These costume ideas are ideal for using with our 70s Disco murder mystery. Be groovy as a disco dancer or singer, shock as a glam rocker or have fun as a hippie, an actress or as "Don the Dude".
Buy a fancy dress outfit or adapt what you have in your wardrobe. The choice is yours.
Any sort of Seventies disco outfit is great, the more colorful the better.
If woman: catsuit, disco pants or hot pants with a backless halter top or sequin top, flowing dress, jumpsuit, bell-bottom trousers with halter neck or sequin top, hot pants and boob tube, mini dress or leotards and leggings; bright or glitter makeup.
If man: shiny Qiana shirt and wide, pointy collars, preferably open at the chest; bell bottom trousers.
Both: platform shoes or go-go boots, necklaces, medallions, and a 70s wig are optional accessories.
If Buying: any disco costume is ideal.
If DIY: choose an item from your wardrobe that might have a 1970s feel. For example, a sequin or metallic top or a colorful shirt. Then add a headband in a colorful strip of material and some medallions. Alternatively, turn leggings into 70s bell bottoms by using a contrasting piece of material to sew on two flares from the knees down; optionally add a similar flare to the sleeves for a complete Seventies outfit.
Customer outfits for Jade and Jude, disco dancers in The Groove Boogies
1.2 Disco Singers
Game characters = Poppy and Rory
Most of the outfit suggestions are the same as per the disco dancers in 1.1 above. However, as Poppy and Rory do not need to dance, there are a few additional costume choices.
Poppy and Rory (if Played by a Female)
In addition to the outfits suggested above, also consider stilettos or a metallic wrap dress.
Rory (if Played by a Male)
The costume suggestions are identical to the disco dancer costumes in 1.1 above.
Customer outfits for Poppy and Rory, the two singers in The Disco-Deevas.
1.3 Glam Rockers
Game characters = Greg and Zing
Both men and women: think flamboyant, theatrical, outrageous or androgynous costumes. Materials are colorful, bold, and clashing and can include metallic, glitter, animal prints, satins, or velvets. Platform shoes, flared trousers, Spandex jumpsuit, a silk shirt with an oversized collar, and a velvet jacket are all great. Accessories include feather boas, sunglasses, and scarves. Bold make-up and long hairstyles are optional.
If woman: a mini dress is also great.
If buying: in honesty, there are not many glam rock fancy dress outfits available. However, Smiffys offers a 70s Psychedelic Rocker or a Space Superstar costume which could be ideal. Fun Shack offers an 80s Popstar Fancy Dress men's outfit which could also work. Alternatively, buy individual components of your outfit, such as a glam rock wig, a disco outfit or metallic trousers, and then use accessories or make-up to turn an ordinary outfit into something glam-rock.
If DIY: you can have a lot of fun with glam rock outfits. As you can see from the photos below, one person added flashing Christmas lights to white trousers and a white shirt to create a very impressive glam rock outfit. (He won the Best Costume Award.) Two customers combined clashing colours to great effect. One customer clashed a lime-green feather boa with a pink Qiona shirt; another customer clashed lime-green striped trousers with a lilac shirt. Other options would be to buy a sequinned, metallic, or animal-print top from a charity shop and then pair this with a dramatic accessory such as a beach cover-up or jacket. Temu offers a range of inexpensive geometrically or animal-patterned trousers, skirts, tops, and beach cover-ups. Finally, don't forget to add dramatic make-up or face paint.
Customer outfits for Greg and Zing; the lead singer and singer/guitarist in The Glamrockers
1.4 Hippies
Game characters = Storm and Summer
Think hippie, flowers, hearts and peace signs. Long hair, long scarf tied across forehead, long dangly necklaces, beaded wrist bands, Jesus sandals or flip-flops.
If a man: loose, colourful patterned trousers (maybe flared) or jeans; a colourful loose top, possibly tie-dye or Eastern-inspired.
If a woman: minidress or miniskirt with crochet cardigan – OR long skirt with tie-dye or psychedelic patterns and flowing cape – OR prairie dress with ruffles and lace OR jeans and a tie-dye top.
If Buying: any form of hippie costume is great.
If DIY: hippie costumes are so easy to make using wardrobe staples. Mix jeans or a long skirt with a floral or self-coloured top and then accessorise with a head scarf, tasselled scarf and long necklaces and earrings. Brands such as Temu (temu.com) offer inexpensive tie-dye tops and headbands. Alternatively, buy or make a large peace sticker and add to a self-coloured top. (Please ensure the top does not get damaged if you wish to reuse it.) As you can see from the photo below, the friend who played Storm at our test party arrived with a wicker basket filled with wonderful colorful star-shaped cards with "Stars for World Love" written on them; she also added a few sprigs of flowers to add to the peace-and-flowers vibe.
Customer hippy costumes for Storm and Summer
1.5 Actress and "Grieving" Widow
Game character = Bella
Bella is a 70's actress and is the "grieving" widow of Del DiscoLord. Any form of glamorous Seventies fashion is great. Try a disco jumpsuit, Caftan dress in big bold prints, evening dress, metallic wrap dress, bell-bottoms and halter-neck top, or pants suit with flared trousers and silk bow blouse, maxi or mini skirt. Alternatively, a black dress to show “mourning”. 70s wig is optional. Handkerchief for frequent eye-dabbing.
If Buying: any form of 1970s outfit is perfect.
If DIY: a black dress or black trouser suit could show "grief". Add black lace gloves and a handkerchief for - frequent - eye-dabbing. Perhaps add a 70s touch with a headscarf or feather boa. Note that you could add a fragment of black creepy cloth to a headband to create a "widow's veil".
Different customer outfits for Bella
1.6 Don the Dude
Game character = Don. Don is in a category of his own as he wants to be hip and groovy, man, but his heart is set back in the 50s and 60s.
Mix nerdy and old-fashioned 50s and 60s fashions (possibly even a suit) with some would-be trendy Seventies accessories such as shiny Qiana shirt, wide kipper tie or scarf, platform boots, sunglasses, 70s wig.
If Buying: buy a 1970s wig or top and then mix suit trousers or jeans.
If DIY: find your most unfashionable shirt (floral or otherwise) and mix with jeans or suit trousers. Add "hip" 70s glasses or a kipper tie with a matching handkerchief. Optionally, be groovy with a 70s wig.
Customer costumes for Don the Dude
1.7 "Backing Singers"
Cast = your pets
Finally, don't forget to give your pet "backing singers" an outfit of their own! In Rebecca's groovy 70s campsite party, her American Eskimos became her "backing singers":
