People don’t need much of an excuse to dress up these days. Halloween, Christmas, hen do's and stag parties, house warming, birthdays, anniversaries, and even weddings provide an opportunity to put on a wild fancy dress costume and party the night away.

But if you’re struggling to come up with a theme for your fancy dress party or you’re wondering the best time of year to throw a fancy dress do, then let us help you out with a few handy hints and tips about fancy dress parties.

Halloween is a very popular time to throw a fancy dress party, when the theme is just as obvious – horror. So if you fancy having your house or party location invaded by Frankenstein and his bride, Dracula, red devils and black cats, then that’s the time to do it.

Alternatively you could have a Christmas party where everyone arrives dressed as Father Christmas, or perhaps a snowman, reindeer or angel. Birthdays, particularly special ones such as 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, and 60th, are also great excuses for a fancy dress party, and you are perfectly entitled to pick a theme for the event too. Why not throw a superheroes bash, where all your friends come dressed as Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Lara Croft, or how about a glitzy movie and pop star party, where you can rub shoulders with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Cher and Al Pacino?

Other ideas include a jungle party, where you’ll see the likes of Tarzan, lions, tigers, elephants and monkeys roaming around the place; a fairytale party, where you can meet Cinderella, Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs, Prince Charming and the Evil Queen; or even a historical bash, where you might see infamous characters such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn. And if that’s a little too far back in the history books for you why not throw a World War II party, where your guests will include RAF officers, Army generals and the Wrens.

Finally, if you want a fancy dress party that’s full to the brim with disco fever opt for a 70s-style theme, where you’re sure to see plenty of flairs, platform shoes, feather boas, Afro hairstyles, and even the odd Bee Gee!

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