When you are a student, you will most likely want to go to lots of parties! However, not all events allow you to wear whatever you want to. When fancy dress is involved, you have to make sure that you play the part! Fancy dress parties are always great fun because they allow you to be crazy and dress up like anyone. However, it can be hard to think of some good ideas that will make you stand out, whilst not hurting your wallet too much.
If you want to discover fun and innovative ways to dress up for a party, without costing you too much, check out this list!
1) A pirate
This outfit is so easy to put together! If you have a colourful bandana or an eye patch, you already look like a pirate! Pair this with some black trousers and a long-sleeved white shirt to get the full effect. Obviously, if you have a hat handy that would be ideal!
2) A toga costume
This idea is fantastic for students on a budget. If you have a white sheet and are able to fold this around you in a creative way, your outfit is virtually done!
If you have a gold headband or gold arm bands, this would be even better. Some sandals would make the whole outfit complete!
3) A vampire
For this costume, all you need to do is wear black. You can easily buy some fake blood online and maybe even some teeth and white face paint. A black or red cloak too would be a bonus.
If you’re on a budget, however, you could try (or ask a friend) to get creative with makeup!
4) A superhero
There are so many different superheroes you could choose from. You can buy all of the different costumes easily online. However, if you don’t want to do this, DIY costumes can be just as good if you wear the correct colours.
A superhero is also a great costume to match with friends, so try pooling your resources!
5) A pink lady or a T bird
Nothing can be as iconic as Grease!
If you have a pink jacket and some black leggings, you can easily tell people you are a pink lady. Likewise, if you have a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt and some black trousers, you are basically a T bird! These are both great costumes to try with friends.
6) A Disney character
There are so many different Disney characters! You could be a Disney princess, by wearing a dress that is a similar colour to the outfits they wear. Then you can buy cheap tiaras online or charity shops. Partners could then dress up as the Disney princes.
You could be a Disney villain such as Cruella or Maleficent. Alternatively, you could dress up as a well known character, such as Woody off Toy Story. You can easily buy Disney costumes off the Morph website, if you click here.
However, if you are on a budget, you can still easily dress up like them in plainer clothes.
7) A cowboy or cowgirl
All you need to do for this costume is wear a brown skirt or brown trousers, maybe with a brown jacket also. Then put on a cowboy hat and it doesn’t matter what t-shirt you wear.
The hat will definitely show you are a cowboy or cowgirl, and it’s a fun accessory.
8) A nurse or doctor
It is very easy to buy nurse and doctor outfits from online. They are normally pretty cheap. However, you can also go to charity shops if you don’t want to spend too much money. Just make sure you are wearing white and have some sort of medical equipment, such as a stethoscope.
9) Neon fancy dress
If you happen to have a neon skirt or neon bands, just wear black and pop these on. You will look great under the disco lights and still look like you have dressed up, even though it involves minimal effort. You can also buy neon glowsticks to stand out even more!
10) Cops and robbers
These are outfits which are again, easy to buy online. Charity shops usually have good outfits which can be used for this. If you want to be a robber, wear a black and white striped t-shirt and use black face paint around your eyes.
To be a cop, try and find a navy jacket and matching trousers with a hat. If you have handcuffs, show these off too!
11) A maid
This is such an easy outfit! Wear a black dress with a white pinafore. If you don’t have any of these, you can buy a cheap outfit from the internet.
This fancy dress is not normally very expensive. Alternatively, if you want to discover another outfit, check out this article from the Unifresher website.
12) A book character
You must have a favourite book character you can dress up as. For example, to be Katniss from the Hunger Games, get a pretend bow and arrow and put your hair in a plait! Or if you want to be Harry Potter, get yourself a wand, some glasses and paint a lightening shaped scar on your forehead.
13) A witch or wizard
These outfits are similar to the Harry Potter one. You could therefore be a witch at one party and Harry Potter at the other! All you need is a cloak and a hat.
