We’ve been watching the news recently and it’s amazing how often Fancy Dress has been in it. Last month the sad story of Cecil the lion was rapidly followed by lots of coverage of the fancy dress costume created by an American site. The outfit was called the Lion Killer Dentist Halloween Costume and cost around £40.00. It featured a dentist’s outfit spattered with blood and a severed lion’s head. Some charities thought this was a terrible idea, but interestingly, PETA UK got behind the costume, saying “we … think it most fitting that people make fun of the dentist for his sick, illegal pursuit”.

 

Hmmm … then (still in the USA) there’s fury over a Caitlyn Jenner costume that is being retailed by the same people who produced a Pocahottie outfit that enraged Native Americans around Halloween last year. Our view is that this company have definitely decided to make a niche for themselves by issuing controversial fancy dress outfits because it generates them a lot of publicity.

 

So, given that most people just want to dress up in fancy dress and have a great time, are there any costumes it’s wise to be careful about here in the UK? The only one that we’ve occasionally seen cause a few ripples in recent years is Arab Fancy Dress which has sometimes been a bit of an eyebrow raiser, especially if worn by stag parties who’ve ended up touring the pubs, but that might be as much about watching a dozen Arab men downing shots as about anything else!

 

Generally though, the British are pretty tolerant about any kind of fancy dress costume and just accept that people are having a good time and enjoying themselves. After all, you’ve got to laugh, haven’t you?