Masquerade is an absolute treasure trove of dressing up fun and many peoples, whether it be an open…read moreor repressed, dream come true. This is because it has packed into this quite little store, most things your likely to have seen at a dressing up party, and if it doesn't, most likely, they will be able to order it in from their warehouse a few miles away within a day or so. Masquerade caters to Nightclubs for special nights, as well as film, T.V. and local theatre groups. If you are having a wedding or a party, you can come in for a consultation with one of the dressers to talk about the theme and get yourself, and your guests suited and booted. The staff re incredibly friendly, and look as though they are enjoying themselves in the eccentric and fun environment they work in. Hire costs from around £10 up to about £60 for something a bit more special. This is undoubtedly the first place I'd go to if I really wanted to make an effort to a dressing up party and needed something specific.

I remember when this little shop was a bit of a down-trodden but friendly place to buy cheap…read moreaccessories for your home-made fancy dress costume. Now it seems to be doing a roaring trade as it looks fantastic and organised and has a really attractive and inviting frontage. There's everything you want here to dazzle your fellow party goers when you arrive in your chosen costume but it does come with a price. A decent costume can cost £50 before you start attaching accessories and that seems like a lot of money before you even go out. Ideal if you have the dosh but I'm going to stick to my Casper the friendly ghost costume involving a sheet and a pair of scissors!

Impulse has combined regular and costume-type make-up in their shop, which is interesting. Perhaps…read morethey want people to question why some types of 'dressing-up' are more socially acceptable than others. Or, perhaps they just sell more stuff this way. The eyeshadow, mascara and other 'normal' make-ups are down the centre of the shop, surrounded by tins of face paint, costumes and accessories (pirate eye patches, crowns, wings, parrots, masks, wigs) are along the outside walls. There's also some party favours and gift ideas (lots for stag and hen parties): silly string, fake boobs, plastic snakes ... a weird mix. I'd recommend checking it out for a fancy dress party, but the day-to-day make-up didn't seem to be very high quality.

Newly opened fancy dress shop that has lots to offer and a more up to date collection. They…read morecurrently have an offer which is that if you buy your christmas outfit and new years outfit at the same time you get the cheapest free! A bargain for those wanting to see the new year in on a budget. Dressing up is always good fun and when you look good you always have a better night as you get more into the spirit.

Harveys of Hove is outside of Brighton in Portslade however, this place does justify making a…read morelittle trip for as the outfits here range from squirrels to star wars storm troopers. I am not sure on the prices but sometimes it doesn't matter what it costs as turning up to a fancy dress as a horse with moving eyes and mouth is priceless much like the mastercard adverts. It is on the 1 bus route which runs from whitehawk and through Churchill Square shopping Centre. I tried searching for some random dress-ups recently and am annoyed that I have only stumbled across this place recently.

Fancy dress shops tend to be pretty predictable, offering Superman and Batman costumers for a…read moreridiculously large sum of money. Thankfully Harvey's is a bit of change for that norm, offering a brilliant, if not slightly odd range of items to buy and rent. I came here to rent a Star Wars Storm Trooper costume, I was able to get it for three days, and despite returning it 7 hours late, I didn't get a fine. The service was pretty friendly really, the staff explained to me about different price brackets and costs depending on what you wanted to rent. I'd certainly recommend this shop to anybody who has some fancy dress needs.

Plonked in London Road's Open Market, this is quite possibly the BEST haberdashery in the whole of…read moreBrig Town. Stacked to the sky with hordes of different coloured yarns, needles, pins, buttons, fabrics, materials, elastics, curtains, and just about everything you could ever need if you're into knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitching or anything creative. They do a vibrant collection of rara skirts and tutus, and are more than happy to offer advice and help, even if you don't know what you're doing.