Maid Fancy Dress - 5 Alternatives to the Classic French Maids Outfit

The classic French maids outfit is an extremely popular costume worn at Halloween and other themed parties. In fact it is probably up there with nurse outfits and schoolgirl costumes as the most popular type of adult female costume.

Perhaps because of its enormous popularity in the past, many of you might be looking for slightly more original outfits to wear to the upcoming party. However, there are actually a number of great looking and original maid fancy dress costumes available at specialist online websites, if you are looking to be a little bit different.

Below are five alternative costumes to the classic French maids outfit, which are bound to get you noticed at any party you have been invited to:

Victorian parlour-maid costume

While slightly more reserved looking than the French maids outfit, the Victorian parlour-maid costume can nevertheless be an authentic looking period piece that is actually quite striking. These parlour-maid costumes can also make great looking ladies pilgrim outfits, perfect for any Thanksgiving celebrations.

Milkmaid outfit

The Milk maid fancy dress costume is another period piece, but one that is a little bit more risqué than the Victorian parlour-maid one. It is also a great outfit to wear for ladies with a fuller figure.

Oktoberfest barmaid

This is one of my personal favourite types of costume, which is starting to become more and more popular. Based on the Central European style of dress, the Oktoberfest barmaid outfit is an extremely sexy costume, which shall certainly get a few second glances at the party. As with the Milkmaid costume, these Bavarian barmaid outfits are just perfect for the beautiful buxom ladies amongst you.

Medieval maiden

Although perhaps a slightly different meaning of the word, the Maid Marion type of costume is another wonderful period piece, which is altogether striking and extremely feminine. The Medieval maiden outfit is a little more formal than the other costumes mentioned here and makes a great costume for middle-aged ladies or those of you that are a little bit too shy to wear some of the other types of maid outfit.

Naughty French maids outfit

The last category are those French maids outfits that are extremely revealing and are only really suitable for the very confident amongst you that do not mind leaving a little less to the imagination at the party. Of course, these sexy outfits can be worn by ladies of all shapes and sizes on naughty Hen nights or in the confines of the bedroom.

So where can you find all of these types of maid fancy dress outfits? Remember that it is very important to ensure your fancy dress supplier has the costume you are looking for in stock, so that they are delivered in time for the party! At French Maid Fancy Dress, if it says your order is in stock then you can rest assured that it is. Go there now and choose from the range of authentic looking maid fancy dress outfits and accessories. A Word Or Two About The Author: Dan Fresh is a lifelong fancy dress aficionado who regularly writes for the popular Fancy Dress UK website.

Authentic Tudor Costume and Accessories

It started for me when I chanced upon a photograph of a lady dressed in a rather beautiful and elaborate medieval costume. I was struck by the richness of the colors, the intricacy of the embroidery, and the sparkling and delicate jewelry.

What I was looking at was an example of an authentic Tudor costume, and I wanted one!

So, I began my research, imagining that it would be difficult to find such a historically accurate piece of clothing that I could afford. However, the more I researched, the more I uncovered, and slowly began to immerse myself into the world of re-enactment societies and specialist suppliers.

The variety, scope and attention to detail of the clothing and accessories available to those who love to spend their free time partying in or re-enacting the renaissance period was simply amazing to me.

Not only did I discover patters from which I could design and make my own authentic Tudor clothing, but I found that it is relatively inexpensive to simply buy one new - and there is no shortage of choice.

In addition to the costume, I found I could buy or hire historically accurate jewelery, weapons, badges, games, goblets and much, much more.

This, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg. As with any hobby or interest, the more you delve, the more you discover and you become even more enthused and passionate about your subject.

A quick search online will reveal a growing number of hobby sites and societies dedicated to this fascinating pastime.

Follow my journey of discovery into the world of Tudor and renaissance clothing and accessories at http://medieval.hayleycox.com/

The Best Boys Dress Up Costumes

Dress-ups aren't just for girls! Playing dress up is one the best ways for imaginative, interact play for children. Dressing up in costumes for boys is a great way for boys to develop masculine personality traits and discover the personalities. Besides that, it's just plain old fun!

What little boy doesn't want to play firefighter? A firefighter coat and hat is one the most essential dress up items for boys. To make a more complete dress up kit, sew a simple tube for a hose. Or, use a scrap garden hose instead!

Your little firefighter will have fun running around putting out fires. In the summertime, this is a particularly fun way to play pretend. Let your little boy use a real hose with water instead. If he has outside cars and houses, he can wander around performing rescue missions!

Arrrr, matey! A pirate costume is an easy one to put together. Simple jagged pants, an eye patch, and a pirate cape is all you need to make this costume a hit. There are an assortment of weapons pirates like to use, like toy guns, hooks, and swords. Your little pirate will have fun making his toys walk the plank as he plays captain in his pirate cape.

