New Year’s Eve Fancy Dress Party

Posted on December 31, 2010 by admin

New Year’s Eve is a very popular time to have a fancy dress party as it follows nicely on from the Christmas festivities, there’s not much point in giving you a theme as an excuse for a party as it’s fairly obvious!

Props n Frocks would like to thank all of our existing customers for their business during this last year, we are nothing without you, our valued customers. To thank you for your support, we’d like to offer you a discount code that you could use throughout the whole of 2011 online, why not pass it on to your friends so that they can also get this brilliant offer? When you place an order, just type NYW10 into the coupon code box during checkout to get your additional 10% OFF

Of course if you have become quite attached to these nuggets of history, we can tell you that on this date in 1695, householders in Britain started bricking up windows to avoid a new Window Tax; in 1759, Arthur Guinness negotiated a 9000 year lease on a property, where he started brewing a rather famous drink, and twenty years ago today, the Soviet Union officially dissolved.

Masquerade Ball Eyemasks

Posted on December 30, 2010 by admin

At this time of the year, Masquerade Balls are very common. At Props n Frocks we have been increasing our range of ladies and mens eyemasks, and now, we offer one of the best ranges of masks online, and we encourage to you to have a look at our huge range of masquerade eyemasks suitable for a masked ball. We display the majority of the eyemasks in our shop, based in Essex, so if you are local to us, why not pop in and have a look at the wonderful masks.

Holding a Masked ball, or party, is a fairly easy way to get the same effect as a fancy dress party – that’s to say the party gets going quite quickly, and you do not need to wait for long for barriers to be broken down. Even though the majority of the eyemasks are very elaborate, they tend to be very cost effective, costing a lot less than you would think by looking at them.

We have large stocks of mens eyemasks. the design range from very plain Zorro like masks to more elaborate pirate and Highwayman style masks.

Ladies are really spoilt for choice with our range of eyemasks. A lot of the designs incorporate feathers and the flash photography can make the feathers look a different colour in the images online. If it is very important to you that the feather colour is correct, please contact one of our customer care team who will give an honest orpnion as to the colour of the feathers on the mask that you are interested in. Please do remember that feathers are a natural product and we cannot guarantee the look and shape as each one is unique, all of which adds to the design of the eyemask.

Eyemasks are secured in one of three ways.

Stick. The mask is fixed to a stick that you hold up to your face. The advantages are that the mask does not mess up your hair or make up. The disadvantages are that you do have to hold the stick, which may get tedious after a while.
Elastic. Elastic is fixed to either side of the eyemask which then goes around the back of your head. Masks secured with elastic are going to be cheaper than the others, but may mess up hair. If you are going to be wearing a hat as well, this may be your only choice as the elastic will fit underneath the hat quite easily.
Headband. A lot of masks now come secured on a headband. One of the advantages of this is that the mask can be moved up to the top of your face when you are fed up with it on your face, or if you want to eat or drink and it is getting in the way. The mask can then be moved back down into position again.

Medieval Fancy Dress Theme

Posted on December 29, 2010 by admin

We propose to have a ‘Medieval Fancy Dress theme’ today as on December 29^th 1170, four knights entered Canterbury Cathedral and assassinated the Archbishop Thomas Beckett whilst he was going to prayer. This followed their over-hearing King Henry II ranting about how Thomas had been interfering with his plans and asking, rhetorically as it turned out, who would rid him ‘of this turbulent priest’ (or words to that effect). The knights thought they were the men for the job but, having done the deed, found that the King had apparently spoken in haste, so they were forced to flee up North. The King, meanwhile, did many penances and made a pilgrimage to Thomas’ tomb. Thomas, himself, was canonised and made a saint in 1173. After that story from the early annals of English History, we thought we would suggest having a Medieval theme, or perhaps Saints and Sinners, or what about a Knight out with the Lads?

