this Madonna costume, so load up with rubber and leather bracelets, lacy gloves, hair scarves and headbands and religious necklaces. This outfit is a great one to choose for an 80's fancy dress party because it can be put together from cheap purchases from thrift and charity stores.
Wham costumes
No band typifies the cheesy side of the 80s as well as Wham. George and Andrew with their bleached blonde hair, white trousers and shorts and neon T-shirts, really shouted: 1980s! You've got two options, go for the 'aviator look' from the Club Tropicana video (in which case you'll need a white military-style suit and hat), or the Wham on tour look, which I've described above. You can't go too over-the-top when putting together a Wham costume. These 80s fancy dress costumes are always successful at an 80's party because wham tracks are usually on the playlist.
These are just three examples, but there are lots of other 80's artists that would provide the inspiration for brilliant 80s fancy dress costumes.
Michael Jackson costume
Michael Jackson was at the top of his game in the 1980s. Thriller was the biggest selling album and Bad spawned number one singles all over world. Michael Jackson's look and outfits were as memorable as his music. A Michael Jackson costume is easy to put together. If you're going for the Thriller costume, you'll need red trousers and a red jacket. Add to this some white socks and slip-on black shoes and you're almost there. If you're going for a Bad-era Michael Jackson costume, you've got to go a bit further with the accessories. Start with some black trousers (preferably with a stripe running down the sides), add a dark military jacket (with medals), some shades, a shiny belt and a sparkly glove on one hand. For extra authenticity, you could get hold of a Smooth Criminal style hat and add some plasters to the non-gloved hand. Michael Jackson costumes always make great 80's fancy dress outfits. A Thriller costume could also be re-used as a Michael Jackson Halloween costume.
Madonna costume
If Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Madonna was the queen. She made great music in the eighties. Because Madonna changed her look so often, it is probably best to recreate her early look for an 80s fancy dress party, as this is most readily associated with the 1980s. For this Madonna costume you will need a dark dress with leggings (fishnets) and a short funky jacket (in a dark colour). It's the accessories that make this Madonna costume, so load up with rubber and leather bracelets, lacy gloves, hair scarves and headbands and religious necklaces. This outfit is a great one to choose for an 80's fancy dress party because it can be put together from cheap purchases from thrift and charity stores.
Wham costumes
No band typifies the cheesy side of the 80s as well as Wham. George and Andrew with their bleached blonde hair, white trousers and shorts and neon T-shirts, really shouted: 1980s! You've got two options, go for the 'aviator look' from the Club Tropicana video (in which case you'll need a white military-style suit and hat), or the Wham on tour look, which I've described above. You can't go too over-the-top when putting together a Wham costume. These 80s fancy dress costumes are always successful at an 80's party because wham tracks are usually on the playlist.
These are just three examples, but there are lots of other 80's artists that would provide the inspiration for brilliant 80s fancy dress costumes.
Friday, 6 March 2009
80s Fancy Dress
80's themed parties are becoming really popular and, more often then not, the guests are required to wear 80s fancy dress costumes. The 80s are a great decade for a fancy dress theme because some of the 1980's fashions, trends and outfits were truly outlandish. If you cast your mind back to the eighties, lots of iconic images from 80s movies, TV shows and music videos will fill your mind. The 80s were a time of decadence, parties, money and being the center of attention, and 80s fancy dress costumes should definitely turn heads.
Because there is such great material from the 1980's, you might already have a good idea for a 80s fancy dress costume, but just in case you need them, here are some 80's fancy dress ideas broken down into several categories.
80's fancy dress costumes inspired by movies
There were lots of movies from the 1980s that typified the decade. Get inspired by Tron costumes (think neon and the first computer games), Back to the Future costumes (think faded denim and skateboards) and Wall Street costumes (think yuppies with filofax and massive cell phones). Other movies that could lead to great 80s fancy dress costumes are: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Teen Wolf, Mystic Pizza, Cocktail...
80s fancy dress costumes inspired by TV shows
There were also lots of iconic TV shows in the 1980's, and these can also help to generate some good 1980s fancy dress costume ideas. Think about Dallas costumes and Dynasty costumes (shoulder pads and big hair), Miami Vice costumes (Don Johnson with the sleeves of his white jackets rolled up to the elbow), and The A-Team costumes, to name just a few.
1980s fancy dress costumes inspired by music and bands
Lots of great 80s costumes can be based on the outfits worn by the musicians of the time. With the introduction of MTV music videos became really important in the 1980s and the 'look' of the band was key. The new romantics style was really big in the 80s and this provides the basis for some great 80s fancy dress costumes - think Duran Duran, Adam Ant and Spandau Ballet with lots of make up. Add to this, Prince costumes, Michael Jackson costumes, Madonna costumes and Cyndi Lauper outfits, and you've got lots of fancy dress ideas to work with.
80s fancy dress ideas based around events and trends
The 80s gave rise to lots of trends. Computer gaming really took off in the eighties and 80s fancy dress costumes could easily incorporate Space Invaders or Pacman motifs and symbols. Neon was big in the 1980s, and one big trend was to wear fluorescent socks of different colours. Yuppies were born in the 80s and their look could easily be the subject of an 80's fancy dress outfit.
As you can see, the eighties provided a wealth of opportunities for 80s fancy dress costumes. If you are invited to attend an 80s party, you certainly won't be stuck for some great 80's fancy dress costume ideas and inspiration.
Because there is such great material from the 1980's, you might already have a good idea for a 80s fancy dress costume, but just in case you need them, here are some 80's fancy dress ideas broken down into several categories.
80's fancy dress costumes inspired by movies
There were lots of movies from the 1980s that typified the decade. Get inspired by Tron costumes (think neon and the first computer games), Back to the Future costumes (think faded denim and skateboards) and Wall Street costumes (think yuppies with filofax and massive cell phones). Other movies that could lead to great 80s fancy dress costumes are: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Teen Wolf, Mystic Pizza, Cocktail...
80s fancy dress costumes inspired by TV shows
There were also lots of iconic TV shows in the 1980's, and these can also help to generate some good 1980s fancy dress costume ideas. Think about Dallas costumes and Dynasty costumes (shoulder pads and big hair), Miami Vice costumes (Don Johnson with the sleeves of his white jackets rolled up to the elbow), and The A-Team costumes, to name just a few.
1980s fancy dress costumes inspired by music and bands
Lots of great 80s costumes can be based on the outfits worn by the musicians of the time. With the introduction of MTV music videos became really important in the 1980s and the 'look' of the band was key. The new romantics style was really big in the 80s and this provides the basis for some great 80s fancy dress costumes - think Duran Duran, Adam Ant and Spandau Ballet with lots of make up. Add to this, Prince costumes, Michael Jackson costumes, Madonna costumes and Cyndi Lauper outfits, and you've got lots of fancy dress ideas to work with.
80s fancy dress ideas based around events and trends
The 80s gave rise to lots of trends. Computer gaming really took off in the eighties and 80s fancy dress costumes could easily incorporate Space Invaders or Pacman motifs and symbols. Neon was big in the 1980s, and one big trend was to wear fluorescent socks of different colours. Yuppies were born in the 80s and their look could easily be the subject of an 80's fancy dress outfit.
As you can see, the eighties provided a wealth of opportunities for 80s fancy dress costumes. If you are invited to attend an 80s party, you certainly won't be stuck for some great 80's fancy dress costume ideas and inspiration.
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