Probably one of the best villians of all time, the joker is a sociopath who commits atrocious crimes for his own amusement. His unpredictability and madness make him a great character to portray.

One of the questions that really should be asked when thinking about dressing up in the Joker Costume is Should i got for the Latex Mask or do i want (and have the time and patience) for doing the face paint. We reckon that the face paint is probably the better option, its more realistic to the latest film, Dark Knight, as well as being far cheaper option.

The face paint is suppose to look a bit messy so it’s not big deal if its not 100% accurate, however here’s to do the make up:

Deluxe Joke Costume

On the 15th of August, Prepare to see Star Wars as you’ve never seen it before. The 3d Animated version hits the Big screen and then makes way for a television series will debut soon afterward in the Autumn on Cartoon Network and TNT.

Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Daniels as Mace Windu and C3PO. It promises to be the next big thing in terms of childrens programs with the twist that this will have huge appeal for adults too. I dont think theres been such a good cross over of interests since the Simpsons.

 Star Wars Clone Trooper Costumes

Mika and his band decided to do their show in Fancy Dress in Hong Kong. What a legend.

This Video gave me a good old laugh. Puppets (or folks in costumes in not sure) preforming Usher’s – Love in this Club. I think it’s by the band that play for the kids in Chucky Cheese in the USA, not 100% sure on that though – let me know if i’m right or not on that.

What a great idea for a fancy dress party. A karoke fancy dress! Just think of the photo’s, videos and memories.

Throwing on a giant Styrofoam dog head will probably allow you a little bit of freedom in public. Urinating on public buildings would be accepted as part of the act, laughed at even. No bathroom line ups, no seedy stalls, no awkward urinal moments – bliss for both the obsessive compulsive and the lazy!

 Dog Costume – Scooby Doo

Another point worth mentioning for the party animal is this is a really great costume for drinking. Their are no barriers between your precious pint and its destination.

Comments that you’d never get away with amongst the female population become not only toleratable but hilarious. ‘I need to find me a Bitch’ no longer is degrading but an inbuilt instinct. Even humping a strangers leg becomes board-line acceptable.

If you grew up at any time during the seventies, whether you were male or female, you probably have more than a few memories of Wonder Woman stored away.  Of course, depending on your gender and/or sexual orientation, these memories vary between individuals. Strong, smart and sexy, when Wonder Woman went on the air in 1975, her perky little suit and swinging brunette hair made an impression on everyone. 

If you were a little girl, chances are you had few icons to emulate during the seventies. Most female characters in film and TV were still begging to be rescued with their breasts taking up more screen time then their faces.  Any hero with any strength and general coolness was invariably masculine.   When Wonder Woman showed up, she made such an impression that the first stand-alone cover of the American magazine, MS, featured her in full regalia.  Touted as the first superhero to ‘conquer with love’, girls suddenly had an idol that kicked some bad-guy behind while still managing to look hot in her sparkly blue shorts.

  Wonder Woman Costume

 

 

Every woman, no matter how vehemently she’ll deny it, would like a dress up as Wonder Woman.  Hands on the hips, raven hair billowing, sassy red boots planted firmly on the ground.  Every man, no matter how sophisticated he pretends to be, harbors some sort of dusty fantasy about that golden lasso.  Maybe the fantasy involves wearing the costume himself?? Why not?  You don’t have to wait for a fancy-dress party to do it either.  Imagine how much more entertaining it would be to go about your daily chores dressed as an Amazon super heroine. You’d feel a lot more heroic emptying the kitty litter box with your perky little cape snapping away behind you.

 

 

Granted, there are some issues with Wonder Woman that need to be addressed. For example…her weapons are pretty poor.  A golden lasso of truth?? Indestructible Bracelets?? If you’re facing some giant robotic killing machine (just an example…) a pair of bracelets really isn’t going to come in terribly handy.  What about psychotic arc-enemies? Are we to assume that once ensnared in the lasso they blubber out their true feelings and then are somehow rehabilitated? One can only hope there’s a group hug after wards. Maybe the dreaded-evil doer can go work in a vegan bakery with the rest of the reformed enemies. Idle hands and all…

It really is an honor. Honestly. At the time it may seem like a burden coupled with a great deal of stress, but being chosen to organize your girlfriend’s hen party is something to be proud of. Now, only if you could remember that whilst trying to shepherd her friends into making some attempt at organization.