You might even want to paint your face green if you want to be dedicated. Makeup effects are a fun (and cheap!) way to help you stand out!
14) A cheerleader
A cheerleader outfit is relatively cheap from the internet. You could make one yourself however, if you have a coloured skirt and matching top. You will be a cheerleader in no time!
Put your hair into pigtails and get yourself some pompoms. As with some other costume ideas I’ve mentioned, ‘cheerleaders’ is a great group costume.
15) An alien
If your idea of an alien is the bright green kind that live on Mars, then paint yourself green or wear a completely green outfit. Make your hair crazy and paint your face different colours. If you want to take it even further, you could always use papier-mache to create extra limbs for example.
16) Scooby Doo
This is a fantastic group costume! If you get a group of five people, one person can be Daphne, one could be Velma, one could be Shaggy, one could be Fred and finally, someone could be Scooby. These outfits are easy to assemble.
All you need to do is wear the same-coloured clothes as the characters and you have Mystery Inc.!
17) An angel or a devil
To be an angel, all you have to do is wear white. It is also pretty easy to buy some cheap white angel wings and a halo of the internet. A devil costume is pretty similar.
Just wear all red and add some horns and a tail. This could be a great costume for a couple or pair of best friends.
18) A movie character
This is similar to book characters. There are so many that you could choose from! For example, you could dress up as Shrek or a Star Wars character.
The possibilities are limitless when you consider all of your favourite movies. Then all you have to do is go to the charity shop and assemble your dream outfit.
19) The Peaky Blinders
The television show has made this outfit popular. Get yourself a Peaky Blinder hat and a waistcoat. A great addition, which is totally free, is even putting on a bad Brummie accent!
You can find some inspiration for Peaky Blinder outfits online, for example, this article from Fashion Beans could be very helpful.
20) A policeman or policewoman and/or criminals
To achieve this outfit, just wear a white shirt and some black trousers. A navy hat would be good too, especially if you can get a badge and some handcuffs!
If you’re in a group of friends, it could also be a fun idea to have friends dress up as robbers! All you need for this is a striped or orange jumpsuit.
21) A Rock star
This is definitely a fun fancy dress outfit! You can basically wear anything you want to and go as crazy as you like and call yourself a rock star.
Pull the flared trousers out of your wardrobe and wear all of your clothes which are crazy colours. You probably don’t even have to buy anything for this outfit.
22) A Minion from Despicable Me
If you have a yellow t-shirt and some dungarees, you are sorted! Some fun goggles would be a good investment for this outfit.
Alternatively, dressing up as other characters from Despicable Me, like Gru or Vector, can be fun. All you would need for Vector is some glasses and an orange tracksuit!
23) An Elf
You can easily find Elf costumes online or in the shops at Christmas time! All you need to do is wear a green outfit and a green hat. Don’t forget those funny shoes too!
Pointed ears are also a popular fashion accessory. You can find these in costume shops or on websites like Amazon.
24) An animal
You could become your favourite animal! For example, a rabbit, pig or mouse are always good ideas. You can wear normal clothes, then just add some ears and maybe a snout and face paint.
Similarly, dogs and cats are popular choices. Once you’ve got the distinctive features nailed, you’ve got a cheap and recognisable costume!
25) An 80s outfit
80s workout costumes are iconic. You could wear bright spandex costumes to dance in, or those famous tracksuits. Some legwarmers and sweatbands are also fun throwbacks that even your parents will remember!
You can find out more about 80s costumes and other ideas on this Save the Student article, if you click here.
26) A school child
If you have an old school uniform, you can just slip this on and say you are dressed up as a student! This is extremely easy and a good idea if you have absolutely nothing else.
Getting a fancy dress outfit does not have to be expensive. As long as you are creative and use the tools available to you, it can actually be very cheap!
If you do want to spend more money however, it can be useful to get a job. Check out this article from Think Student to discover some great student jobs.