Students: How to be excellent at fancy dress!

Over the three years of your life at university, there will be a lot of social events you’ll be invited to. Whether it’s Freshers’ week, Halloween, a charity event, a house party or a night out with friends – fancy dress will definitely be a fun part of your university experience.

No matter if you are part of the Students’ Union weekly social events for a sports team or society, almost every week some form of fancy dress is paramount. And it’s good fun; most people love a good fancy dress theme – myself included!

So here are 5 top tips for hosting a fancy dress themed night as well as attending one:

1. Pick a theme that will go down well with everyone.

Make sure it’s a universal theme that everyone will enjoy and that everyone can think of something they’d like to be seen in.

Often, themes where people dress differently can be a good idea because there’s no pressure to look better than anyone else wearing the same costume and then your costume can be kept a surprise.

2. Think about the cost.

Although going out as the Teletubbies may seem like a good idea, it’s probably going to cost a lot to look like an actual Teletubby. As students, we don’t often have money flying around all over the place, so be practical.

Think of clothes that people may already have at home, that can easily pass for something else or that people can easily pick up cheaply from Primark/charity shops.

3. Think outside the box.

Don’t go as something too safe. You may think you’ve come out as a really good cat on Halloween because you have real hair whiskers and have spent ages on your ears and tail. But the fact of the matter is; you’re still dressed as a cat. On Halloween. Along with everyone else.

For a school-themed fancy dress, how about going as a Head teacher or Science teacher or even a white/blackboard so people can write school-related messages on you? People are bound to turn around and think you’re a genius.

4. The small things make a difference.

My friend Ant’s birthday theme was to dress up as anything beginning with the letter A (for Ant), so my friend Elin and I thought it would be a good idea to dress up as ASDA workers!

We bought green shirts from Primark, wore carrier bags on our backs and made staff badges. It didn’t take long, cost hardly anything and showed we’d put an effort in. Going out as ASDA workers was definitely one of my favourite fancy dress themed nights out.

Just like real life, accessories are the last thing you think about. But, often, they’re the first thing to get noticed. Adding or making your own accessories can be all it takes to make your very average outfit into a brilliant one.

5. Group characters!

This always works well and shows you’ve put a good effort in. TV show characters for a theme could consist of the whole Scooby Doo Gang (again cost effective, all Shaggy needs is a pair brown cord trousers and a green t-shirt), and by grouping together you won’t feel like a total muppet on your own! Again, a group of my friends went collectively to a Disney themed party as the cast of the Little Mermaid which was so, so good!

A few of my favourite themed nights out so far at uni have included: