Shopping

Angels
London’s most famous and well-equipped fancy-dress shop stocks everything from opulent Elizabethan frocks to contemporary, freakish rubber costumes.
Angels, 119 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7836 5678/www.fancydress.com) Leicester Square tube. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm, Wed 10.30am-7pm.

Beyond Retro
One of London’s biggest and best second-hand shops and an excellent place to get kitted out for a fancy-dress party, with a mighty selection of cheap garments and accessories from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Beyond Retro, 110-112 Cheshire St, E2 (020 7613 3636/www.beyondretro.com) Liverpool St tube/rail or Whitechapel tube. Open daily 10am-6pm. Feature continues

Charles H Fox
The place professionals in the film and theatre industries come for make-up, wigs, latex and lashes (and 1-2-1 tranny workshops).
Charles H Fox, 22 Tavistock St, WC2 (08702 000 369/www.charlesfox.co.uk) Covent Garden tube. Open Mon-Wed 9.30am-5.45pm, Thur, Fri 9.30am-6.45pm, Sat 9.30am-5.45pm.

The Costume Studio
An impressive selection of authentic-looking costumes and trimmings but at a price: from £65 an outfit for a week’s hire.
The Costume Studio, 159-161 Balls Pond Rd, N1 (020 7923 9472/www.costumestudio.co.uk) Dalston Kingsland rail. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm.

Escapade
This well-known Camden shop has an extensive range of masks, as well as full character outfits from ‘Little Britain’ to Superman.
150 Camden High St, NW1 (020 7485 7384/www.escapade.co.uk) Camden Town tube. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.

Mad World Fancy Dress
With more than 35,000 costumes from historical to comic, crammed into a warehouse basement, this is Old Street’s hidden gem.
Mad World Fancy Dress, 69-85 Tabernacle St, EC2 (0800 783 6582/ www.madworld.co.uk) Old St tube/rail. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am- 6.45pm, Thur 9.30am-7.45pm, Sat 10am-4.45pm.

Prangsta
A bespoke costumier in New Cross with a unique made-to-measure service and staff who can help you put an outfit together.
Prangsta, 304 New Cross Rd, SE14 (020 8694 9869/www.prangsta.com) New Cross Gate tube. Open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm.

Tie Rack
The ubiquitous chain is great for bargain accessories – handy when you want a cheap dapper-gent look.
Tie Rack, 295 Oxford St, W1 (020 7495 1655/www.tie-rack.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube. Open daily 10am-8.30pm.