Character Fancy Dress Blog | Mens Fancy Dress Costumes

The third annual fancy dress walk in memory of a Newport lifeguard in aid of St David’s Hospice is set to take place next month.

Steven Lewis, 31, died on December 21, 2011, after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

The fancy dress walk from Charles Street to The Ship Inn, Caerleon, will take place on Monday, May 26. The last two years have seen dozens of people turn out for the walk in their best fancy dress, from the Queen and Rocky to a Dad’s Army soldier and the Mario Bros.

The three-mile walk will start at 3pm at the bottom of Charles Street and will make its way through Commericial Street, into Bridge Street and Cambrian Road, through the High Street, walking across Newport Bridge before walking along Caerleon Road to the Ship car park.

Steven’s mum, Jackie Lewis, from St Julian’s, told the Argus they are hoping the walk will help them reach their £25,000 target.

With the London marathon just passing and the epic fancy-dress outfits that were on display turning heads. This could be your perfect chance to shine and turn heads in the Newport hospice fancy dress walk.

Here are some fancy-dress ideas that are eye-catching and will make you stand out as having the best fancy-dress!!

Here’s a SuperMario costume that is bound to get you some attention. If you’re going with a friend this could be a costume for both of you, as you can both go as the partnership of SuperMario Brothers.

Here’s a Monsters Inc. costume that will stand out, with the bright green features and big eye in the middle of costume. Also bound to be kids favourite!

Here's also another alternative Monsters Inc. costume for the kids!

These two Batwomen and Robin costumes could be the perfect partnership for you and your friends to make statement. Both costumes pass of fancy dress but not only that they are both very stylish at the same time!

The Brilliance of Animal Costumes

Animal costumes are a favourite theme of fancy-dress fans, for many different reasons. Perhaps it originates from our childhoods spent watching cartoons and movies about animal characters. If nothing else, this has spawned the Furry Fandom, where people celebrate fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics.

When picking out a costume for the next fancy-dress occasion, why are we drawn to animal costumes? Perhaps it’s because they are funny, or maybe you wish to release your inner animal. In the depths of winter, it can be a practical choice, as you’re far more likely to feel warm in a lion costume than dressed as a fairy.

Raise Awareness

To some, animal costumes can represent a message. This could vary from raising awareness for animal charities or endangered species, to reflecting your own personality by dressing up as your favourite animal. Dressing up as a Polar Bear, Giant Panda or Bengal Tiger at a charity event could turn some heads far enough to pay attention to the cause, especially if you wear a sign with a heartfelt or shocking message to grab people's attention.

Be Ironic!

Animal costumes allow your sense of humour to come out to play. If you want to be ironic, you could make a subtle joke by dressing up as an animal which is the polar opposite of your personality. For example, if you are known to be quiet or shy, you could dress up as a lion, an elephant or even a peacock. The attention you would receive for such a costume would make you feel powerful enough to let out an unexpected roar. Or, if people know you as loud or confident, you could choose to dress up as a mouse, which would probably earn you a few laughs.

Occasions

If you are celebrating a particular occasion, such as Easter or Christmas, then you have the option to dress up as a bunny, chicken or lamb at Easter; or a robin-red-breast or a reindeer at Christmas. At Halloween, you can get scary and become a werewolf, a bat, tarantula, or a poor victim succumbing to the jaws of a terrifying predator – such as a crocodile, shark or snake. Then there’s the stag-do, where anything goes.

Funny Photos

If you’re going to all that effort to dress up, then it needs to remembered and enjoyed afterwards. Some photo opportunities are; going to the Zoo dressed as a giraffe, lion or a zebra; searching for Easter eggs while dressed as a bunny; swinging from the monkey bars at the park in a monkey costume; running around as a headless chicken; or dolled up as a pig with wings, poised to spring up into the air.

Couple Theme

If you want to do an ‘animal couple’ theme, your options are as limitless as your imagination. There’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse, an elephant and a mouse (as elephants are rumoured to be terrified of mice), Tom and Jerry, a caterpillar and a butterfly (ideal for mother and daughter), an ugly duckling with a beautiful swan, a bumblebee and a flower, a fish and a chip. You can probably come up with more.

Play on Words

Once more, the humour comes into play (is there no end to the giggles?). If you are a fan of puns, sayings or just plain enjoy making a ludicrous statement, then have a play with these:

“Foxy Lady” – Self-explanatory. A lady (or a man made up as a lady) should wear a sexy outfit, with the additions of fox ears, some foxy makeup and a bushy tail.
“Drunk as a Skunk” – Dress up as a skunk and act like you’re drunk (you could take it that step further and partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you are of legal age!).

