Fancy Dress Ideas

Burns Night is a celebration held on the 25th January to honour the life and works of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. Even though his life was tragically cut short, he was able to leave behind a legacy that would immortalise him for centuries. Who Was Robert Burns? Burns was born to a less than wealthy family, but he worked hard and got himself an education. He had a love of books which no doubt fuelled his passion for writing and poetry. He also had a passion for women that saw him father more than a dozen children to various women. A true Scottish hero! Continue reading →

‘Aint no party like a New Year party! Gather your friends, family around for the biggest night of the year and party your way into 2016. There are plenty of shindigs going on over this festive season, but if your New Year party is happening at home then why should you miss out on all the fun? Here at Hollywood we know how to party so why not pop down to your nearest store to get yourself party ready! New Year Costumes Now you are in the comfort of your own home, there is no excuse not to get dressed up for the occasion! We have a huge range of funny fancy dress costumes to get you in the party spirit so you are sure to find something suitably silly. How about one of our excellent banana costumes which are always a hit all year round? You could even be a giant turkey; a haunting reminder of Christmas over indulgences! If food isn’t your thing why not channel what this season is all about and dress up as Jesus himself! Continue reading →

With Christmas just around the corner and school holidays creeping ever closer, it’s time to start thinking of ways to entertain the family. What better way than taking them to a panto! There are plenty of exciting offerings this year, both in Bournemouth and further afield. Bournemouth Snow White will be showing at the Bournemouth Pavilion from Saturday 5th December up until Sunday 3rd January. This panto boasts a star studded cast including Eastenders stars Gillian Wight, as the Wicked Queen and Matt Lampinskas as the Prince. With glittering sets, extravagant costumes and plenty of laughs, it’s sure to be a hit for the whole family! Follow the link for tickets! Continue reading →

What is St Andrew's Day? On November the 30th the world celebrates St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national holiday day. It is a day of feasting and celebrating with music and dancing. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament designated St Andrew's Day as an official bank holiday and it is also a national holiday in Romania. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece, Romania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and Saint Andrew, Barbados. In these other European countries, superstition surrounds St Andrew's day, with many believing that the eve of this celebration is the opportune time to carry out rituals revealing the future husbands of single women. Traditionally these rituals were only performed by young women, but nowadays young men like to get involved in the festivities too. Continue reading →

No matter how dull you find your 9-5 job, there is one thing we can all look forward to at the end of the year... The office Christmas party! It’s never too early to bag some festive bargains, so why not come and see us now! Decorate Your Office! Turn your office into a winter wonderland with some festive decorations from Hollywood. Just in, we have a whole range of deluxe Christmas ornaments for inside and outside, including snowing Christmas trees! We have glitzy tinsel curtains to cover walls, windows and doorways in a whole range of seasonal colours. If you want to turn your workplace into Santa’s grotto then you’ll need one of our fantastic scene setters. These are large wall coverings that transform your office into the North Pole and other festive fantasies! Don’t forget to get some balloons too; after all, what is a party without balloons? Visit our larger stores in Castle Lane, Bournemouth and Queens Way, Southampton for our biggest ranges! Continue reading →

Children In Need is back this year and even bigger, with more excitement, courage and entertainment packed into one night than ever before! There will even be a space themed surprise! What To expect? This year’s Children In Need show will fall on one of the most unlucky days of the year, Friday 13th November, but fear not, there will be an imperial army on hand to defend us! This year the BBC has teamed up with Lucasfilm and Disney for a one off, extra special surprise! That’s right; there will be a Star Wars sketch! C-3PO, R2-D2 and everyone’s favourite Ewok, Warwick Davis will join forces to find a worthy human to trigger the totaliser for the night. Continue reading →

Come In And See Us! All Hollywood branches will have extended Halloween opening hours so you have even more chance to find the perfect costume for you! We will even be open on Sunday just for you! Here at Hollywood we know there’s not always enough hours in the day so we’re here to help! Our Bournemouth branches on Castle Lane...

Know your gnashers! Fangs are a staple Halloween accessory for a whole host of costumes so it’s important to get the right ones for you! Full Set If you ever went trick or treating as a kid you will know all about the plastic full set fangs. Quite often these will come in a set with fake blood. These are a little plastic mouth piece that you fold in half and place over your own teeth to give the illusion of fangs. If you’re after something cheap and easy, these will serve you well; just don’t expect to be able to talk too much with them in. These tend to be better for kids as swallowing them is pretty much impossible. Continue reading →

Halloween is not all about the costumes, most of the magic happens when you break out the make-up and face paints! If you’re looking for new and exciting ideas to take your Halloween costume to the next level, then look no further! Check out our extensive range of Halloween make up kits. Day Of The Dead New for this year we have a whole host of Day of the Dead make-up kits available. Consisting of black, red and white face paints and black detail pencils, you can really run wild with your designs. If you want to get creative try some rose details and decorative spider webs to make your make-up unique. If you’re not such a dab hand with face paint, then definitely go for the Smiffy’s Day of the Dead make-up kit which has handy little stick on designs! Continue reading →

The huge new theme for Halloween 2015 is Day of the Dead! The Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos has spread far and wide in recent years and now Halloween will be overrun with sugar skulls! What is Day of the Dead? Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican festival held to remember loved ones who have passed. Typically you will see an abundance of colourful flowers, highly decorated skull ornaments or sweets and plenty of candles on alters in homes. It is believed that on October 31st the gates of Heaven are opened so that the spirits of children may return to their families on 1st November and then the adults on the 2nd. Happy spirits are said to bring good luck and protection to their loved ones so a lot of time, money and effort is put into the celebrations each year. Continue reading →

