Buying your Fancy Dress Costume - hints and tips!

posted on 1 November 2011 | posted in Buying Your Fancy Dress Costume

Phew! Halloween mad rush now over and the Christmas costumes now rapidly coming in and ready for the Christmas and New Years rush.

After the past few chaotic weeks of ordering in new stock and ensuring everyone gets the correct costume in time for their Halloween parties we came to the sudden realisation that there should be some kind of formula when deciding and choosing your costume. A lot of people (especially guys) leave everything to the last minute and then have a tendency to panic buy. This gave us the idea for this blog on a simple way to order your perfect costume and to ensure everything is right on the night.

Choosing That Perfect Fancy Dress Costume Hints And Tips

1. The first thing that you have to consider before deciding what you are going to be searching for, is what is the party theme? A lot of young people that go out at the weekends dressed in Fancy Dress tend to choose a theme. Whether it be pirates, sailors or Disney characters you need to firstly check what the preferred choice will be. Likewise for a Halloween or Christmas Party you would chose an outfit to suit that occasion.

2. Ok you now have your theme and you know who you are going as. The next most important issue is "know your correct size". A lot of people tend to think that they are actually smaller than what they are. Without sounding too offensive and I myself can be the same, I still think I can get into clothes a size smaller than what I actually am. Even if you do some rough measurements with a measuring tape get some idea of your actual dimensions. this saves lots of headache of having to send an item back as it's too big or too small.
Another important point to remember is that a lot of Fancy Dress costumes are actually manufactured in the Far East where peoples body mass and frames are a lot different to those living in the West. This then leads to a tendency of sizes being tight fitting or costumes being short especially in taller ladies. Again check your figure and maybe always consider going one size above rather than one size below.

3. Right you now know your theme and your fully and correctly measured up, what next? The next important thing to remember is that most online Fancy Dress retailers no matter how professional an operation they run, they ultimately have to hand your purchase to a third party. Whether it be the good old Royal Mail or an express courier, it still has to be entrusted to a company that you rely upon to safely, correctly and in good time will deliver your parcel. This means that it is no good leaving your purchase until the 11th hour and then creating with the fancy Dress retailer when it has not arrived in time for that special function or party. Even though most retailers offer next day special delivery this does not count for Friday, Saturday and Sunday purchases if mailing via the Royal Mail. The big tip here is " Order your costume in good time and DO NOT leave it until the last minute".

4. Ok you are doing really well so far if you have followed these handy tips. With most costumes there tend to be accessories that make your costume look the real deal and to feel the part. Buying the costume is normally a very easy as the internet is now so vast. Getting that specific accessory that completes your outfit may prove a little more tricky. Again as in tip 3 if you order your outfit in good time this then allows you the time to search for any necessary extras you require to complete your perfect look.

5. Another huge point that should be noted when choosing your outfit and a point well worth remembering - "Fancy Dress costumes are not like going out clothes". A common mistake that is made is that there is a tendency to expect on purchasing a fancy dress outfit that it is going to last you forever as you would expect from clothing. This of course is not so unless you are spending a lot of money on a luxury costume. As said in tip 2 we would hazard a guess that 80 to 90% of most online costumes are manufactured in the Far East. Most outfits are made to be affordable as they tend to be used for that one special occasion. Naturally a more expensive outfit will last longer but most young people today want a bargain outfit as they usually only intend to wear it for that one night. We offer both luxury outfits and outfits that are affordable.

6. Another tip to consider when buying fancy dress is " how many people are in your party"? The reason for this question is that a lot of online retailers will offer a discount and bulk purchases and you may be able to get some good discount if buying more than one outfit. We have reduced outfits in the past up to £5 each when selling to groups of 6 or more. So the more you purchase the more you can save!

7. Remember and this one is mainly for the guys " fancy dress costumes do not usually have pockets". So if you are planning a night on the town and you have keys and a wallet remember to take a man bag or bum bag with you to keep your belongings safe. Ladies will usually have their handbags for this precautionary tip.

8. This tip is similar along the lines to choosing the correct outfit. When buying off a computer screen and you do not have that touch, feel and test ability, remember the costume that you are choosing you may be spending a great deal of hours in it. if you are going on a Stag or Hen Party weekend you could be in this outfit up to 12 hours or more. So on this note chose wisely. Morph suits look great, but are they practical? No zipper for the men to go to the toilet and a complete face mask that is both uncomfortable and hard to drink through if you are going out on the beer. Also what is the material of the outfit? Are you allergic to any? Do any make you itch or come out in a rash? Face masks can also be tricky especially if you are drinking once more. A tip we sometimes offer is half face masks so that the mouth is still accesible. These are important points that should be considered.

9. Ok you are a lady and you have bought that perfect outfit but you are quite tall and find that the costume is a bit on the short side and revealing but you really like it and do not want to send it back, what do you do? Having a tall daughter that experiences this problem from time to time, what she will do is to either wear a matching "Tutu" that compliments the outfit and still looks the part or if that is not a viable option then she will wear "matching hot pants". This usually works and still retains the look and feel of that perfect costume.

10. Right you have everything under control and you have that perfect outfit what to do when you receive it?
" Try it on". Don't leave it until the night or day of the event before you try on your costume. It might not fit, there maybe something missing, it might require an additional accessory that you had not previously thought of. You will be so disappointed if you again leave it until the 11th hour before trying out your costume. Also most online retailers will only accept purchases back within a 7 day window as to comply with the distant selling laws, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time for adjustments!

11. Another tip to consider when choosing your outfit - do not dress up offensively! You may want to be different and stand out from the crowd and you may personally think that your costume is funny but it may offend others. We would wish that your event or party goes really well and that you have a fun time without getting into any unnecessary scrapes.

12. The final tip we will pass on is this. After you have read all the hints and tips and think that you have chosen the correct costume only to find it's not for you and you need to mail it back, please remember that unless a costume is faulty a fancy dress retailer will need to re sell that outfit. Any returned garments should be in their original packaging with all the accessories including hangers or plastic covers and in perfect condition. No pet hairs, no cigarette smoke, no perfume or aftershave and certainly not in a worn condition. A lot of outfits have intimate apparel and it would not be right to send one of these items back if it had been worn. To save any quarrels with online retailers if you follow these guidelines then a refund should be forthcoming.

Hopefully we have passed on some words of wisdom and help and advice to make sure your Fancy Dress occasion goes smoothly and that it is the fun time that it should be. We hope that everyone who purchases from Party On Fancy Dress is never disappointed and comes to visit us again when their next outfit is required!

Have Fun!!!!
 
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