Funny Stag Do Fancy Dress Ideas

There are two costumes on a stag do: what the group wears, and what the groom wears. They're different jobs.

The group needs cheap, warm and wearable for twelve hours. The groom needs visible from space and survivable in good humour.

Below: the themes that work, the groom outfits that don't cross the line, and the ones that get the whole group turned away at the first door.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations, not costumes.

Group themes that work for twelve people

• Lifeguards. Red shorts, red vest, whistle and a float - cheap, warm enough, instantly recognisable, and the groom in the same thing plus a sash is the gag.
• Tourists: shorts, socks and sandals, bumbags, cameras, sunburn drawn on with blusher.
• Golfers or tennis players: charity shop polo shirts, terrible trousers, sweatbands.
• Emergency services - Read the guide
• The 90s, one character each - Read the guide
• Same shirt, different tie. The cheapest theme there is and it photographs brilliantly.

What to put the groom in

• One notch sillier than the group, never humiliating. He has to want to look at the photos in ten years.
• The group in lifeguard red, the groom in the same kit with a sash and an inflatable ring. Fits every pub, works in every photo.
• A morphsuit under the group's theme, revealed at some point during the evening.
• A costume with a number on it and a running joke attached, so people keep adding to it.
• Whatever he's in, check the door policy first. A groom turned away at the venue is the actual disaster.
• Don't do: nudity, anything humiliating in front of strangers, or anything he's specifically asked you not to.

Costumes that survive a whole weekend

• Over your own clothes, always. Pubs are hot, the walk between them isn't.
• Nothing that needs a battery, a pump or a costume repair kit.
• Pockets. Phone, card, keys, hotel key card.
• Shoes for a mile of pavement.
• Washable and cheap, because something will get spilled on it inside two hours.
• One spare of whatever the groom's wearing, because it will get damaged.

What gets you refused at the door

• Full face masks and anything that hides your features.
• Fake weapons, including obviously plastic ones.
• Police and armed forces uniforms - plenty of doors refuse them outright.
• Anything offensive. Bouncers have heard every defence and none of them work.
• Wide inflatables, which can't get through a doorway or into a taxi.
• Ring the venues ahead if you're a group of twelve in costume. Most are fine if you ask.

Cheap ways to kit out a group

• Charity shop run together: one afternoon, one theme, everyone's sorted for a fiver.
• Buy in bulk from one seller so the whole group matches rather than nearly matches.
• One good costume for the groom, cheap versions for everyone else.
• Budget guide - Read the guide
• Stag planning - Read the guide
• Games for the weekend - Read the guide

Shop party decorations

How to write it so it lands

• Group cheap and warm, groom one notch sillier.
• Over your own clothes, with pockets.
• Ring the venues before a group of twelve turns up in costume.
• Nothing he's asked you not to do.

Where to shop next

• Party supplies
• Bunting and banners
• Funny pin badges
• Funny cards
• Stag do ideas
• Stag do games
• 90s fancy dress ideas
• Beach party theme ideas
• Emergency services fancy dress
• Red themed party ideas
• Pub crawl fancy dress themes
• 2000s fancy dress ideas
• Duo fancy dress ideas
• Under the sea fancy dress
• Funny fancy dress ideas
• Fancy dress party themes
• DIY fancy dress on a budget
• Last minute fancy dress ideas
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Wedding cards
• Wedding cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are good stag do fancy dress ideas?

Lifeguards, tourists, golfers, emergency services or same shirt different tie. Cheap, warm, wearable over your own clothes and recognisable in a dark pub is the whole test.

What should the groom wear on a stag do?

One notch sillier than the group, never humiliating. The group in lifeguard red with the groom in the same kit plus a sash and an inflatable ring works in every pub and in every photograph.

What fancy dress gets you refused entry?

Full face masks, fake weapons, police and armed forces uniforms, wide inflatables and anything offensive. Ring the venues first if you're a big group in costume.

How do you kit out a whole stag group cheaply?

Do a charity shop run together around one theme, or buy in bulk from a single seller so everyone matches properly. Spend on the groom's outfit and go cheap on the rest.

Do you sell fancy dress costumes?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. Costumes are recommendations from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.