Fancy dress ideas for any party

Fancy dress goes wrong for one of two reasons: the outfit takes three days to make, or it falls apart by nine o'clock. Everything below is sorted by effort so you can pick according to how long you've actually got.

We don't sell costumes - we make cards, badges and party bits in house, printed in the UK - so nothing below is a sales pitch for an outfit.

If you're hosting rather than attending, the party planning guide at the end covers themes, games and timings once the outfits are sorted.

Fancy dress from things already in the house

• All black plus ears and drawn-on whiskers: a cat, and nobody minds.
• White shirt, dark tie, sunglasses: any film agent you like.
• Dressing gown, mug, wild hair: sleep-deprived parent.
• Dark clothes plus a bin bag cape: a very committed storm cloud.
• Everything inside out with the labels showing: laundry disaster.
• Normal clothes and a printed sign reading 'error 404: costume not found'.
• Tinfoil hat and a clipboard: conspiracy researcher.
• Football shirt and a bandage: injured player, sympathy all night.
• Beige head to toe with a name badge: a walking flatpack instruction manual.
• Stripe top, bandana, one eye closed: pirate, sorted in a minute.

Easy adult fancy dress with one bought item

• Witch or wizard - the hat does ninety per cent of the work.
• Cowboy: hat, checked shirt, boots you already own.
• 80s aerobics: leotard, leg warmers, headband.
• Greek god: a white sheet and a gold leaf headband.
• Superhero: a mask and a cape over normal clothes.
• Nurse or doctor: scrubs, worn again for years afterwards.
• Rock star: wig, sunglasses and a lot of denim.
• Bee: black and yellow stripes plus wings.
• Devil: horns and anything red.
• Skeleton: a printed suit that lasts a decade of parties.

DIY fancy dress on a budget

• Cardboard robot with foil detail and a torch bulb.
• Cereal killer: cereal boxes glued on with plastic knives through them.
• Static electricity: grey clothes, backcombed hair, socks pinned everywhere.
• One-hit wonder: a KO note plus a wonder-themed t-shirt.
• Smartie tube: a coloured tube of card with a lid hat.
• Bubble bath: white clothes with balloons pinned all over.
• Rubik's cube: a cardboard box painted in coloured squares.
• Ceiling fan: a shirt with 'go ceilings!' and pom-poms.
• Grapes: purple balloons pinned to a purple top.
• Charity shop suit plus black tape: a very cheap Beetlejuice.

Couples fancy dress

• Salt and pepper, made from white and black card cones.
• Cop and convict.
• Devil and angel.
• Sandy and Danny.
• Plug and socket, which is either funny or a fire hazard.
• Peanut butter and jam.
• Bride and groom of Frankenstein.
• Tourist and tour guide, both in terrible shorts.
• Cat and dog, warring all night.
• Two halves of a pantomime horse, if you trust each other.

Group fancy dress ideas

• Playing cards: black and red outfits with card fronts.
• Traffic lights, plus one confused pedestrian.
• Crayons: coloured t-shirts and matching cone hats.
• Emoji faces printed onto yellow t-shirts.
• Full cast of one film, one character each.
• Rock band, complete with cardboard instruments.
• Sports day: vests, numbers and one very serious teacher.
• Cluedo characters: six people, six colours, one candlestick.
• Superheroes, but every one of them is having a bad day.
• Fruit bowl: one colour each, green hats all round.

Fancy dress that survives a full night out

• Anything you can sit down in - half the night is on a sofa or a bus.
• Shoes you'd walk home in, not the ones that finish the look.
• Layers over normal clothes so you can strip back in a warm room.
• Nothing that needs both hands to keep on.
• Face paint tested on a wrist a day before, if skin is sensitive.
• Wigs pinned properly - they slide within an hour otherwise.
• Pockets, or someone else carrying your phone all evening.
• A costume that reads from across a room, not one needing an explanation.

Shop party supplies

Decorations for the night

Banners, cake toppers and confetti that go up in ten minutes.

How to write it so it lands

• Decide the outfit a week early, then buy the one missing item.
• Agree a group theme in a message thread, not on the night.
• Give a prize for the worst costume too - it gets more people dressing up.
• Take the photos early, while everyone still looks tidy.

Where to shop next

• Fancy dress party themes
• How to throw a fancy dress party
• Last-minute fancy dress ideas
• Hen party fancy dress themes
• DIY fancy dress on a budget
• 80s and 90s party ideas
• Fancy dress prize ideas
• Birthday party ideas
• Party supplies
• Halloween costume ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What is a good fancy dress idea?

Pick something that reads from across a room and that you can sit down in. A witch hat, a cowboy hat or an all-black cat outfit each take one item and are recognised instantly.

What can I wear for fancy dress with no costume?

Raid the house: all black plus ears, a white shirt and sunglasses, a dressing gown and a mug, or normal clothes with a printed 'error 404: costume not found' sign.

Do you sell fancy dress costumes?

No - we make cards, badges and party decorations, designed in house and printed in the UK. These guides are for planning the party rather than buying the outfit.

How much does fancy dress cost?

A homemade outfit from charity shop clothes is usually under £10. A shop-bought adult costume typically runs £15 to £35, and a single accessory such as a hat or wig is £3 to £8.