perks!London's best fancy dress shops
Halloween, New Year, or just popping out to one of the clubs in London, social occasions are at least twice as fun when there's fancy dress involved. Cast off your going out uniform and switch it for, say, a 1920s flapper dress. Or perhaps an Elizabethan doublet. In these top-notch fancy dress shops you can give yourself a giant wound, try on terrifying masks, and get involved in full character outfits. Choosing your ideal alter-ego will be the only dilemma...
RECOMMENDED: Check out London's best Halloween costumes if you're looking for a spooky outfit for Halloween
London's fanciest fancy dress shops
Only Fools and Peacocks
Nestled on Stoke Newington High Street, this emporium of all things weird and wonderful manages to bridge the gap between exclusive (and excruciatingly expensive) costumiers and tacky high-street fancy dress suppliers. Pieces are available to buy or rent at pretty reasonable prices, with costumes ranging from up-cycled fancy dress to originals sourced from the Royal Opera House wardrobe department. Full costume styling (£20 for 40 minutes) and make-up (from £25) are available by appointment, while bespoke pieces can also be made to order.
Mad World Fancy Dress and Costume Hire
This vast dungeon of a fancy dress store offers a stellar personal service. Staff help you navigate some 35,000 costumes, from a sleek ant to a fuzzy Orvill duck, and make sure you have a bespoke outfit to take away. Prices start from around £15 for accessories (cloaks, top hats and the like) and full costumes start at £35. Further store in Charing Cross (441 The Strand, WC2N 4HZ).
Prangsta
A bespoke costumier in New Cross with a unique made-to-measure service as well as ready-made outfits and staff who can help you put a look together thanks to their styling service. This is the go-to venue for circus styling, and 18th century outfits are their bestsellers, but demand means they’ve increased their 1920s range in recent times.
Angels
Angels is the undisputed doyenne of fancy dress hire for adults and children in the capital. The range – spanning everything from splendid Tudor robes to a sequinned showgirl outfit from Octopussy – and quality are unparalleled. There’s also a selection of packet costumes and cheap superhero costumes for sale starting at £30.99. Outfits for hire from the shop start at £80 plus VAT and include matching accessories, plus £100 deposit.
The Costume Studio
Excellent, high-quality costume emporium with a rather impressive catalogue. There’s no cheap party tat here, only expert-made pieces, many of which are inspired by film costumes. Minimum hire £30, full outfits range from £65-£85.
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 1920s to the 1980s.
Escapade
This well-known Camden shop has an extensive range of masks and accessories, as well as full character outfits from Harry Potter to Superman. Lazy party-goers can swing by for one of these affordable all-in-one outfits, rather than trying to piece together a bespoke outfit. You can also order from their website to avoid lugging the inevitably enormous packages home on the bus.
Carnival Store
Expect a strong selection of off-the-rack costumes and accessories, from fierce fangs to angelic wings, at this west London store. It initially appears small, but its two floors are rammed to the rafters with fancy dress delights and fun party gear.
National Theatre Costume Hire Store
More high-class fancy dress than cheap party shop, any member of the public can can make an appointment at the National Theatre's costume warehouse. Rails are arranged chronologically from dramatic eighteenth-century ball gowns to 1920s flapper dresses for women, and from top hats and tails to Elizabethan ruffs and doublets for men. Enthusiastic staff are on hand to help you build a top-to-toe look (from £120).
Screenface
Professional make-up artists seek out Screenface for its high-quality, long-lasting make-up and tools of the trade. Haircare is of a similarly high standard, as are the make-up brushes and other tools. Special effects are big business: fake blood, adhesives and removers, plus all types of facial hair, from handlebar moustaches to mutton chops.
Charles H Fox
This is the place professionals in the film and theatre industries come for make-up, wigs, latex and lashes. 1-2-1 make-up workshops are also on offer for men and women, covering glamour, editorial and avant-garde looks.
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Milroy's of Soho
The range here is enormous, with around 400 from Scotland alone. There’s a large selection from £14.95, but fine and rare whiskies can cost up to £2,500, including some of Milroy’s own bottlings. What’s more, staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the shop runs regular tasting events for those looking to improve their knowledge and appreciation of whisky. There's a copper-top bar that seats 12 inside the shop for visitors to sit and taste at, then down in the basement – which you can access via a secret door behind a bookcase – you'll find The Vault, a speakeasy styled cocktail bar. As featured in the 100 best shops in London
Venue says We pride ourselves in our knowledge and enthusiasm for whisky. Everything on our shelves is hand-picked by us and there because we love it.
