Hollywood Fancy Dress

Mr and Mrs Claus   You may call Mr Claus, Santa Claus (his full name), or Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Cringle, or perhaps just simply Santa. This is the main man, the myth, the legend of the Christmas period. So what do we know about him? He brings gifts to the homes of every good child on 24th December. The modern Santa Claus is a combination of the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas whose name came from Saint Nicholas (a Greek bishop and gift giver). It is then thought that this figure then absorbed elements of the god Odin during the Christianisation of Germanic Europe. God Odin was associated with the Germanic pagan midwinter event known as Yule and led a Wild Hunt described as a ghostly procession through the sky. Traits of this historical character mixed with the British folklore character of Father Christmas resulting in our modern day internationally recognised Santa Claus. Since the 20th century and largely down to ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ (1934) Santa Claus is thought to make a list of good and bad children. He has a team of elves that help him make and deliver the presents on Christmas Eve and has a workshop that is hidden in the North Pole – especially from non-believers Continue reading →

Fireworks are used throughout the year these days to give events, parties and celebrations a great big bang. They tend to be part of the finale or climax and because of building anticipation and expectations modern fireworks can pack a serious punch. There is something seriously exhilarating about watching a pitch black night sky and waiting for the light show...

We're Not Going Out! Staying in is the new going out when it comes to partying and with Halloween fast approaching, there’s never been a better time to have an epic Halloween house party! So don your scariest attire, get the pumpkin carving kit at the ready and crank "Thriller" up to 11! BACKYARD CREEPERS For those of you lucky enough...

NEW IN AND EXCLUSIVE! Leg Avenue has arrived with new and wonderful costumes andaccessories, perfect for any occasion! Here at Hollywood we have new lines of Leg Avenue exclusively available in our Bournemouth branches so if you want a costume that will be high quality and gorgeously unique, look no further. For any ladies that want to dress to impress...

Same stuff Different Day !!   Our favourite night of the year is almost upon us again! Every year in the run up to 31st, people around the world start stock piling pints of fake blood and bundles of torn and bloodied clothes. They practice their best zombie limp around their living room, they sit in front of mirrors...

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Star Trek has one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in the history of Science Fiction. The first series aired in 1966 and almost half a century later there have been 12 films, six television series (three of them spanning 7 seasons!) and countless conventions. Trekkers will gather in London this October for the annual Destination Star Trek event, which will take place on the 3rd-5th and will feature a number of important live speakers. The event, hosted at Excel London, will include guest speakers such as Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Karl Urban, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Jeri Ryan, Gates McFadden, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie and many more. Continue reading →

Recently came across this fantastic infographic about Dr Who and we thought with the new Doctor Who series doing so well we would share it with everyone here. Don’t forget if you are doing anything at all with Doctor Who or are fans of the show we have a fantastic range of costumes available here  

Breaking news has just come in to Hollywood Fancy Dress from the popular Z News Zombie Network television channel. It’s almost that time of year once again when thousands of humans take to the streets in even more realistic costumes than ever before. This gives all our Zombie brethren the chance to walk openly among the human vermin so please...

On the night of October 31st the streets are aglow with the orange flickering lights of jack o’ lanterns and you can hear the giggles of children as they trick or treat from house to house dressed as witches, ghosts, goblins, ghouls and many other monsters. We associate Halloween with fake blood, ghosts, haunted houses, scary movies, bonfires, costume parties and gathering enormous bags of candy. However, what are the origins of this creepy tradition? Let’s take a look at the history of Halloween. Continue reading →

Aye Matey, ‘tis true! Coming up on the 19thof September is the annual International Talk like a Pirate Day. It started over a decade ago as a funny idea that was celebrated by a few friends. However, it has grown into an international celebration of pirate speech that is enjoyed all over the world. Many people have turned this event into an excuse to party with pirate themed festivities, rum drinking and much more! The History of International Talk Like a Pirate Day So how exactly did International Talk like a Pirate Day originate and how did it grow into the holiday that it is today? Continue reading →

“When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be yours on Halloween.” Halloween has a rich past, filled with lore and tradition. Yet today it is very different from the festival it once was; ‘Samhain’, a Celtic celebration which marked the end of summer. Pagans once believed that the veil between this world and the next was thinnest on...

After the cancellation of The Clone Wars due to the recent Disney acquisition of the Start Wars brand, Star Wars fans are looking forward to the October release of a brand new CGI animated series produced by Lucusfilm Animation. The series, Star Wars Rebels, will take place 5 years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and 14 years after Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith so about the time that the game series The Force Unleashed was set in. Continue reading →

Bestival September 2014 All the kids are back to school, so it’s time for the big kids to come out and play! From Thursday the 4th to Sunday the 7th September, Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight will be booming with funky music and even funkier people! It’s time for Bestival, a prime fancy dress festival that should be...

It's hard to believe that on the 27th August 2014, 50 years have passed since Julie Andrews took to our screens as everyone's favourite nanny, Mary Poppins, in the 1964 musical film. The film, which brought to life the lead character from a series of eight children's books created by Australian author P.L. Travers, was directed by Robert Stevenson and...

The event of the summer is right around the corner, so if you're considering booking tickets for the Abba Reunion show in Bournemouth on 31st August, it's probably time to start thinking about what you're going to wear! Whilst fancy dress isn't mandatory, the 70s was such a cool era that dressing up for the occasion will be lots of...

Air Festival From the 28th-31st August the seafront will be alive with the excitement of the Bournemouth Air Festival, one of the biggest local events of the year with people coming from far and wide to see the best aircraft displays our country has to offer. As always the infamous Red Arrows will be gracing us with stunning displays and...

Whovians all over the world are counting down the days until August 23rd as this is when we will get to see the newest regeneration of our favourite Timelord. The time travelling doctor in his police-box shaped TARDIS (time and relative dimensions in space) that is bigger on the inside will be played by Glaswegian actor Peter Capaldi. He takes...

ABBA Tribute ABBA is coming to The Pavilion on the 31st August! Ok, so it may not be the real Abba but trust me, you will be whisked back to the 70’s when you see this incredibly authentic performance. The tribute has been put together by Sweeney Entertainments and the producer, director and choreographer from the original Abbamania musical from...