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The invitation says 'themed' and your heart sinks. Here's the case for a thirty per cent nod instead of a full costume — how to build a look from ordinary clothes plus one deliberate accessory, and when it's perfectly alright to opt out entirely.
Panto season lands fast and demands a lot: a dame, a villain, a fairy and at least one principal boy, often by the same weekend. Here's how to build convincing characters out of what's already in your dressing-up box, plus a short, cheap shopping list for each one.
Most costumes get one outing and then live in a bag under the bed until they are outgrown. These fifteen - nine for children, six for grown-ups - are the ones that come back again and again, from World Book Day to New Year's Eve.