Curves! Finally curvy ladies of the UK can unite as a whole new range of full figure fancy dress is unleashed for Halloween! Now if you’re a fuller figured lady, you’ll know that shopping can be hard at the best of times, but Halloween fancy dress can prove your worst enemy! Most of the pretty ladies costumes are reserved for the size 8-10 or 12-14, very few are made in larger sizes, but all of that is about to change. Gone are the days of having to settle for a few accessories, gone are the days of disappointment when you find a beautiful costume that only comes in SMALL! Continue reading →

Halloween is nearing and it's time to start thinking about your costumes! Here's a handy top 10 to take the headache out of choosing something that's just right for you! Phantom Of The Opera Steal her heart in this classic phantom of the opera inspired costume. The deep red shirt is beautifully detailed with black filigree and an attached cravat. Also included in this sophisticated Halloween costume is the metallic mask and artificial rose to help you seduce the ladies. Grim Reaper The grim reaper is always a huge hit as its simple, it’s bold and it’s a bargain. The classic black robe can be dressed up or down for any style you’re comfortable with. For the guys who like to keep it simple, just add a scythe and you’re away! If you like to go all out with your Halloween costume, jazz up your reaper with ghoulish face paints and skeleton gloves to complete your look. Continue reading →

Halloween comes around every year, but that doesn't mean choosing a costume is easy! OH NO! We have such a huge range that even we struggle to pick, so here is a handy countdown of our most popular ladies costumes for Halloween.   Zombie Cheerleader This is a brain munchingly good costume! We love to zombify everything for Halloween and this is always a popular choice. It’s light, it’s comfortable and it’s covered in blood and the addition of the broken rib latex piece makes it that more gory! You even get the black and red pom poms in this costume so let’s cheer out Z.O.M.B.I.E!   Fever Devil Take them to hell and back in this sleek new dress! Unleash your dark side and rule the underworld with an iron fist. This stunning wet look dress has flame print and puff sleeve details to make you really stand out in a crowd; you even get some shiny devil horns to match. Finish off your costume with a devil trident and some red hot stockings! Continue reading →

Arrrrrgh you ready for Talk like a Pirate Day?! This Saturday 19th September people around the world will be doing their best Captain Jack impressions and drinking plenty of grog so get involved! What is Talk Like a Pirate Day? Well as you can image, it’s not the most serious of celebrations and it is not recognised as an official holiday. But that hasn’t stopped Talk like a Pirate Day from becoming an international phenomenon celebrated by people across the seven seas! It’s a chance to get together with your friends, dress up in pirate gear and have a good time. Many people will hold pirate parties or head down to the nearest dock or beach for some pirate themed events. Continue reading →

Ringwood Carnival has come around once more so make sure you get down to the humble market town on Saturday 19th! There will be so much to do for all the family and of course a parade in the afternoon and evening to see. What To Expect From Ringwood Carnival? Continue reading →

This week the Isle Of Whight is the place to be as Robin Hill springs to life for Bestival! From Thursday the 10th to Sunday the 13th hop on a ferry and party in the Summer of Love. What To Expect From Bestival? Bestival is always a firm favourite for festival goers. There is so much to see do and hear...

Sweeny Entertainment presents “Waterloo” the best of Abba tribute show! On Sunday 6th September Bournemouth Pavilion will be alive with glitz as it becomes a sing-a-long paradise with all of Abba’s greatest hits! Since smashing The Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with their hit Waterloo, Abba went from strength to strength. They transformed over night from a little known Swedish pop group to an international sensation! Even 40 years on they remain a household name worldwide and the songs are still as popular today. Who doesn’t know the words to “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me”? Their success wasn’t just limited to the music industry either, as shows where created to incorporate their songs, like the world famous musical “Mamma Mia” which was also made into a film in 2008. Continue reading →

Hollywood Fancy Dress Are Taking Poole By Storm! The Hollywood family continues to grow and expand as we open a brand new store at the heart of Poole in The Dolphin Centre. Come along and support us at our grand opening on Saturday 29th August from 10am. There will be plenty of goodies up for grabs so don't miss out...

It’s great to see Weymouth holding on tight to their traditions and to show that the carnival is here to stay they will be making 2015 a year to remember! On Wednesday 19th August, the streets will be alive with excitement. What To Expect From Weymouth Carnival? This year's procession will be setting off from the ferry terminal and head down to Lodmoor Country Park. If you’re still thinking about entering this year, it’s not too late as they will be accepting entries right up until carnival day, so grab your friends and get involved. This year, for the first time ever, there will not only be a carnival Queen and Princess, but there is also going to be a King and Prince too! Continue reading →

If you love Queen then, this month you need to see Champions of Rock! The Supreme Queen concert show will be in Bournemouth for one night only on 27th August at The Pavilion, so grab your tickets now! Queen! This year marks a huge milestone for Queen fans worldwide, with the 40th anniversary of the Bohemian Rhapsody tour. In celebration Champions of Rock will be belting out your favourite classics like “We will rock you” “A kind of magic” and “We are the champions”. This is a tribute that is second to none; with even Freddy Mercury’s mother saying that it is “The next best thing” to the original, what more of a compliment could a show receive? Continue reading →