A fun game for pirates to play is "sunken ship." The ground in this game is poisonous water or some sort of treacherous ground, and the pirates can't touch it! Let them use old bits of carpet or rags to get from place to place. (The fabric is floating wood).

Treasure chests, treasure maps, and parrots are all great companions to the pirate cape as accessories for a pirate costume. Put some items together and let your little one set sail!

A prince in King Arthur's court? A Medieval jousting knight? A prince rescuing a princess? Knight costumes for boys provide a variety of playtime options for boys. Assembling a knight costume for boys is simple-most costumes come with an armor, a sword, shield, and helmet.

The basics of this costume, like the sword and the shield, are what really make the costume. Let your girls dress up in the princess costume and run with boys in the knight costumes. Pull out the toy horses and flags, the possibilities are endless!

Is it a bird? A plane? No wait, it's Superman! A superhero cape is the simplest dress up costume for boys and is one of the most universal. Many capes are coming in reversible patterns, allowing for kids to have more costumes for one piece.

Superhero capes include Superman, Batman, Robin, and Thor. Generic superhero capes, often an off-shoot of a superman cape, are often used. This way your little boy can pretend to be any type of superhero he can conjure up!

Firefighters aren't the only dress-ups that encourage vocational options. Police officers are another hometown-hero option! Plus, a police officer costume allows for the classic boys game "cops and robbers." A hat is a great additional piece for a police costume, as is a flashlight! The flashlight will allow the boys to feel like they are really solving crime and figuring things out.

Boys dress-up costumes will allow for hours of creative play. Other favorite options are a Chef's costumes (a simple white coat and hat), a cowboy costume (chaps, gun, and bandanna), and a doctor (white coat and stethoscope). Remember, playing dress up is all about the imagination! So add random odds and ends into your dress up box, like old wallets, glasses, ties, and belts-and let your little boy create memories and fun!

Shelby is the mother of 2 girls and 1 boy and lives in Orem, Utah. She also runs a home-based business called My Cute Dressups at http://www.mycutedressups.com that sells Princess dress up clothes and other fun pretend play items for kids, toddlers, and even teenagers and adult princess costumes.

She also has an ebay store and a local store run by the same name. She has seen a noticeable difference in her kids after encouraging dress up play. Visit her website for more biographical information or to see her exciting line of Princess Costumes like Cinderella dresses, Snow White Costumes, Sleeping Beauty dresses, wedding dress up, Medieval Princess, Yellow Beauty, Winter Beauty, Rapunzel dress, doll clothes that fit American Girl, 18 inch doll clothes. She has a Cinderella doll dress that matches exactly with the girl Cinderella dress as well as matching Snow White doll dress.

Plus Size Costumes

The plus size costume market has expanded substantially, with both online and offline stores increasing their numbers and variety. However, plus size wearers must select their outfits very carefully.

It is not just the quality of the material that one needs to scrutinize but also the kind of look one wants to don. The attire must be such that it suits the theme of the party, while complementing your personality.

Guidelines to Follow while Selecting a Plus Size Costume

Here are a few factors one must ensure while selecting a plus size costume:

* Comfort level - This is important because your comfort level in the attire will affect your attitude and how you carry yourself. Size is the determining factor in this case. If you plan to purchase a costume from an offline store, you must try the dress before buying.

In case you are buying from an online boutique, submit your current measurement details. Too tight a costume or a low cut one might cause great discomfort and also attract unwanted attention from onlookers. You can save yourself from embarrassment by making sure you buy a costume that fits you perfectly and accentuates the right contours.

Also, take the weather into consideration. If the costume is meant for Halloween, ensure that it provides you with enough warmth.

* Flattering wear - The costume that you select must flatter your shape. For example, emulating Marilyn Monroe who is famed for her hour glass figure or the fictitious Scarlett O'Hara who is known for her 19 inch waistline is not a good idea.

Stepping out of one's real character and role-playing an icon is fine as long as the costume you wear suits you. The right costume can make you look sexy. There are special plus size costumes that are designed for voluptuous women. Costumes such as that of a medieval serving wench or one of the queens of Alice in Wonderland would suit perfectly.

* Accessorize properly - Accessories are important features of a costume because they create the aura of the character you are imitating. They can make or break a look to a great extent. If you are dressed up as a Greek goddess, make sure that you wear a tiara and a pair of sandals to match the look. If you want to emulate the medieval figure of Death, make sure you are not wearing sneakers with traditional formal clothes.

For comfortable, flattering costumes of every size and material, visit http://www.sexywearavenue.com. SexyWearAvenue.com has an inventory of more than 450 styles of sexy plus size costumes to choose from.