Revamp

Revamp has been the go to shop for the party requirements of the good folk of Brighton for a long time. This is a good thing as it means that they have a very extensive range of hire-​able costumes.
They also sell a number of costumes and their website is a good place to have a little pre shopping check to see if they have something for you. They will also hold any items on a phone call, which can be handy if you can’t get to the shop right away.
Ofc, the shop has it’s busy periods and you would do well to get your order in early for Halloween or Christmas. If you are looking for something very specific then they may well not have the exact costume, but will always try and put something together to sort you out.
The staff area good bunch and very helpful. If you come out from the changing room looking a bit ‘special’ they will let you know, but not in a nasty way. Better to get that kind of advise in the shop rather than at the party.
Even if you don’t get your main costume from the shop, they have a good range of accessories and the little extras to finish off your costume, including body paint and witches hats etc. I usually end up getting a few bits from here and sorted out a great costume for a flat mate once with some liquid latex from the shop to sort out a Terminator costume.
It’s certainly worth having a look here for inspiration if nothing else.

Another true gem of the North Laine this must be one of the best fancy dress/​novelty mask shops on the south coast. Who am I kidding, it has to be the best. Come Halloween the front window is like a horrific art installation; werewolves, brown and grey, witches, devils, gremlins — we’re talking the whole gamut of the macabre. You can also buy essentials like fake blood, bendy axes, hats, pussycat masks (for those special Burlesque and curry evenings in with the girlfriend) and a whole lot more. If your imagination is on the wane I recommend this: have a Ray Bradbury moment in Revamp then stalk over to Battle, the antiques shop at the end of the street (the werewolf mask still on your bonce), to commune with the dead animal skulls. If you’re really sold continue on to Woodvale Cemtery, climb on top of Aleister Crowley’s tomb and howl at the moon. Next stop, Brighton Police Station.

I must confess that this is the only fancy dress shop I’ve fully investigated in Brighton (and until I read the review below, I’d always been assured it was the best). Revamp will always hold a special place in my heart though as it has, over the years, helped me to become (amongst many other things) a pirate, a superhero, a princess and the embodiment of the 90s hit ‘Cosmic Girl’ by Jamiroquai (don’t ask). It has provided for me through several years’ worth of Prides, fancy dress parties and hen nights. In short, I love it.
As well as the prerequisite false eyelashes, moustaches, fake blood and plastic-​packed all-​in-​one kits ranging from Mortisha Addams-​style witches to the standard favourite nurse/​prostitute, Revamp has a section at the back where you can hire some pretty funky costumes. I’ve had my eye on the immense, thigh-​high Abba-​style boots for a while, just waiting for the right party. As you’ve probably guessed, I adore costume parties — but even if you’ve never really fancied it before, just five minutes in a shop like this will have you longing to hold your own.
A note of warning though: this place gets pretty ugly on Hallowe’en. Last year, queues managed by a couple of burly-​looking security guards stretched all the way up Sidney Street, and I got the impression that the staff weren’t too prepared for the mania that hit them. So get your costumes well in advance, or look elsewhere!

Now, where would we be without the occasional fancy dress night to let our hair down to?! And of course, fancy dress doens’t grow on trees, it very often needs to be bought or hired.
This is where Revamp can help. They both sell and hire out fancy dress outfits. It is not a particularly large or well stocked place, but they can generally provide the basics of most common fancy dress outfits. The sale section contains lots of kits on particular themes — ‘pirate’ or ‘witch’ for example, as well as generic items such as wigs and make-​up. The rental section has a wider range of more unusual and better quality costumes. Usefully, they tend to tailor their stock to particular events — such as Gay Pride or the Bestival fancy dress theme.
There are probably more interesting fancy dress shops around, but revamp provides an excellent fall-​back– and who doesn’t need to buy an emergency fancy dress costume now and again?

