There have always been pairs that go together well- Adam and Eve, Batman and Robin, Tom and Jerry.  When it comes to fancy dress costumes, one of the more amusing pairs is the gorilla and banana.

Gorilla costumes are one thing and it’s quite common to see someone dressed as a silverback at a costume party.  But how many people do you see dressed in banana costumes? The answer is probably almost none, and that’s a shame as bananas look great and when teamed with a gorilla, are sure to raise a few laughs.

The typical banana costume is comprised of a banana shaped jumpsuit in which an individual gets into.  There are sometimes trousers and sleeves included, but the purest form of banana suit is just the jumpsuit.  You may think this is poor, but in some cases it really makes the costume look great.

Banana costumes are available in both adult and kids sizes, and can therefore be enjoyed at a range of costume parties, from child birthday parties to office parties and nights out on the town.  If you’re out and about and happen to see a banana being chased by a gorilla don’t be alarmed, it’s all part of the fun!

Fruit costumes in general are growing in popularity, with bananas leading the trend.  It’s not uncommon to find apples, oranges and even grapes in good fancy dress shops, especially those online.  For a spicy kick, try dressing as a chilli pepper, or if you’re more of a cool customer, try a cucumber.  Going out as a group will be a real fruit salad!

No matter what party you’re attending, at the end of the day banana costumes are a fantastic option to consider.  They look great at regular costume parties, and if you’re really brave try going to a formal dinner as one- with a banana costume you’ll definitely be the centre of attention.  Just don’t have too much fun in the sun, you don’t want to turn green!

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It’s that time of year again when many people will be planning there next get together with friends and family. If you, like many others, are tired of the same old party and find that people start to leave earlier than expected then it may be time for a change in plans. An idea is to make your party a fancy dress party where guests can come in an array of different costumes from many eras.

Fancy dress parties are great fun and there is always the anticipation of what everyone is going to dress up as. The fun and laughter that can be had from a fancy dress party will stay with everyone for years to come as you will have many pictures and videos to look back on and remember. It is not every day that you can have Batman, Bart Simpson and Wonderwoman in the same photograph and it is certainly something that will have everyone talking.

Office Christmas parties are always good fun and by making them fancy dress so can be sure the office will be buzzing when everyone returns to work as their normal selves. You can even make them more fun by coming up with a prize for the best costume as this will give everyone a reason to put more effort into their costumes. You will be surprised to see how much a prize can bring out everyone’s competitive nature!

Choosing fancy dress costumes can be tricky but only because there are so many options available. If you are organising a fancy dress party it is best to set a theme, for example make it a 70’s theme or from a certain film (but if you choose a film, make sure there are plenty of characters to choose from). Having a theme gives everybody a starting point at least. There are costumes of many types available including superheroes like Batman and Superman and cartoon characters such as Bananaman.

There have been many blockbuster films recently and these characters are available to purchase and are very impressive. You could have a good guys versus bad guys’ party and mix up people who come as villains with those who come as the heroes and good guys. Fancy dress spans many different parties and you can buy them all online. They are great for stag and hens parties with all the traditional accessories available for your special night. There are plenty of options whether you are looking for mens or womens fancy dress.

If there’s one time of the year that provides the best opportunities and excuses to be someone else for the night, it’s Halloween. Old Hallows Eve may come round but once a year, but if you and your friends like a good reason for a celebration the chances are that you’ve more than one party to go to this year. Maybe even more than one in the same night! So how do you avoid those embarrassing fancy dress faux pas – wearing the same costume twice in a row or, even worse, wearing the same costume as your friend? The answer is in the planning. Can you remember what costume you wore last year? In fact, do you wear the same kind of costume every year? In the same way that we fall into rhythms and routines in our normal dress we tend to find fancy dress costumes that we think suit us and stick to roughly the same thing whenever we have to dress up. Think about it, how many people do you know that turn up as a cat or a witch or a wizard pretty much every year? Make sure you don’t fall into the same trap by experimenting with different styles and genres. Have a look through your photo albums and see how many times you spot yourself in similar looking costumes and see what you’ve been wearing for the last few years. This will make is easier for you to make sure that your costume this year is something unexpected. If you don’t have any photos of recent Halloween parties or fancy dress parties yourself, why not use it as an excuse to have your friends round? Ask them all to bring pictures with them and enjoy a good laugh. This also will give you the chance to head a double-trouble costume problem off at the path. As you talk about costumes past, you can try to find out what type of fancy dress outfits everyone is plumping for this year. The great thing about talking Halloween costumes out with your circle of friends beforehand is that you’ll also have the chance to team up. Maybe you and a buddy fancy making an entrance as a superhero team (try not to fight over who dresses up as the sidekick), or maybe a whole group of you decide to go as the cast of one of your favourite childhood movies, or maybe you even want to take a traditional route and dress up as a coven of vampires or pack of werewolves, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you know you aren’t going to find yourselves n the exact same costumes on the big night. Planning your fancy dress costume can be almost as much fun as actually wearing it, so get started early.