“Headless Chicken” – No further explanation required.

“Bird/Chick/Babe” – A man who dislikes derogatory terms can turn this on its head by dressing up as one of these. Let’s celebrate women for being women!

“Cat-fish” – Go half cat and half fish.

“Bat-man” – Go half bat and half man.

“Cat-woman” – Go half cat and half woman.

“Spider-Monkey” – You may have the idea by now.

“As Happy as a Clam” – Dress up as a clam, with a big smile on its face.

“Bee in Your Bonnet” – Dress up as a bee and wear a huge bonnet.

“You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks” – Prove this saying wrong. Dress up as a dog with glasses, pipe and walking stick, and show off your tricks – juggling, card and magic tricks, sitting on demand and shaking hands… You get the idea.

"Red-Bull" - Dress up as a... wait for it... Red Bull!

“Going Cold Turkey” – Go as a cold turkey! Simply dress up as a turkey and put a scarf on and moan a lot about the cold. Job done.

“In the Dog House” – Build a cardboard dog kennel and slip inside. Put your name on the doorway for that personal touch.

“Hot-dog” – You could dress up as a dog and wrap yourself in a gigantic bun. Or you could put a real (or cuddly toy) dog into a fake bun and carry it around all night. Or, simply dress up as a very attractive dog.

Characters

If these ideas don’t appeal, but you are a fan of a certain character on the TV or in a movie or cartoon, then take your pick - Bugs Bunny, Shawn the Sheep or Gromit, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippopotamus, Tom and Jerry, Pingu the Penguin, Donkey from Shrek, Puss In Boots, Kermit the Frog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rafiki the Baboon, Firenze the Centaur or Mr Tumnus the Fawn.

Again the list is exhaustive, but these ideas should get your creative juices flowing. So whatever the fancy-dress occasion, you are sure to find an animal costumes that will serve you well. Just remember, with fancy-dress, you’re not trying to fit in, you’re trying to stand out!

Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, with over 200 retail stores in 80 countries. Before this, he was the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton from 1997 to 2013.

Hint - Marc Jacobs is the one on the left. Yes, you got it. The bird.

Marc Jacobs is almost as well known for his fancy dress costume shenanigans as for his fashion designs. At his annual holiday party in New York, he reportedly demands that his guests wear a costume, or they will not be allowed entry.

A fan of ketchup? Why not dress up as a ketchup bottle?

A fan of making political statements, as well as fashion statements, Marc Jacobs’ outlandish getups always cause a stir.

Marc Jacob wins the prize for 'Best Pig'. What does he win? Naomi Campbell, of course!

He must be doing something right, for he is friend and designer to the stars – his presence is often gracing the red carpet, either in the form of one of his artistic creations or the attendance by the designer himself.

Those lace dresses are all the rage, don't ya know?

Notable fans of his designs include Miley Cyrus, Ashlee Simpson, Vanessa Hudgens, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Garner; the list goes on.

Even Miley Cyrus is getting in on the lacey dress action. And yes, this is a Marc Jacobs creation

He’s a long-time friend of Kate Moss and is credited to have persuaded her to make a runway return. He is also the person who supplied her with a stunning gold gown for her book launch party.

Kate Moss works that golden gown

If you want to embrace a fun and fantastic attitude like Marc Jacobs, you can get your own crazy costumes at Character Fancy Dress.

charity fancy dress

While many athletes battled to be the first to the Lincoln 10k finish line, there were plenty taking part in fancy dress to raise money for charity.

Fundraisers ran or walked for a variety of charitable causes, from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Cancer Research and St. Barnabas Hospice to the Lincoln Tank Memorial Group.

Costumes included a tiger, a monkey and lion suits, as well as a bus, Super Ted, some bananas, an inflatable horse, a minion and Darth Vader.

charity fancy dress

Over 5,000 people turned up to run this year’s Lincoln 10k. Thousands ran, walked and even juggled their way around the six mile course, starting on Riseholme road and finishing in the grounds of Lincoln Castle.

Author Bio

This post was brought to you by Alex Prevost form Character Fancy Dress shop in Aylesbury. They provide a great range of charity fancy dress, Halloween Costumes for every occasion.

"Fancy dress" is mainly a British term dating back to the Victorian era. Prior to that, masquerade parties were all the rage. Because party-goers were masked and costumed and therefore anonymous, they had a tendency to act in an inappropriate manner. People were a lot bolder than when dressed in their everyday clothes. To discourage this behaviour, masquerade parties fell out of fashion with the social elite. Instead, parties where costumes were required but masks weren't became fashionable. To differentiate them from the scandalous masquerade parties, they became known as parties of "fancy dress".

