At All Fancy Dress Towers we're big fans of the Barmy Army- the dedicated and somewhat eccentric followers of English cricket. We love their spirited support of our national team, but also the gusto with which they embrace the art of 'dressing up'. That's right folks, the Barmy Army are amongst the most prolific fans of fancy dress in the country, and their most public display of fancy dress is reserved for test matches at Edgbaston in Birmingham. We are currently in the middle of a very exciting test match at Edgbaston against India, and the England fans are dressing up in style! As you can see from the gallery on the Edgbaston website the Barmy Army are dressing up in an array of fun costumes, including a large collection of Superheroes and Novelty Costumes. Since the year 2000 there has even been a prize given out on the Saturday of the Edgbaston Tests to the best dressed fan. And believe it or not, its judged and awarded by none other than former England cricket legend Mike Gatting! Actually I've always though Mike Gatting looks a bit like Henry VIII.... mmmmm, I wonder.....

One of the most popular annual music festivals is now only a month away- The brilliantly titled Bestival has been gaining in popularity over the last few years, with it's combination of great music and it's love of the eccentric. This year's Bestival, which is due to run from the 8th to 11th September in the Isle of Wight, has a fantastic line-up which includes The Cure, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream and Paloma Faith. But it's not just the great music that festival-goers love about Bestival- it's also the fun atmosphere, and of course, the emphasis on dressing up! Each year, revellers take part in a Fancy Dress parade on the Saturday- This is something that any of the festival-goers can take part in, and it's proved to be incredibly popular. This year the chose theme is Rock Stars, Pop Stars and Divas. So as you can imagine there'll be some fabulous costumes on display, and maybe one or two divas to boot! I'm sure there will be a few variations of Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Madonna and David Bowie on display! One of our personal favourite rock star costumes is the costume that Freddie Mercury wore for Queen's now famous 1986 Tour. If you need some more fancy dress inspiration for Bestival then take a look at out range of Popstar Costumes. Have fun!     

Harry Potter fans are getting dead excited about the upcoming release of the final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise next month. The concluding part of the epic fantasy series sees Harry and his cohort of friends attempt to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes in an attempt to destroy the evil Voldemort.   Whereas Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows was essentially a road movie that examined the relationships between Harry, Hermione and Ron, Part 2 promises audiences high doses of action and adventure. It also sees ours heroes return to Hogwarts for the final battle against Voldemort and his evil army of Death Eaters.   Whilst it will be sad to see the end of this fantastic series of films, we can rest assured that Harry Potter, as a brand and franchise, will be around for many years to come. We have already seen the launch of a Harry Potter theme park in the USA, and the books still sell in huge numbers. Year after year we have also seen the continued demand for Harry Potter costumes and accessories- They’re popular all year round, but especially during Book Day and Halloween.   Of course if you’re into Harry Potter, it’s not just Harry Potter Robes that you can buy. Harry Potter Costumes are available for many of the different movie characters, including the Hermione Granger Costume the Draco Malfoy Costume and even the scary looking Death Eater!   So come on Potter fans, it’s time to put on that Harry Potter Costume to go to the cinema for the final every Harry Potter film. Enjoy!

More and more of our customers are now throwing caution to the wind and deciding to wear funny and novelty costumes to fancy dress parties. There’s nothing quite like rocking up to a party with a truly funny or shocking novelty costume on. And it’s also becoming a very popular type of costume for Stag and Hen Nights as well! Whether you’re feeling very brave and really want to shock your friends, or just want to make them laugh, we have a huge range of funny costumes for you to choose from.   Here is a just small selection of some of our personal favourite funny costumes though:   Where’s Wally Costume A classic and perennial favourite- We all have fond memories of those Where’s Wally books and now you can dress up as that bespectacled character himself- An official licensed product to boot!   MC Hammer Costume ‘Stop! Hammer Time!’– Its time to put on those crazy Hammer style trousers (and top)! The really cool thing is that this kind of harem style trousers are back in fashion again! Oh, how we miss the 90’s!   Anita Waxing Ok so this Novelty Life Guard Costume is more at the ‘shocking’ end of the taste spectrum! It’s been a popular choice for Stags to dress up in and is sure to make your pals laugh. Just don’t wear it your in-laws (you’ll see what I mean if you click on the link!!!)   For even more funny, shocking and downright nutty costumes take a browse through our novelty costumes section.  