A lot of people only think of Medieval costumes with weddings, but Medieval remains a very popular fancy dress theme all year round. Now if you are thinking of holding a Medieval costume party you must decide if you mind if your guests dress up in Tudor & Elizabethan costumes as well. Most people do get confused with these historiacl eras, so please be specific in your invitation if you do not want the eras to mix. It may also help to give your guests some actual information so they understand the look you are trying to create. Saying that, a lot of people really are not bothered whether the eras do mix, but, that is really down to the person who is putting on the party. It is understandable for people to tend to gravitate toward Tudor & Elizabethan costume as it is more ornate, and probably looks a bit more romantic. As with all fancy dress, we do not intend to hire, or sell an historically accurate costume. To be honest, nobody would want to wear an authentic medieval costume ever, so all the costumes available are going to have a bit of artistic involvement. If you are looking for historicallay accurate costume, we suggest you look for a local costumiers, and not a fancy dress shop.

So, what is the difference between Medieval & Tudor?

In Medieval times, the 14th Century Government dictated that lower classes should only wear blankets, and could not wear linen girdles. Trade people (and their wives) could only wear fur from rabbits, lambs, cats and foxes! Ermine fur was only allowed to be worn by royalty. And we think our Government today is too interfering!

A typical rich lady would wear:
Velvet, fur, silk, taffeta, lace and cotton. Knights returning from the Crusades would bring exotic materials back with them. Ladies would wear many layers, to help protect them from the draughts in the castles. Sleeves were very wide. Hair was worn long and plaited, only the Queen at her coronation, and young girls wore their hair down. Hats startedout as just material over the head and wrapped around the neck, and evolved to look like pointy horns.A medieval nobleman would wear trousers covered by a long tunic. A tabbard would often be worn over this. A fur trimmed cloak would be pinned at the shoulder to demonstrate his wealth. You could also attend the function in a Knight’s costume. Medieval peasant men wore linen or rough woollen shirts or tunics that came down to the knee. Pieces of fabric would either be tied around the legs or the man would go bare legged. To be honest, a peasant costume, doesn’t really change that much throughout this period of history and most fancy dress shops will have costumes to hire. The choice of costumes to purchase is still fairly low, but improving all the time.

A Medieval peasant would wear:
Wool, linen and sheepskin. A Peasant lady would wear a full length tunic made from a woollen or rough linen material. It was generally pulled in at the waist by a belt.

Medieval Fancy Dress Costume Suggestions:
Medieval Peasant Lady
Medieval Peasant Man
Medieval Lady
Medieval Nobleman
Knight
Jester
Monk
Robin Hood Costume
Maid Marion

The richer the material from which Tudor clothes were made, the higher the status of the wearer. Silks, furs, and heavy brocades, as well as wool, were used for Tudor clothes. Bright colors of taffeta and satin were commonplace and it wasn’t unusual to see patterns mismatched. Both men and women wore their hair shoulder length.

In early Tudor, Men wore short doublets (jackets) over their hose (Pantaloons). It was fashionable for their sleeves to be slashed and their flat hats were often decorated with feathers. Women’s clothing gave them a triangular shape. Their corsets were tight fitting while their kirtles (petticoats) and gowns were very full

Poor people wore simple, loose-fitting clothes made from woollen cloth. Most men wore trousers made from wool and a tunic which came down to just above their knee. Women wore a dress of wool that went down to the ground. They often wore an apron over this and a cloth bonnet on their heads

This is the most popular of historical costumes from our extensive range. Tudor costumes tend to be more flattering and elaborate than medieval costume, and many people, although looking for a medieval costume, actually chose this era instead.

Tudor Fancy Dress Costume Suggestions:
Tudor Peasant Lady
Tudor Peasant Man
Tudor Lady
Tudor Man Costume
Henry VIII
Henry VIII’s wives
Jester
Monk
For costuming purposes, we tend to link Tudor & Elizabethan in together, but the interesting fact of Elizabethan life is that , the Government (again getting involved!) decreed in 1574 and it was enforced by Queen Elizabeth I, the following colour dress code. To violate the law you could actually be fined, lose your title or even our life!

Red – lower and upper classes
Gold -Duchesses, Marquises, and Countesses. Dukes, Marquises, and Earls
Crimson – Royalty, Nobility and members of the Council
Indigo – Royalty, Nobility and members of the Council
Purple – Queen, Queen’s mother, children, and sisters, and aunts. The King, King’s mother, children and uncles
White – lower and upper classes
Black – although expensive to produce, lower and upper classes
Blue – lower and upper classes
Orange – lower and upper classes
Brown – lower and upper classes
Grey – lower and upper classes
Green – were lower and upper classes
Yellow – lower and upper classes
Pink – lower and upper classes

Hawaiian Fancy Dress Theme

Posted on December 28, 2010 by admin

What better way to get over the coldness of the weather than have an Hawaiian themed fancy dress party?

