Although Princess Leia wears several outfits in the Star Wars movies, two have taken on an iconic status, making them standout from the others: the white Princess Leia costume that Carrie Fisher wears in the original Star Wars movie, and the metal bikini or slave outfit that was worn in several scenes in Return of the Jedi.

If you are going to dress up as Princess Leia, it is probably a good idea to go for one of these costumes for two reasons. First, they are both instantly associated with Princess Leia. And second, they are readily available from online stores and local fancy dress companies. Let’s look at these Star Wars costumes in more detail.

The classic Leia costume consists of a long white dress (often with a hood – remember the way she removes her hood in the message that is transmitted to Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker?), a white belt, white boots and, of course, the classic Leia wig (often described as being in the style of headphones or a pair of cinnamon buns). Some costumes also include a replica Star Wars blaster gun.

A more raunchy costume, and one guaranteed to make you the center of attention, is the Princes Leia slave costume. Worn by Carrie Fisher when she was portraying Leia as the slave of Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi, this outfit has gained a massive cult following. There is even an annual meeting of fans of the Leia’s metal bikini costume. This adult Princess Leia  costume consists of a brown bikini set with gold metal trim, a skimpy long red skirt and various pieces of gold metal jewelery. Because this outfit is so well-loved, there are lots of costumes on the market. Some recreate Princess Leia’s costume accurately down to the smallest detail, and obviously cost a great deal as a result. Other Princess Leia slave fancy dress costumes, adopt a more impressionistic approach. The costume is in the style of Leia’s slave outfit, but isn’t spot on. These costumes are more affordable.

Because Princess Leia is such a well-known movie character, costumes based on her are appropriate, not only for Star Wars costume parties, but for those with a sci-fi or movie theme, too. In fact, you’d probably be able to wear one at a fancy dress party with a general theme. If you are quite cheeky, and you’d have to be to wear the costume, you might get away with wearing the star wars princess leia slave adult costume to an 80s fancy dress costume party, because Return of the Jedi was released in that decade.

The basic Pocahontas costume consists of the following items: a fringed dress – usually yellow or beige and made to look like the outfit is made from hide and a  Native American style headband. The the Pocahontas look can be added to by wearing a Native American fancy dress wig and by wearing some natural looking jewelry. For footwear you can go with authentic moccasins, but you could probabaly get away with sandles or strappy shoes.

As she was an actual historical character, by researching the facts and Native American fashions of the seventeenth century you could make your own accurate  Pocahontas fancy dress costume. However, becasue the Disney movie was successful and the ideas of a Native American princess marrying a stuffy Englishman is so appealing, most of the Pocahontas costumes represent the idealised version of Pocahontas. The Disney version. For the purposes of most fancy dress parties this is fine, but if you want historical perfection, you will probably have to produce a homemade pocahontas costume.

Both adult Pocahontas costumes and childs Pocohontas costumes can be purchased from internet stores and from non-web based suppliers. The quality of the costumes can vary dramatically. Some of the outfits come with virtually no accessories, whereas others are supplied with lots of clever touches and details, and it’s often these that make or break a costume. This is particularly true with a Pocohontas costume where the basic outfit is quite simple.

Angel fancy dress is very easy to put together yourself, but if you don’t want to go down the DIY route, there are hundreds of different angel costumes for sale with everything you will need. There are lots of different variations of angel fancy dress costume, so you will be able to find the right outfit for you. Some of the different types of costume are as follows:

An adult angel costume tends to consist of a white dress or gown (and white or gold shoes), a pair of angel wings (usually white, but sometimes gold) and a white, silver or gold halo (attached to a hairband so that it looks like it is floating above the head). Some adult angel costumes are more raunchy and have very short skirts and plunging necklines.

Angel Halloween costumes tend to focus on the ‘fallen angel’ variation. A dark angel costumes is essentially the same as the standard one, but it replaces the whites, silvers and golds with shades of black. As a result, these outfits are also known as black angel costumes.

Some angel costumes do not consist of the entire outfit, but just include the wings. An angel wing costume represents a compromise to wearing full angle fancy dress. People will recognise that you are an angel, without you having to wear everything. You often see such costumes worn by groups on Hen Dos.

