OK are we all set for the party?…read more Kiddy food... check Soft drinks... check presents... check booze for the frazzled parents... check balloons... balloons... balloons?...feck Now rather than telling the story normally, let's go for something that best fits the 'eeeeeeeeek' manner in which the balloon less state left us. Ruuuuuuuuun.... buuuuuuuus.....waaaaaaaalk.....hiiiiiiiiiiii....... baaaaaallooooons please.......niiiiiiiiice daaaaaaay.......yeeeesssssss.....paaaaaaayyyyy.....waaaaaaalllllllk.....buuuuuuuus......hiiiiiiiiii hooooooney.....and relax Phew says i. Two kick ass balloons (one a giant silver foil number 2...as in the number, not the bodily function... not that you'd be expecting that, but just in case....oooh, i'm in a big hole) filled with floaty gas for aout 15 notes... pricey but cool. Oh and an update on the staff.... this time i was the grumpy frazzled one and she the nice friendly one... sometimes we can be too quick to judge!

This is the ultimate in tacky, novelty shopping, with everything from big bright balloons plastered…read moreall over the walls, to hen party costumes for the unashamedly tacky. From the moment you walk in the door, your eyes will be assaulted by the garish surroundings, you can't help but laugh. Since it specialises in party decorations and dressing up gear, it can be forgiven for being a little bit over the top and this just adds to its weird and wacky wonderfulness.

If i could rate it higher i would, just an amazing shop. Id highly recommend it to everyone. No…read morematter how busy the shop is you always recieve a first class personal service almost ad if the staff have the wjole day just for you xxxc thank you again for your wonderful service xxxx

From the owner: Kids and adult fancy dress dress costumes. from 0-6 months to plus size adult. Wigs, hats, masks,…read moreaccessories, face-paints. We also stock wool Robin and Rico can can wool, haberdashery, ribbons, buttons, fabrics and dance wear. We have extended business hours over the month of October. Please see our website at www.fancydress-factory.co.uk Kids and adult fancy dress dress costumes. from 0-6 months to plus size adult. Wigs, hats, masks, accessories, Snazaroo face-paints. Licensed products include: Disney, Monster High, Spongebob, Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Smurfs, WWE wrestlers, Marvel Avengers, Iron Man 3, Morphsuits and skinz, Shrek, Moshi Monsters. 20's, 50's, 60's 70's, 80's and 90's costumes and accessories. We also stock wool Robin double knit, aran and Rico can can wool, haberdashery, ribbons, buttons, fabrics, Dylon dyes and dance wear. Fabrics: lining, printed and plain poly cotton, sheeting, fur fabric, valboa fur, polar fleece, dress net, voile, satin, satin jersey.

If I hadn't have found this shop's website online, I wouldn't have known it existed. Up two…read more(three?) flights of stairs on St Enoch Square, facing theshopping centre, Fairy Funny has all kinds of fancy dress costumes. A lot of the costumes are for hire, but there are some for sale too. Behind the counter in here, there are loads of costumes, masks and accessories, although I would prefer it if you could rummage around a little more. There are catalogues to look through for ideas and rental costume availability. A couple of changing rooms are in the rear area and what I wouldn't give to work in here and see some of the idiots in costumes! Get here early though - as with all seasonal shops, the queue really starts to get riduculous at peak times.

If it's the week of Halloween and you don't have a costume, I'd only advise you visit this shop if…read moreyou have patience, tolerance and low blood pressure. One Halloween I was after some fairy wings so after some googling, I set off into town to find this place. And what a sight that greeted me; a queue out the door and down the stairs. I imagine the Halloween custom keeps this place going throughout the year. Once inside, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff in one place. There were novelty costumes from every era and all sorts of accessories. If you're looking for a particular costume, this shop is bound to have it but it'd also be a good place to go if you're looking for ideas. Despite the madness of queuing to get in a shop, Fairy Funny has good stock and does lots of deals with office party specials, and discounts for school groups and students. I'll most likely be visiting this shop again this month, however I'm going to do it sooner rather than later and I suggest you do the same!

So I love a party, and any excuse to decorate. In the states there is my dream, a land called Party…read moreCity. That has any decorations you can ever imagine. My 9th birthday party, had high heel and lipstick everything, I am talking, napkins, cups, confetti, streamers. Needless to say I like my party shops. This place is pretty great, which was evident on arriving at 9.55am and there being about 4 other cars in the parking lot waiting for the place to open at 10. I was looking for silver wedding decorations, the other cars a mix of baby shower and kids birthdays. The shop is on two floors, the lower is balloon heaven, with two walls of pick your own balloons, and plenty of decorations for any wedding, hen-do, baby shower theme. Upstairs is the kids party area and endless costumes! Perfect, if you need to pick up a costume not during the Halloween season. They also provide helium services and can make balloon bouquets, on the day. They also had a section of balloons to be picked up later, which is perfect if you want to pre-order and then pick up the day of the event. I also saw a sign for fireworks, but didn't investigate further!

This branch of Dazzle used to be contained within the aforementioned Ink Spot but became so popular…read morethat it expanded into this huge fancy dress emporium. There is a costume for every occasion and here in Lanarkshire that's a pretty niche market, there aren't many reputable fancy dress shops and Dazzle certainly filled that void. At Halloween, this shop is literally stowed out and if you leave it till the last minute, chances are you will be waiting in queues for at least a couple of hours, if you're lucky. Fancy dress isn't a cheap business so expect to pay quite a bit for some impressive looking, but actually very cheaply made costumes. This is par for the course when buying any prepackaged fancy regalia. However, you really can get everything in here from sailors to witches, bumble bee's to Wonder Woman and everything in between. They also sell the bits and bobs to go with them like the ridiculously high stiletto boots and shoes, petticoats, hats, masks and face-paints. You could spend hours in here just browsing. My personal favourite costume is the Foreplay Seven Seas Seductress pirate costume which would turn a few heads. The downside? It's 99.00. Fantastic for your fancy dress needs and wants, but expect to pay a pretty penny.

