With Easter coming at the end of this week, we thought it would be apt to have an animal themed fancy dress party. Animal costumes, notably chicks, bunnies and possibly March Hares if you are having an Alice tea-party may be much on your mind.

Given that today in 1881 the Natural History Museum opened in South Kensington, London, now would be a good time to take an overview of animal outfits. At the top level are the ‘big-head’ mascot costumes. These larger-than-life characters certainly make an impression at any event but there are several issues relating to their use. Firstly, whilst they look great, most of them are hot and heavy to wear, so we do not recommend their use at parties or events where space is at a premium. Even at an outdoor event there is a need to be cautious: Not only is the wearer’s vision restricted (so having a ‘minder’ is a good plan) but even outside, the wearer will get hot and may need to have rest-breaks at a location where they can ‘break character’ out of sight of the public. (Even the ‘professionals’ with their air conditioned suits and electronic aids, follow these basic rules!). Next are the costumes with overhead masks. These retain the look of the animal being portrayed but, not being so padded and rigid as mascots, are easier to wear. There have been more of these coming on the market recently and Props n Frocks has an excellent range available. There are still problems with a limited field of vision in most cases, and simple things like eating, drinking and speaking so you can be heard are still difficult – again taking the head off in public is a no-no! Next level down is the suit and balaclava approach which leaves the face free. This can be good for interaction with your ‘public’. The animal look is portrayed with face-paint or make-up according to enthusiasm and/or ability (although some animals such as horses provide a challenge!) Even if you are not too confident on this aspect, we at Props n Frocks can help with advice and materials and there are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube and the internet. At the simplest level, for children and those who do not want to play with face-paint, animals can be portrayed with appropriate fur tabards, ears, tails etc., and the animal look can be enhanced with the widening range of animal ‘face-bobs’ available. Some of these even come equipped with appropriate sound-effects!

Take a look at our range of animal costumes.

Props n Frocks also manufactures Mascot style costumes, so if you need one for your work , charity or business, contact us and we can give you some more details.