Here’s a shop that will cater to all of your fancy dress needs. Though I’m more a fan of having a rummage and throwing random things together to create impromptu costumes, Revamp can certainly answer your prayers if you find yourself in a last minute fancy dress bind. They have loads of ready-​made packaged costumes, so if you fancy a night as batman or Barbarella, head down and try your luck. They also have costumes and cat suits for rent, thought this can be pretty pricey.
Revamp seems unfeasibly busy for a fancy dress shop, but I guess being a student town, Brighton has enough fancy dress parties to keep them afloat! I often pop in here if I need an accessory for an outfit… I once bought a great cigarette holder for a Flapper party and I stocked up on all sorts of glitter and fancy fake eyelashes for Bestival earlier in the year. Look out for the beautiful selection of masks, perfect if you’re attending a posh masquerade ball this winter!
I do like a good fancy dress shop, but I’m not a fan of ready-​made fancy dress costumes and I think some of Revamps costumes are a little middle of the road and unimaginative– hence 3-​stars.

So you guys have covered the essentials really about Revamp… can I stress again that there are queues to get in– one in one out with bouncers, seriously!- for the two days before and during Halloween. It’s also busy around New Year’s eve so be organised if you want anything glittery for a New Year’s celebration. It’s a great place to examine the wild, weird and wonderful possibilities of dressing-​up, but they are also good for bright hair-​dyes– if this is the year you finally decide to go for turquoise hair– and pretty good tights in bright colours. As well as fishnet fingerless gloves if you want to imitate the Jackson style that abounds right now.

It’s Saturday evening and its getting late. But this isn’t just any Saturday: it’s Halloween!
I am not the biggest fan of Halloween and not for any other reason that it always seems like too much effort for my lazy self. This year was different however. This year my good friend (MASSIVE Halloween fan) wanted to do something special. I didn’t’ want to look like a spoil-​sport, so decided to get on board the Halloween train.
It was, as I have said, getting late and my friends had just arrived at the train station, so the first port of call was Revamp in the Laines. I was sceptical that they’d be open, but was pleasantly surprised that even approaching 6pm, they were still letting people in. I guess they’d used their initiative and extended their hours for what must be their equivalent to Christmas.
We had to queue outside for a few minutes as the place was so popular, but once inside, we were confronted with masses of dressing-​up attire from zombies and vampires to sexy nurses and sailors. I personally decided to opt for a «gender-​confused nun look» and for around £10 was able to look the part.
There are outfits for all sorts of dress-​up occasions, not just Halloween, and the taff were polite, enthusiastic and informative, even despite the hectic day they must have had.
I can only give them two thumbs up, as I only have two hands, but they certainly deserved more. If you’re after some fancy clothes, look no further: [Re]vamp it up!

If you’ve ever wondered where all the stag and hen parties that wander around the sea-​front in identical costumes got their clothes, it’s Revamp.
A pastel pink building in the middle of the North Laines, Revamp offers a variety of different costumes you can buy or rent per day. As well as stocking upto 2,000 different outfits, they have brightly coloured wigs, hats, masks, moustaches, feather boas and make-​up.
The range of costumes on offer pales in comparison to Ricky’s in New York but if you have always had a burgeoning desire to dress as a police man /​cowboy /​gangster /​alien or disco bunny, Revamp should be able to kit you out!

Revamp is a great little fancy dress shop housed in the North Laines, almost full to the brim with a variety of different disguises and cool costume accessories. They have an absolutely wonderful collection of masks, ranging from super-​realistic rhino heads, to ex-​Presidents of the United States, which, even if you’re not interested in getting dressed up anytime soon, are beautiful to admire. Their selection of costume accesories is also great, ranging from pirate’s teeth, to fake gangster accessories, to stripper bowties, and anyone browsing with friends is sure to have a wonderful time hunting through all the crazy items they have available. If you’re looking for a more complete item, they also have a huge rack at the back of the store, chock-​a-​block full of brilliantly designed costumes, which can either be bought or rented, depending on what your needs require. I’ve picked up some awesome items here in the past with friends, which have made for some crazily fun themed get-​togethers, and I’d certainly recommend Revamp to anyone whose got a fancy dress party to attend.

This is the best (even though it may be the only !) fancy dress shop in Brighton.
It’s a tiny dark shop in the North Laines which is just crammed with costumes. They update their stock regularly and they always have contemporary characters available together with more traditional outfits. Prices aren’t that cheap (you can admittedly buy a cheap fancy dress on the internet for less than they charge to hire theirs) but the quality is that much better.
Also stock a great range of fancy dress accessories — eg: wigs, plastic swords and fake blood !
They get busy at the obvious times (eg: halloween and Christmas) so best to get in early if there is something you specifically want.
Really friendly and helpful staff.