I bought a costume for my daughters Halloween party at school from Dazzle in Hamilton. It was the…read moreworst quality outfit i have ever bought. it was cheap nylon material, so thin you could spit peas through it (as my mum would say). From the minute she put it on it started to fall apart, the 'decorative trim' pretty much fell off in my hand as i put it on her. I paid nearly 30 pounds for this outfit for a 5 year old child (i must have been out of my mind) and let me tell you, i have since gone to Sainsburys and bought the same dressing up outfit which was much nicer material and it was much better made, better still it cost me half the price!!! I did attempt to broach this subject with the manager of Dazzle, but she was extremely unhelpful and refused to replace the outfit (i didn't ask for a refund, all i wanted was a replacement or a repair, but i was refused either). I will NEVER use this store again, it is over priced (i also bought a Moshi Monster toy for my daughter, then later found it down the road in Argos for 5 pounds cheaper), the outfits are badly made and made of very cheap material, i could have sewn one myself and it would have held together better - i wish i had and the manager was very unhelpful and rude!! I would have written this review earlier, but my daughter has been unwell in hospital. I just hope no one has been ripped off by the over priced and bad quality outfits due to my delay in writing this.

A trip to Helen's Haberdashery is like rummaging around in the dressing up box when you were a kid,…read moreand provides endless entertainment. A longstanding addition to the In-Shops in The Forge Shopping Centre, this has always been the place to head for Halloween, Fancy Dress Parties, Friday nights...Any excuse! They have reels and reels of gorgeous fabrics, for the keen clothing maker, as well as lots of tubes of lovely buttons, thread, needles, wool, knitting needles - the lot! This place has saved me many a time for last minute costumes, selling ready made entire outfits, at a snip of the price of their city centre competitors. I particularly enjoy paying a visit to have a giggle over trying on their silly wigs and transforming my 'do to all manner of ridiculous new looks. A marvellous little dressing up box of a shop and one that I visit time and time again. Highly recommended for fans of dressmaking and dressing up.

This is a little Aladdins cave if you are looking for ideas for an outfit for a fancy dress party…read more they have an array of ready made proffesional looking outfits and masks if you are not that creative. Prices are really reasonable and much cheaper than you would pay elsewhere. If you are handy with a needle and thread then you can buy all the items to make your own items as they have a huge amount of different fabrics, trims and buttons etc. Staff are really good and if you need a bit of advise about what you need they are more than happy to help. Loads of goodies packed into quite a small space. Best thing is value money.

Dazzle has recently opened up for the Hallowe'en market and no doubt will be closed again in a…read morecouple of weeks. It has a wide range of costumes for everyone, and some I've never seen before such as Dino from the Flintstones and Mr. Potato Head. Prices vary, but they are quite steep in general. The advantage of a shop though, is that you can try before you buy. Last year I bought a hallowe'en costume online that was obviously designed for a 6 foot model, because the skirt was almost knee-length!! Yeas I know, we can't be having that.

I went in here purely because it's a play on my name. I jest. I noticed this new shop had opened so…read moreI popped inside for a nosey... and wow! This place is just bursting with costumes - as Liz said, it'll probably close down after Halloween (when else do people normally need an abundance of costumes?! Ok, christmas, sortof, but generally, Christmas isn't associated with pumpkin dress, no?), but it's fun while it lasts. It's quite pricey, but all the costumes look semi-professional (you know, not authentic disney, but a pretty darn good copycat), and they look like they'd last at least 1 night out on the tiles. My favourite costume bit - the couples section. "A Space Aged Couple Costume" was my favourite - rip off of the Jetson's anyone?! Fantastic.

great service if your needing a costume for a fancy dress party or something. The staff are very…read morehelpful and let you take your time picking stuff. The prices are great as well. The shop is very old which adds to its charm.

One of the longest lasting shops trading in the city centre, Tam Shepherd's is a well known, well…read morerespected name in these parts. It's a traditional joke/magic/dress up store, so expect to see anything on display, from kid's tricks to massive, elaborate looking wigs and masks. It is a treasure trove packed with a vast array of weird, wacky and wonderful props. The staff are very experienced and are really helpful. It's a small shop where most items are behind the counter which I always thinks looks very Victorian. Or like something out of Harry Potter! It is quite magical (boom boom tsssh!) so that figures. It was queued out the door for Halloween, but on normal business days it usually does steady business. Perfect for performers, magicians and people who just love dressing up in their everyday life. A must if you're doing a Glasgow heritage shopping trail!

Tam Shephard's Trick Shop is a family-run business for over 100 years. This is quite famous in…read moreGlasgow for its Hallowe'en costumes, magic tricks and practical jokes. For me, it is famous as the shop that is fairly empty for 11 months a year, then has a queue snaking violently down the road in the weeks approaching Hallowe'en. The window display showcases a range of masks and wigs, creepily lifelike. Inside, the space is small, and crammed to the rafters with goodies. If you want to see something out of the display case, or try a hat on, the staff are only too happy to accommodate you. In the past I have bought: a pirate hat, a "lit" cigarette, a multi-pack of fake moustaches and a big bling medallion thing. It sells full costumes, wigs and full-head masks too. Everything is priced appropriately, and all of the little things I have bought have been cheap. If you're planning to shop here, I would advise going before October begins, to avoid the mad rush.