Due to the placement of Christmas this year, today December 28th is an extra Bank Holiday day. So what better day than to celebrate the opening of Britain’s first National Park in 1950? Perhaps a costumed ramble or Treasure Hunt, to help blow away the cobwebs might work. Of course, the weather might not be entirely suitable for a walk and getting Out and About generally (unless, of course, you have some brand-new sporting kit you’ve been dying to try), but we thought we’d embrace the theme of The Great Outdoors today. If it’s too cold to be out and you would rather be staying indoors, then why not pretend that it’s warm outside and check out our Hawaiian costumes and accessories - Just make sure the heating is turned up nice and high!

Alternatively, if that is too much a stretch of the imagination, you might choose to be well wrapped up in one of our fantastic jungle, farmyard, or pet animal costumes.

Heroes & Villains Fancy Dress

Posted on December 27, 2010 by admin

Today we offer ‘Heroes & Villains’ as our fancy dress theme of the day. Yesterday we mentioned pantomimes, and today we celebrate the first performance of another much-loved tale, Peter Pan. The J.M. Barrie story of the Boy Who Never Grew Up was premiered as a stage play today in 1904, and a book soon followed. Peter Pan is not really a pantomime as it lacks many of the necessary elements (although the title role is often played by a female), but as many will know, Barrie conferred certain rights which mean that the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital benefits from the play and its performance. Whilst suggesting a theme based around Peter Pan may be a little limiting, it does embrace two popular theme areas – Fairies (as personified in Tinkerbell) and Pirates, thanks to Captain Hook and his crew, so a Fairey & Pirates party could be on the cards. There is also always the option of Heroes and Villains if a broader theme is required.

Broadening out to a Heroes & Villains party gives you and your guests a huge array of costumes to choose from. Due to lack of space,(and your time to read) we cannot go through all of our costume ideas, but, below, we hope, will give you some inspiration. We have also included as many couple costume ideas as we can …

Cruella – we stock Cruella style costumes, as well as a large range of Cruella accessories including wigs, gloves and cigarette holders.
Captain Hook (Villain) & Peter Pan (Hero), Pirate Captain costumes available to hire and purchase. Take a look at Elf and Robin Hood costumes to create a Peter Pan outfit. We also stock Peter Pan Hats & bow’s and arrows.
Devil & Angel. We stock a huge range of Devil accessories to create this outfit. For angels, we stock fantastic white feather wings and halos, we also stock a great range of bad fairy accessories.
Superheroes – We stock a wide range of superhero costumes including: Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Batman & Robin, The Joker, Mr & Mrs Incredible
Fairytale Book Characters – These stories normally follow a good versus evil situation so use a character from your favourite fairytales. Heroes include: Prince Charming & Fairy Godmothers. Villains include: Jafar (Alladin), Bad Fairy / Witches, Wicked Queens, Wicked Witch of The West
Horror Films – These give a wide range of nasty characters including: Freddie Krueger, Jason , Silence Of The Lambs, Dracula
Real Life Heroes – how about going to the fancy dress party dressed as a doctor or a nurse (or any of our other emergency services)?
Real Life Villains – Convict costumes as well as outfits based on ‘real criminals’ such as Jack The Ripper (wear a victorian costume)
Religous Costumes – these can be a hero or a villain depending on your point of view. We stock a great range of religous costumes, but please make sure you do not offend anyone.
Vampires & Werewolves – very popular at the moment, especially with The Twilight Saga

Pantomime Fancy Dress Theme

Posted on December 26, 2010 by admin

Today, as it is a traditional part of Christmas, we are suggessting a Pantomime fancy dress theme as people recover from the excesses

Use as a Genie Costume For Aladdin

of yesterday. Traditionally, this used to commence on December 26^th and its roots can be traced back to the Italian Commedia dell’arte, with ‘Harlequin Executed’ being the first pantomime in the UK, back in 1717. In modern times, the pantomime season has extended itself, with many starting way before the Christmas festivities and going on well into the first few weeks of the New Year. Nowadays, pantomimes are based on the traditional fairy stories of childhood. These are kept current by developing storylines and ad-libs (oh no they don’t, oh yes they do!) which reflect current popular culture. A good Panto also has loads of audience participation, with chants of ‘behind you’ and ‘Booing’ when the villain comes onto the stage. A real feel good factor as good also wins over evil ‘hooray’.