 Hen Party Accessories

When your teary-eyed friend grasps your hand over a few drinks one night and asks you to be her maid of honor, it’s a cue for your heart to leap with excitement. Sadly, most hearts sink.  Trying to please a stressed out woman who knows this is her last night of freedom isn’t easy.  Trying to get her friends in order to agree on times, places and responsibilities is even worse. Below, we present a list of the main offenders. These are the women that will make your planning second only to one of Dante’s rings of hell…

The ‘I COULD’VE DONE THAT BETTER’ girl…

When you’ve scoured the Internet for interesting places to take her, found the right ones, booked them in advance, sent out the invitations, organized the food and secured the libations…she’ll be there to hint at what could’ve been better. She’ll tap her perfectly manicured fingernails on her arm and smile benignly. “ Wow, you’ve gone to so much work! Did you know you could get professionally done invites for the same price??� (At this time we suggest that you refrain from offering to, somewhat agressively, undo her perfect little hair do for less than the price of the her personal stylist.) 

The ‘MY PAIN THEREFORE MAKES ME EXEMPT� girl… 

Maybe she’s just broken up with someone, maybe she’s having a personal crisis, maybe her job is terrible…whatever the case, her pain is deeper than anyone’s before and she simply is not reachable.  If she does answer the phone, she’s usually full of apologies and may even promise to join you for the hen night, perhaps even make some appetizers. Does she show? Hell no, her dog has a cold and the stress of watching him suffer has proven to be too overwhelming for her… 

 Dare Cards – A must for any Hen Party  

The ‘MINGLING IS FOR SUCKERS’ troupe…

These girls are usually from a certain part of the bride’s life. They may be work acquaintances or high school buddies but they are easy to recognize because they arrive and depart in the same huddled mass. They sit facing each other, engage in private conversation and basically alienate everyone else. As the hostess, they run the risk of ruining your new top due to stress induced sweat.

Of course, all of this silliness can be put aside with the addition of a few (short of a dozen) glasses of wine and the right accessories. Any party warms up with silly hats.  It’s been proven.

 Hen Night Costumes

So here’s our top 3 tips to organising a hen night

1. Use the internet for everything, research the perfect location, find whats others did and what did and didnt work well.

2. Do as little as possible yourself. Get the invites made cheaply and sent out to you, book the hotel / venue online – search for the best deal – e-mail everyone and ask for a discount.

3. Make sure everyone knows you may be organising the party, but once it starts your offically off duty.

A stag night is a right of passage and an important one at that. Partly because it’s his last night to enjoy debauchery without crippling guilt but also because men tend to be a little culturally bereft of ‘special occasions’.  No sweet sixteen parties, no ‘you’ve become a woman’ speeches (in general…), no bridal or baby showers.  It’s a sad state of affairs and one that demands that you or your best friend’s stag night be memorable.  A stripper and a few games of poker just don’t cut it. You need to ensure that the groom is humiliated as much as possible and with the proper accessories.

 

 Stag Night Accessories

When hitting the clubs/pubs/all night diners, it’s essential that you call as much attention to yourselves as possible. This serves the purpose of not only making the groom feel important, but also getting those who aren’t about to be married a little attention as well. How you choose to do this has a lot to do with your personal style.  Want to maintain a touch of class?  Dark shades and hats like the ones included in the Blues Brothers kit are subtly cool or go minimalist with stag antlers for all. Need grand scale attention?? Think colorful and offensive, like that age old combination of neon pimp suits and blow up dolls. Why not take it upon yourselves to dress as a group of Superheroes? School Boys? Why not a whole pack of clergy descending on your local strip bar? Offending people and getting noticed – the magic combination for a memorable night.

 Stag Antlers

Now…once you are bedecked in the proper attire, what to do?? Whereas women tend to spend Hen nights celebrating their friendship, in most countries stag nights are about making the groom as uncomfortable as possible.  One poor, incredibly drunk groom was coaxed into a pair of pink hot pants and then handcuffed to a lamppost for the remainder of the night.  Luckily the wedding was in the summer and his friends collected him before the dogs could get to him. These kinds of high-spirited hi-jinx take creativity! Arrange some time for the groomsmen to get together and, keeping the groom’s tastes in mind, come up with a memorable plan.

 Stag night Kits 

As an endnote – memorable is one thing but traumatic is another.  Although getting the police involved in the night would certainly add a little spice, the last thing a bride to be wants to do is spend her honey moon money posting bail. So whatever you do dont get caught!

Sarah sent in her pics from our Staff night out:

Like i said before classic night! 

Here’s a little peak into TheCostumeShop.ie’s staff night. Try to sit through without smiling – i dare you!