It was once a decade that we tried to forget, but now the 80s is fashionable again. 80s style is influencing new music, clothes and trends, and, as a result, lots of people are hosting 80s fancy dress parties. The 80s are a great choice for a fancy dress party theme because there are countless options for choices of 80s fancy dress outfits. Below I will discuss three great outfits, but these should be viewed as a starting point. The best fancy dress costumes are those that the wearer has got a personal connection to. Think back to your experiences in the 1980s. Allow nostalgia to tint your recollections. Then pick a subject for your 80s fancy dress costume.

Great 80's fancy dress costumes can be inspired by almost anything, but typically they fall into one of the following categories:

• 80s movies
• 80s music
• 80s trends
• 80s politics
• 80s sports

Think about these categories, and then try to imagine characters within each that would make a good 1980s fancy dress outfit. You'll be surprised at how many good fancy dress ideas can be generated in a short time.

The first of my three 80s fancy dress costume ideas is one inspired by the soaps of the 80s, of which Dallas and Dynasty are good examples. This costume is a good choice because it is really easy to put together. Think big hair, big shoulder pads and bold make up and you can't go too far wrong. Watch a couple of episodes to get some ideas.

Madonna was one of the most iconic charcacters of the 80s and her early look really typifies the 80's style. A Madonna costume is as much about the accessories as it is about the clothes. Go for lots of bracelets, religious themed necklaces, lacy gloves, leg warmers, scarves, fishnet tights. Watch some of her early videos and check out her style. Classic 80s fancy dress costumes! 

 One of the best movies of the 80s, Ghostbusters oozes with style and charisma. For this reason it has inspired some fantasuc 80s fancy dress costumes. The Ghostbusters costume is quite easy to put together yourself. You need a set of brown overalls, workboots and a rucksack modified to look like a ghost zapper. It's also worth checking out some of the Ghostbusters costumes produced by fancy dress manufacturers, as some of them are really good.

 These are just three ideas. Try to come up with more of your own. The more original your 80s fancy dress costume is, the better.