The child angel costume is always popular. It is essentially a smaller version of the adult costume, and it always looks good, particularly if a group of children wear exactly the same angel costumes to form a choir of angels.

Angels fancy dress costumes are great costumes for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are both easy to make yourself and there are also lots of costumes available online, too. Secondly, there are lots of variations to the basic costume, so you can find find one that is appropriate for the type of event you are attending. Thirdly, they suit both adults (elegant) and children (cute – cherubic even!)

Firstly, and most obviously, we come to the title character, Sleeping Beauty herself. The heroine is called Aurora in the Disney movie, and their are several versions of the Disney Sleeping Beauty costume available to purchase, either online or via a costume store. This outfit usually consists of a baby pink colored ball gown (with white trim) and some sort of tiara or crown. It is a proper fairytale princess costume and would certainly make you the center of attention at any fancy dress party you attended.

Sleeping Beauty costumes are available in both child and adult sizes. The quality of these costumes also varies. As is the case with most fancy dress outfits, more often than not, you get what you pay for.

Other Sleeping Beauty fancy dress costumes include: a prince costume, a wicked witch costume ( Maleficent in the Disney cartoon), and fairy costumes. The three fairies – Flora, Fauna and Merrywaether – are a big part of the appeal of the Disney movie. If you are attending a party in a group of three, going as the three Sleeping Beauty fairies might be a bit of fun.

If you are looking for a Sleeping Beauty Halloween costume, then you need look no further than Maleficent – the evil sorceress or wicked witch. She is genuinely scary in the movie and would be a spooky choice for a Halloween costume party.

The Sleeping Beauty costumes are so over the top (in a good way) that they are always going to be fun to wear. Only the Cinderella costume can match it for sheer fairytale style.

Disney made a movie of the Cinderella story, and it is the Disney Cinderella costume that is implanted in the mind. For this reason, most Cinderella costumes seem to be based on the Disney princess Cinderella costumes.

All Cinderella fancy dress outfits seem to have the following things in common. They all consist of a light blue ball gown or dress. This is usually accessorised with a sparkling tiara and a white sash. Some Cinderella costumes also feature diamond slippers or shoes, lace formal gloves and lots of sparkling costume jewelry.

Lots of companies online offer great deals on Cinderella costumes, and they often manufacture costumes for different age groups, adapting the basic Cinderella outfit. The adult Cinderella outfit, for example, often features a more fitted bodice to give a sexier look.

Cinderella costumes are a great choice for a range of different fancy dress parties because the character is easily recognisable. Everyone will immediately identify who you have come as, and this will be even more apparent if you have your partner dress up in a Prince Charming costume, or your friend dress up in a fairy godmother costume.

As with all of the fairy tale costumes, the Cinderella costume is all about being over the top. Make sure you make a proper entrance when you wear this outfit to your next costume party.

The basic fairy costume consists of a simple dress (in greens, browns or decorated to look like a flower or plant), simple shoes (or pixie boots) and usually a pair of wings. Other accessories can be added depending upon the type of fairy fancy dress you are hoping to achieve.

Fairies have inspired lots of different types of costume. Here follows a some ideas about some of the most popular variations:

Adult fairy costumes take the basic design and add a bit of sex appeal. The skirt of an adult fairy costume is often very short and the outfit often has a low neckline and is quite figure-hugging. The outfit is often combined with high-heels and a fairy wand. Adult costumes tend to be in natural colours (shades of green) – think Julia Robert’s Tinkerbell costume from Hook, but they can also be designed to represent a particular flower.

The gothic fairy costume or dark fairy costume is another popular variation on the theme. This adult costume focuses on the other side of the fairy kingdom. Rather than natural greens, blacks and reds dominate this look. The wings are often designed to look like bat wings and the standard fairy outfit has been corrupted to show the more naughty and twisted side to a fairy’s nature. Such fancy dress is often advertised as fairy halloween costumes.

Another popular variation is the green fairy costume. Associated with the drink absinthe, this outfit is ideal for a cocktail fancy dress party. It is basically the standard adult fairy costume, but greener. In fact, for this look, it is probably a good idea to use face paints of make up to give your skin a green tinge too.

