Costume party

Typical events for Australians that involve dressing up are the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the staff Christmas party and cricket matches.

[1] The origins of fancy dress parties in the United Kingdom can in some respects be traced to masked balls of the 18th century period.

Many materials and costumes being imported from the Far East (with cost savings in labour and bulk orders) had increased in volume at that time.

Amongst the most popular parodied costumes are: Audrey Hepburn (as Holly Golightly), Madonna in her classic stage outfits, and more recently Lady Gaga.

It sought to enforce the ideals of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants by encouraging young people to partake in tame, preferably indoor, activities instead, often with a focus on romance.

Attendees occasionally dress in costume for popular science fiction and fantasy events, movie openings and book releases.

[8] The hobby of fan costuming and modern cosplay largely developed from the World Science Fiction Conventions (Worldcons), starting with the first in New York in 1939 when two attendees, Forrest J Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas, wore "futuristicostumes".

[9] Fan conventions, often abbreviated to "cons", of various descriptions have followed the example of the Worldcons with many attendees wearing costumes representing fictional characters.

[10][11] It is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes, wigs and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.

An example of a major cosplay convention in the United States would be Anime Expo, held annually in Los Angeles, California.

Halloween originated centuries ago, the Celts believed that on 31 October the line between the living and the dead became distorted, condemned souls would come back to wreak havoc for the night.

Some of the easiest and cheapest 1980s costumes include Rambo, Samantha Fox, and Tom Cruise from Risky Business or Top Gun.