Though there are different fairy tales, most pantomimes have various essential characters which feature in many, if not all performances. From the Pantomime Dame, where males relish the chance to dress up as females, with over the top bright, colourful, ‘loud’ dresses, wigs, make-up and appropriate accessories such as jumbo eyelashes, to the Principal Boy, which is often played by a girl. At Props n Frocks we have costumes for most pantomimes, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Dick Whittington and Jack and the Beanstalk. Not only do we stock the major characters, but we also have costumes for the chorus, from fairies, to villagers and everything in between. Take a look at our large range of Fairytale costumes

Here are some Pantomime costume suggestions, but there are so many more, and there is something to suit all sizes and budgets.

Snow White - Other charactersinclude; Wicked Queen (use a witch costume), Prince Charming and who can forget the seven dwarfs?
Red Riding Hood – plenty of red riding hood costumes available to purchase, and why not go as a couple with our Granny Wolf costume
Cinderella – a whole host of costumes available here from Ugly Sister costumes, to rats, Fairy Godmother & Prince Charming outfits and don’t forget poor Cinders and Cinderella ballgowns.
Aladdin – another fantastic story with a large range of characters to help you to choose your costume. Aladdin, Widow Twanky, Jafar, the baddie, Jasmine (wear a belly dancer costume) and of course, the genie. There are also roles for a parrot and monkey.
Peter Pan – Yet another great story, full of terrific characters that you can dress up as. Firstly, we have Peter Pan, a greeen Elf costume will suffice as will some Robin Hood costumes. Captain Hook, Peter Pan’s arch enemy. You will need to wear a pirate captain costume and of course, you must wear a hook. Smee, Hook’s second in command. You will need to wear a standard pirate costume for this character (as played by Bob Hoskins). Wendy wears an old fashioned white nightgown and the lost boys wear medieval peasant style clothing. Green fairy costumes are available to purchase for Tinker Bell. Other characters include: Indians and mermaids.
Alice in Wonderland, choose from Alice herself, The Queen of Hearts, The Mad Hatter or the white Rabbit
Beauty & the Beast. You may need to wear a werewolf mask to get the beast effect. Beauty wears a yellow Victorian style dress. A lot of the characters (Wardrobe, light, tea pot) can be quite difficult to put together unless you are very talented and artistic.
Puss in Boots. We stock a large range of cat masks and accessories as well as over boots, hats and swords.
Jack & the Beanstalk – Jack and his mother wear peasant costumes. You may need a very tall friend to go as the giant

Happy Christmas from Props n Frocks Fancy Dress

Posted on December 25, 2010 by admin

Is there anyone out there? Oddly enough, despite what everyone is supposed to be doing on Christmas Day, figures show that today can be

Adult Snowman Costume

quite a busy day on the Internet – everything from people trying out some new piece of IT kit which they have had as a present (and if we are making a first appearance on your hand-held or smart phone, welcome to the world of Props n Frocks) through to those preparing for the sales which technically start tomorrow but which are ‘previewed’ today. Anyway, now you are here what can we do to amuse you? As today is one of the few days we are not open, we can’t help on the costuming front at our shop, but of course you can prepare for forthcoming festive events by looking around this site. For those new to us, the idea of these blogs is to give you ideas for something to celebrate and ‘hang’ a costume event on. Today’s event is pretty obvious but 25^th December is also the 21^st birthday of the means by which we’re coming to you – the World Wide Web (The system from which it was evolved was first tested on Christmas Day 1990). Can you believe that that was only 20 years ago, how did we maange before the www revolution? So there are causes to celebrate, both ancient and modern!

As previously mentioned, there is nobody on the phones today, or tomorrow, so drop us an email and your query will be answered as soon as we are back in on Monday (it may be a Bank Holiday in England, but Props n Frocks is open 12 noon till 6pm)