You have the greatest input needed with costume ideas and that is, your ideas. You do not really have to buy or rent a costume if you do not want to. You can use your own innovative ideas and make a completely unique costume. The first step is to know about the situation. You would not want to have some glittering and jazzy costume for a formal dinner. On the other hand you do not want to dress professionally and formally for a hip party.
If you are going to a custom party or ball you can let your imagination run wild and have fun with your costume idea. You can go as Pinocchio and have a cardboard pencil nose tied with a skin or white coloured elastic band. If you are a heavier built person you can pain yourself blue and go as Genie from Aladdin. However, if you are going to a ball that needs periodic style costumes you can choose your favourite person in history and dress as them.
Be imaginative, innovative, and creative with your fancy dress costume. At times, it is just a perfect combination of your day-to-day clothing that adds value and fun to the occasion. A poster with a piece of hilarious message on your ordinary T-shirt is a perfect costume when you are going for a baseball match or for example, in Death on the Mound you can play a clutz by simply wearing different coloured socks.
Have you ever tried playing fun with your kid's watercolour tubes? Dress them up in a casual shirt and shorts. Draw a big moustache, put a hat, a holster, and see how deeply your kids love their new looks. It is not always the funny bone that has to be tickled with your costume ideas. In fact, costumes can make greater impact on your viewers if you plan to make them aware of certain issues.
If you want kids and adults to learn more on genetically modified foods, dress the little ones like a tomato and tell them what are the pros and cons of the foods. The kids and grown ups would love to remember the information rather than going through a boring textbook.
Costume ideas can also represent how you are and what you like as a person. If you are someone who loved the Disco era then choose or make a costume that would reflect that time period. If you love the renaissance then make or choose a costume that would represent that particular look of the period. On the other hand if you are wild and crazy at heart choose a costume that reflects just how crazy you can be. You can plan costumes for all occasions. Do not go and buy any more ready-made costumes and expensive dress clothing to make an impression make your own.