Fancy dress parties became popular for private as well as public occasions. Queen Victoria was well known for her liking of fancy dress and used to throw parties of this sort quite often. If there was something to celebrate, there was a good chance it would be celebrated in costume.

Risqué or fanciful costumes were considered inappropriate and in bad taste, so party-goers would dress in costumes of historical or literary significance. Shakespeare became a popular theme as did native costumes from other countries, though some of them would be viewed as politically incorrect during this day and age. Other common costumes portrayed seasons, such as the "winter," which entailed dressing in a fashionable white dress adorned with elegant accessories such as sparkly "icicles." Peasant dresses were also fashionable as they were considered "romantic" and perhaps a bit racier than costumes that covered cleavage, arms and legs.

In those times, Fancy Dress parties indicated a certain moral standard. Men didn't dress as women; women didn't dress as men and body parts weren't exposed. This was, after all, polite society and such behaviour was beneath them.

These days, "Fancy Dress" is just a glorified term for a costume party and pretty much anything goes. Most fancy dress parties are to celebrate Halloween, hen and stag do's, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas and Easter.

Costume parties are popular for a number of reasons. For one thing, while dressed as someone else, you get to take on another persona for that time. If you are part of a group of like-minded people dressing to a certain theme, then you get a feeling of belonging. Dressing in costume is also a chance to show of your creativity and individuality.

There are endless costumes that you can dress up in – the more imaginative the better. You can go as your favourite superhero, a monster, a war hero, historical figures (like Cleopatra), characters from books and TV, celebrities and animals.

Dressing with originality can be a conversation starter and icebreaker. It creates a lot of different and sometimes strange laughs, looking at what people have come as, what crazy thoughts people have and learn whose favourite character is.

The main thing with fancy dress is that everyone dresses up in ridiculous, funny and imaginative costumes and for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Spiderman, the Gruffalo and fairies completed a sponsored fancy dress walk around an historic house to raise money for life-saving heart equipment at a children’s hospital.

The fund-raiser for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London happened at Blicking Hall, near Aylsham, was joined by about 20 families from across Norfolk dressed in colourful outfits.

Participants included Kathryn Howes and Michelle Ward, whose young sons were born with holes in the heart and Julie Johnson, whose daughter has an enlarged heart. All three children are cared for by GOSH.

Organiser Mrs Howes, 37, from Lancaster Avenue in Watton, said: “The turn out is absolutely brilliant. Everyone looks amazing. Your life turns upside down when you learn your child has a heart problem.”

Her 20-month-old son, Maximus ,was born with two holes in the heart and the problem was discovered when he was 15-weeks-old after he suffered heart failure. Maximus had heart surgery at GOSH when he was 19-weeks-old and is now on medication.

The two and a half mile walk was for the Love Hearts Appeal which is raising cash for intensive care equipment at GOSH. A similar event was held at Blickling Hall last year and raised £1,600.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ is a sequel to both 2006's ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ and 2011's ‘X-Men: First Class’, as well as a follow-up to 2013's ‘The Wolverine’. The film was shot in 3D and is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2014.

The X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in a battle that must change the past – to save their future.

With the mutant race on the verge of extinction, Wolverine's (played by Hugh Jackman) healing factor makes him the only X-Man capable of withstanding the rigors of time travel. He'll have to survive long enough to complete the most important mission of his life: to go back in time to prevent an assassination, which will trigger a chain of events that will bring about the end of mutantkind.

Wolverine’s consciousness is sent into his younger self. Writer Simon Kinberg explained in an interview why Wolverine is the time traveller, "We made the decision for a lot of reasons... One reason is that he's the protagonist of the franchise, and probably the most beloved character to a mass audience."

Mystique

Jennifer Lawrence returns as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique; a mutant with the ability to shape-shift. In this film, Mystique is "less innocent, evolved, getting closer to where Mystique was in X-Men 2. Mystique is now split off from Lensherr and Xavier and she has one mission of trying to assassinate somebody. Lawrence said, "We’ve seen her [Mystique] in the future and what she becomes and this is kind of a turning point for her."

To keep in shape, Jennifer Lawrence went on a diet and had to work out for two hours daily. For Mystique's blue form, she had to undergo an eight-hour make-up process. The first day with make-up even caused blisters to appear on Lawrence's upper body.

The Oscar winner is nearly nude and blue from head to toe in the striking image, depicting Mystique, to promote the upcoming film.

“Some of the Mystique look is a little different, but we’re still using the same paint,” Lawrence said. “But she’s different in this film too. She was struggling — like a lot of normal humans — with the way she looked, and she was covered up a lot in the first movie, but this time she is Mutant and proud.”

