A Guide For Students: How to Stay Safe in Fancy Dress

When you’re a student, it seems like there’s a new fancy dress party to go to every week. One week the Student Union is holding a 'Backto the 80's Party', the next week one of the societies you joined during Freshers’ Week is having a Superhero pub crawl, and the week after that your old flatmates are having a fancy dress house party.

Finding different and original costumes for all of the different parties can be a problem, but one thing we often don’t think about is how to stay safe while we’re out celebrating:

1. Stay away from open fires. At this time of year there can be a temptation to crowd around a bonfire to keep warm. But a lot of fancy dress costumes – especially those that are home made – can be highly flammable. It’s best not to risk any accidents. Especially if you have gone dressed as an Octupus, keep those tentacles under control.

2. Keep your cash safe. We know that a lot of costumes don’t exactly lend themselves to carrying a handbag or wallet, but be careful about how you carry your cash. Make sure it’s just as safe as if you were going out in normal clothes, and that it’s not easy for someone to reach into your pocket or elsewhere in your outfit to steal your money!

3. Keep your mobile with you. We know, like with the cash, it can be hard to find a space in your outfit for a mobile phone – especially with newer models that seem to be too big to slip into a pocket. But find a space somewhere! The last thing you want is to be separated from your friends in an area you’re unfamiliar with, and without taxi fare home.

4. Stay warm. Welcome to the UK the land of... terrible weather! At this time of year the weather can be bitterly cold, but fancy dress costumes don’t often come in Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections! A fancy dress costume is usually not the thickest, and is usually not waterproof either. Bear this in mind when planning your night. If your costume is a little on the thin side, make sure you’re wearing a layer or two underneath it. When you’re trying to keep warm, it’s better to have a few thin layers than one thick one. Bring a coat with you too, even if it doesn’t go with your costume!

5. Try to avoid indecent slippage. We have all been there, in that 'maybe a little bit too skimpy' fancy dress costume, or that 'more revealing that you wanted it to be' Morph Suit. Slippage is a fact of life, and happens to the best of us. Just try to identify any danger areas before you go out and keep an eye on them throughout the night, especially if you are one for the dance floor.