Woodland fairy or flower fairy costumes adapt the basic outfit in a slightyly different way. These variations often incorporate natural elements such as real leaves, flowers, petals and so on, to make it look like the character has just stepped out of a forest glade.

Fairies often feature in fairy tales and as a result a fairy costume is often a good choice when attending a fairytale fancy dress party. However, in traditional stories the fairy character is often a fairy godmother (think of the fairies from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty). The fairy godmother costume is often a more conservative version of the standard costume. It often includes a hat of some sort and usually  a magic wand too.

Tinkerbell was a fairy from the Peter Pan books, and Tinkerbell costumes are probably one of the most popular individual fairy outfits.

Fairy fancy dress is readily available online. There are countless different variations for you to choose from and you will certainly be able to find the right type of costume to suit the type of party or event you are attending.

1. Madonna fancy dress costume. The Queen of Pop was massive in the 80s, and in her early videos in particular she was very typically 80s – with bangles, leggings, chuncky necklaces, net skirts and leg warmers.
2. Yuppie fancy dress costume. The Yuppies were big in the 80s. Mirror their image by wearing a grey suit, carrying a fiflofax and massive mobile phone. Finish this 80s costume by talking about stocks and shares in a booming voice.
3. Dynasty fancy dress costume. This is an easy 80s fancy dress costume to put together. Think power suits with big shoulder pads and big hair and you can’t go far wrong.
4. Karate Kid fancy dress costume. This 80s fancy dress outfit is a piece of cake. Simply get a karate suit, add a black belt and a head band and you’re done. Wax on, wax off!
5. Michael Jackson fancy dress costume. This is another fairly straightforward 80’s fancy dress costume, but you have to get the basics right. A Jacko costume is all about the accessories. A hat, a twinkly glove, white socks, slip-on black shoes (for moonwalking) and a chunky belt are essential. The rest is optional, but military style jackets, aviator sunglasses, band aids on the fingertips and trousers that are too short really complete the look.
6. Back to the Future costumes. A massive movie in the 1980s, Back to Future features two characters would be great subjects for 80’s fancy dress costumes: Marty McFly and Doc. The Doc costume is probably the easier of the two to do well. For a Doc Back to the Future fancy dress costume you will require: a lab coat (complete with pens in the front pocket), a clipboard, a metal briefcase labelled radioactive, and a toolbelt with lots of weird looking gadgets and equipment. Colour your hair white and walk around shouting ‘Great Scott!’, and ‘88 miles per hour!’ and everyone will know who you are.

These six 80’s fancy dress costume ideas are just a half-dozen of hundreds of great costumes that could be worn to an 80s cotume party.

Count Duckula was a UK television show that came out in the 1980s. The main character, Count Duckula, was, as his name suggests, a duck version of Count Dracula. But unlike Count Dracula, Count Duckula does not crave blood, but rather carrots. In fact, he is not vicious at all.

As far as I know there are no Count Duckula costumes on the market. However this should not deter you from going to a costume party in Count Duckula fancy dress because the outfit is easy to put together at home.

Count Duckula wears evening wear (just like the traditional vampire fancy dress costume), with a red bow tie. He also wears a purple cape. His hair is black and his skin/feathers are bright green (this could easily be achieved with face paints). Count Duckula has a large yellow beak (like Donald Duck’s). This part of the Duckula fancy dress costume could be obtained from a fancy dress store, or easily purchased online.

The Count Duckula fancy dress costume is really easy to put together and, because it’s quite an unusual costume, it would be a great costume idea for a whole range of different costume parties.

Some companies produce ALF costumes. These are usually all-in-one suits with a facemask attached to the body suit. It is also possible to make your own ALF fancy dress costume out of parts of other costumes. In the TV show, ALF is covered in rust-coloured hair. This could easily be achieved for a fancy dress costume by using the suit from a teddy bear fancy dress costume, or a Chewbacca fancy dress costume, or a dog fancy dress costume. In fact, just about any costume with brown / orange hair would do. Add to this an ALF mask (available from eBay or from a costume company) and you’ve made an ALF fancy dress costume.

Whether you purchase a complete costume or put together your own fancy dress outfit, ALF is a great character to choose for a fancy dress costume.