Morgan Lily plays the young Raven— the actress wore a slip-on bodysuit and facial appliances which only took one hour and a half to apply, as submitting a child actor to the extensive make-up was impractical.

The Beast

Another actor who had to undergo an intensive transformation was Nicholas Hoult, who plays the Beast. The makeup took four hours to apply, which include a mask, contact lenses, a furry muscle suit and fake teeth. To make the Beast look more feral than the version Kelsey Grammer played in X-Men: The Last Stand, the redesign went through various tests, which tried to make Beast not resemble any particular animal but still look like Hoult, as well as with a furry body.

A fundraising day held by staff and Year 11 students at Shrewsbury’s Grange Secondary School has helped to boost funds for this year’s leavers’ prom.

Both students and teachers donned fancy dress outfits for the fundraiser which was held last week at the Grange.

Teacher Elaine Jones, who helped to organise the event, said that it had been a great success.

“Every single penny from the day will be used towards prom night for the Year 11 students who will be leaving us in the summer,” she said.

“It will help to pay for the food, decorations and the photographer – we are one of the few schools which actually stages its prom on school premises and it always turns out to be a wonderful community event.

“The fundraiser was fantastic fun – it included a show at break time put on by the Year 11s and also a performance of Let’s Get Ready to Rumble by some brave members of staff.

“During lunchtime students manned stalls in the hall including tombolas, cake sales and name the teddy.

“The event gave students something to really be proud of as they were raising money for what will be a special evening for them as they leave the school at the end of the summer term.”

Author Bio

This post was brought to you by Alex Prevost form Character Fancy Dress Aylesbury. They provide Halloween Costume and also a great range of Halloween Costumes and Fancy Dress Ideas for every occasion.

‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ has hit our screens and is making a much bigger splash that its original, ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’.

Chris Evans returns as the red-white-and-blue crusader, Steve Rogers, in a plot that features Rogers struggling to embrace his role in the modern world, while battling the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. Two years on from the events in ‘Avengers Assemble’, the first avenger becomes embroiled in a dark political conspiracy and teams up with The Falcon to go against the mysterious Winter Soldier.

“Audiences have had a lot of great exposure with the introduction of Captain America in the 2011 film and an integral role in ‘Marvel’s The Avengers,’ which is the third biggest film of all time,” says Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis. “The Marvel films are like interlocking puzzle pieces, so we expect to see increased interest.”

‘The Winter Soldier’ will no doubt be popular because it is the biggest step so far in terms of plot events, hinting at what we have to look forward to in the next Avengers film, ‘Age of Ultron’.

If you want to find out what that is, well, you will have to watch the movie for yourself. You’ll find no spoilers here.

Cosplay has a couple of meanings, but the most relevant is the merging of the words ‘costume’ and ‘play’. If you want to wear a costume while attending an event (perhaps to compete or to perform a short sketch), then you have arrived in the exciting world of cosplay.

Cosplay is the combination of the English words "costume" and "play". It is a Japanese subculture centred on dressing as characters from manga, anime, and video games. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume.

One anecdote about the origin of the word "cosplay" was that Nov Takahashi (from a Japanese studio called Studio Hard) coined the term "cosplay" as a contraction of the English words "costume play" while he was attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon. He was so impressed by the hall and masquerade costuming there that he reported about it frequently in Japanese science fiction magazines. This ultimately triggered Japanese cosplay.

Cosplay is a hobby where like-minded people gather to see other costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, snap lots of pictures and perhaps partake in best costume contests.

In the United States and Europe, it differs from Japanese culture in that cosplay concerning Sci-Fi films and TV shows along with Renaissance-era characters and historical re-enactments, especially at science fiction conventions, are far more popular in the West than they are in Japan.

Cosplay is a favourite habit of Comic Con attendees, which fans attend in droves. There, you will see dozens of Batmen, Iron Men and Wonder Women, in addition to niche costumes, like characters of the Japanese manga series "Attack on Titan" and '90s throwbacks like Freakazoid and Hey Arnold.

The costumes vary greatly in intensity. Some crafty cosplayers get imaginative and repurpose clothing and props they already own. For example, to cosplay as Katniss Everdeen of "Hunger Games”, you only need a black t-shirt, green cargo pants, lace-up boots and hair tied into a braid. You can buy a Mockingjay pin replica and use brown eye shadow for dirt and grime smears.

For cosplayers, the experience is nearly always worth the stress of choosing a costume and dropping the dough. It's an opportunity to be a hero, princess, or otherworldly creature. It takes courage to put on a costume and go into public. But cosplayers enjoy celebrating the characters that they love and embracing their fandom.

Have you cosplayed yet?