In the modern world, more people than ever are indulging in the art of fancy dress. With schools having special days throughout the year for this sort of event, and more people choosing to celebrate by dressing up, it’s easy to see that this pastime is getting very popular. Of course, though, if you’re going to do something like this, you have to do it right. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring the area of fancy dress, along with loads of useful tips to help you along the way. This sort of fun can be enjoyed by anyone, young or old.
Building A Wardrobe
To begin, the first part of this post is for those who want to get very deep into the life of a fancy dresser. Building a wardrobe which is catered to your hobby will take a long time, and will require a lot of outfits before it’s whole. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean you can’t get started. Instead, you just have to think about the sorts of garments you’re going to buy.
Choosing The Right Items
The first thing to consider is the type of items you buy. When you’re first getting started, looking for garments which could fit into loads of different themes and styles is a great way to go. This will prepare you well for the future and will give you some themes to try. Along with this, though, you can also start to think about the tools you’re going to need to make outfits in the future. Sewing machines, fabrics, and other products aren’t very expensive, but it will be hard to find them in an emergency if you don’t have them lying around.
Quality & Quantity
When first starting out with a fancy dress wardrobe, a lot of people make the mistake of choosing quantity over quality. Instead, though, it’s a better idea to aim for both of these factors, if you can. Having a good range of quality items in your wardrobe will inspire you to try more outfits than ever before. Of course, though, you might want to keep some lower quality garments in stock for the kids and any DIY jobs you want to do with them.
Building An Outfit
In a lot of cases, people looking for a fancy dress option aren’t doing it to get into it as a full-time hobby. You might only be looking for a single outfit, and won’t need a wardrobe to go along with it. To help you with this, below you can find a basic guide to steer you in the right direction with your fancy dress outfit choices.
Picking A Theme
The first step you need to take when you’re building a fancy dress outfit is choosing the theme you’ll be using. In some cases, the event you’ll be attending will dictate the rough theme you have to go from, making it a little bit easier. You might not have this resource, though, and some research will be needed. Websites like Pinterest make it very easy to find, collect, and store your inspiration in the form of user-submitted images, and there are loads of other sites to help you, too. Try to find as much to go from as you can before you get started. Your research will take time and effort, but it will impact the quality of your costume considerably.
The Basics: Tops & Bottoms
With a theme in mind, you’ll be ready to start thinking about the clothing you’re going to buy for it. The very first thing you’ll need to get your hands on is the base layer of your outfit. This will usually include a bottom layer, like a skirt or trousers, and a top layer, like a t-shirt or vest. If you were dressing as Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, for example, a pair of brown trousers and a green shirt would be in order. From there, you can start to think about your feature pieces.
The Main Elements
For your outfit to be worth the time and effort you put into it, it needs to be instantly recognisable as the thing you’re portraying. One of the best ways to achieve this sort of goal is a feature of some kind. In the case of Shaggy, a box made to look like Scooby Snax packaging would be perfect. You have to use your imagination here, and may even have to make the item yourself. Thankfully, there are loads of places to get your hands on cosplay DIY tools, nowadays.
The Accessories
Finally, as the last part of your outfit to consider, it’s time to make it complete with all the little accessories. Hip hop jewellery, fancy hats, and any other accessory you could possibly want can be found online; it’s just a matter of searching for them. If you’re looking for an exact piece, it could be worth using websites like Etsy to find someone to make it for you. There are loads of creative people out there with the skills to make things look amazing.
