Stag Party Costumes

You've picked a place, you've got everyone signed up, the hotel's booked, the activities are planned but just when you're about to pop open the celebratory beer and practice your thank you speech to the lads about what an awesome stag do it's been and will you be Best Man for them as well, you realise you've over looked one tiny thing – what are you going to get dressed up as?

Gone are the days when dressing up if you're a guy is something to be ashamed of, although if dressing up involves your mum's Marks and Spencer hold ups and tottering round her bedroom alone in her best heels and cherry red lipstick, you might want to wait a few more years before you share that with your drinking buddies. These days, dressing up is all part of the Stag Party fun. You get to look like a total twat, but you're surrounded by another 10 guys who also look like twats, which makes it a perfect talking point when your skirt radar starts beeping.

So all you need is to think of a theme...

Superheroes

A classic, and there's so many to choose from. Most fancy dress shops have great costumes, but you don't really want a great costume. The point is not to look good – though you will inevitably have the vain amongst you who want to look as good as possible. Target these people and attack their costumes – for a stag night the costumes should be ill fitting and saggy ideally. Superheroes is great for this as most superheroes wear Lycra. Perfect. You've got Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and if you have a tall guy and a short guy, then make them the superhero and sidekick pair in reverse. Lanky Robin to a short fat Batman is the look we're going for here.

Cavemen

If you're going to act like a group of Neanderthals, dressing like them is a warning about your behaviour. This is good for summer as unlike most costumes aren't going to have you sweating like a beast all day long. Just make sure the weird mate of the groom who has to come along (usually the bride's brother) knows you're not going to wear actual animal skin... or don't.

Convicts

If monochrome is your colour, then the old fashioned black and white stripes could be for you, though if death row orange is more your style then serial killer jumpsuits for you and your chums will certainly get you noticed. Women love bad boys so even if you're branded as Mr. Nice, you can pretend for one night that you've worn someone's face as a mask and watch the girls swoon!

Mexicans

This is easy, sombrero, old rug big tash and Si Senor! Don't expect to have your sombreros by the end of the night, but the advantage to this is you can throw your rug over regular clothes if you want to stop looking like a nob and ditch your costume later on (but where would the fun be in that?)

Top Gun

Okay, the volley ball scene and the whole riding tails is a little bit gay, but everyone knows that slinging on a white t-shirt, some overalls and aviator glasses automatically makes you cool and sexy, which you're going to need when you try to slur to some lass that she's lost that loving feeling. Watch her melt.

Priests and vicars

Definitely too hot for summer but a gang of guys dressed as men of the cloth is a sure fire head turner, and whatever sins you commit that night – you're qualified to forgive yourself. Result!