Origins of Fancy Dress in the UK

Submitted By: Michelle Hopkins

 Fancy dress parties have been popular within the United Kingdom for many years, and have progressed from the typical Halloween style costume parties in October, dressing up as witches and vampires, skeletons and other ghoulish characters, to parties now themed around national days (such as St Patricks Day), Christmas parties, themed birthday parties (popular birthday party themes being pimps and hoes, gangsters & flappers) and hen / stag evenings.

Although fancy dress is more commonly referenced right back to the 15th Century in Italy, where grand masquerade balls were held, the origins of fancy dress in the UK is typically traced back to the 18th Century period, but our modern day themes were introduced by both the Victorians and the Edwardians who loved to celebrate in a range of costumes and accessories. Most events were very elaborate affairs on a very grand scale, with only those invited of a high social standing during these periods.
Since then, fancy dress costume parties have been on the increase really since the 1940’s in the UK, in a simpler form compared to today, until the 1970’s. This could be coupled to the increase of film/television programmes being aired throughout the country, resulting in improved imagination and better manufacturing processes opening a new era in the costume industry.
It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the purchasing of costumes in the UK became commonplace. Prior to this, costumes were typically hired for a social or recreational event, and returned to the shop once worn. It’s now hard to find many retail fancy dress shops in local towns, or ones that offer a full range you would expect from a fancy dress retailer, especially since the internet provided home shopping access, no matter where you lived. This meant that fancy dress shops could operate online, have access to a much wider audience and also be able to carry a fuller range of costumes and accessories without having to worry about expensive retail premises or shop fronts. There are still some companies who offer mail hire costume ordering, but purchasing of costumes has now become the standard.
After the late 90’s, retro fashion styles became very popular, with the introduction of 60s, 70s and 80s fancy dress costumes, which clearly mock our fashion sense from these era’s.
Fancy dress doesn’t have to be expensive either. You can purchase complete outfits to dress as your favourite film/cartoon/movie character, or pick up instant accessory kits which can be used with your casual clothing. These instant costume kits can range from Vicars, Nuns, Cops, Maids, Pimps and typically include an accessory kit, badge, hat, overcoat or other themed accessory to complete your fancy dress outfit. Of course, for those who really want to set tongues wagging at your next costume party can go all out and purchase a limited edition costume, some of which retail in excess of £500!
The busiest and most celebrated fancy dress parties all happen around Halloween and are celebrated on or just before the 31st October. The name Halloween is derived from the feast of All Hallows which is celebrated on the 1st November to honour the saints, and the end of the harvest in Gaelic culture.
Halloween has many traditions, which range from trick or treating, the making of bonfires, scaring people, carving jack-o-lanterns, apple bobbing, watching scary films, visiting haunted attractions, pranks and general ghoulish behaviour. Of course, many people now celebrate by having parties inviting everyone to wear Halloween costumes.
Halloween is also known as Samhain, which in other traditions marks the end of the third and final harvest, and is a day to commune with and remember the dead, and is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation. Samhain is mostly followed by the Wiccan and many Pagan religions.
In European traditions, Halloween is the night when the old god dies, and the crone goddess mourns him deeply for the next six weeks. The popular image of her as the old Halloween hag stirring her cauldron comes from the Celtic belief that all dead souls return to her cauldron of life, and are reborn.
Fancy dress parties and costumes are all about having fun. It’s a great way to celebrate any social occasion, and there will always be more costumes available every year, with the release of every new movie blockbuster or scary film. This year’s examples have been the re-introduction of Freddy Krueger’s latest adventure on the big screen, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and Iron Man 2.

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Michelle is the owner of www.fancydressing.co.uk, who offer a range of fancy dress costumes and accessories, with delivery available throughout the United Kingdom.

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