Popeye and OliveIf, like me, you’re in your thirties (or older) then you’ll have fond childhood memories of the Popeye cartoon series, and also the less successful spin off movie starring Robin Williams. There was something about Popeye that made him lovable- his mixture of super strength, mixed in with what can only be described as charming stupidity. Of course, it’s not just Popeye that we loved, but also his better half Olive Oyl, and together they made a formidable team. Of course, poor Olive always had to deal with the advances of the evil Bluto, and many a time Popeye had to down a tin of Spinach in order to ‘deal’ with him. If you’re a big fan of this great duo, and love to dress up in costumes that have that ‘nostalgia’ factor, then why not dress up as Popeye and Olive for your next fancy dress party? Both of these costumes are officially licensed, and look really authentic. The Popeye Costume even comes with padded forearms and spinach can cover! If you’re looking for more ideas for dressing up as a couple then check out our Couples Fancy Dress category. Have fun!

Where's Wally CostumeAt All Fancy Dress Towers many of us were big fans of the 'Where's Wally' books. Many an hour was spent in our childhood and teenage years attempting to find that gangly looking bespectacled character in a vast crowd of people. Where's Wally has become a publishing phenomenon over the last 20 years, and has reached a vast number of people from countries all round the world! To fit in with local audiences Wally has been renamed on many occasions. In America he is known as Waldo, in Denmark he is called Holger and in France, oddly enough, he's called Charlie! Go figure! We're pleased to say that Wally fans can now emulate their hero with a great looking, officially licensed Where's Wally Costume, which includes his trademark red and white stripey top, blue trousers and hat. If you like fun costumes like this please check out our funny costumes section!

Mummy Don't Wanna Grow UpKatie Price recently celebrated her 33rd birthday with a fancy dress party, and everybody was of course waiting to seen what the glamour model would choose to wear. And, whilst there was no sign of Katie herself, the paparazzi were treated to the sight of many of Katie’s celebrity friends arriving dressed up in some cool looking outfits. Michelle Heaton was one of the first to arrive, and looked suitably fab and space age in the Space Cadet Costume. We’d have loved to have seen a laser gun though Michelle! Michelle’s husband Hugh Hanley arrived wearing the officially licensed Mr. Incredible Costume, complete with a ripply muscle chest. Ex-Eastenders actor Dean Gaffney arrived in the novelty Mummy I Don’t Wanna Grow Up costume, which went down a storm. And we’re pleased to say that Dean decided to buy this great costume from All Fancy Dress (thanks Dean!). Dean isn’t the only fan of this funny costume, as it’s a firm favourite with part goers, particularly on Stag Nights. Let’s hope that more celebrities decide to throw fancy dress parties in future. It’s great to see celebrities not taking themselves too seriously!

Sexy Bumble BeeOk ladies, whatever the boys can do, you can do better! It’s time to create and plan the most fabulous hen night possible for the bride to be! And like many other hen do’s nowadays, it’s a great opportunity for all of the hen party to dress up and have fun. There are so many different Hen Night costumes and accessories to choose from that you’ll be spoilt for choice. One of the most popular options for dressing up is the classic but very cool Pink Lady Jacket. Add some Grease Sunglasses and you’re there! Or go for a really sexy and fun look with the Sexy Bumble Bee Costume. To help all you hen night organisers out there we’ve got a great offer that will mean the Hen can dress up for free! All you need to do is order 6 or more of the same (or very similar) costumes. Then call us on 01268574170 to receive a refund on the price of one of the costumes. Have a browse through our great range of Hen Night outfits and Hen Night accessories, and above all, have fun!  

Deluxe SpartanSummer is just round the corner, and its coming to that time of year when us fellas are dusting down our best suit for wedding season! And of course, what would a wedding be without the obligatory stag do? Whether you are organising your best friend’s stag night or just an honorary stag, you really should consider dressing up in stag night costumes. Not only is it a good laugh to wear fancy dress as a group, it’s almost becoming an essential tradition nowadays! To help all you stag organisers out there we’ve got a great offer that will mean the Stag can dress up for free! All you need to do is order 6 or more of the same (or very similar) costumes. Then call us on 01268574170 to receive a refund on the price of one of the costumes. Have a browse through our great range of stag night costumes and stag night accessories, and above all, have fun and be careful!

Peperami CostumeYes, he may be a bit of an animal, but the Peperami character has become the stuff of legends on our TV screens over the last ten years. This ferociously angry and agitated creature, whose voice is provided by the brilliant Adrian Edmondson, has appeared in a whole host of amusing ads over the years. And we’re pleased to say that you too can now portray him in this very cool officially licensed Peperami Costume. There are two things we love about this costume. We love the fact that the costume is reversible, so you can either wear it as pictured (with the words ‘Bite Me’ written on the front) or  wear the reverse side, which is bright red and shows the words 'peperami, the referee's a veggie!' We also love the fact that the padded foam headpiece has a bite mark chunk taken out of it! ‘It’s a bit of an animal!’ If you love funny or novelty costumes take a look at our funny costumes section for a giggle!