Whether it's a wedding, your school formal or a fancy dress do, finding the ideal outfit for your party means sourcing a fabulous dress or suit designer, or hiring something special from a formal or costume hire outlet, rather than buying something off the rack. If you're keen to make a powerful impact at your party, spend some time and do some footwork to ensure your party clothes get noticed - for all the right reasons.

What you wear depends on the style and formality of the occasion, and the dress code, if one is specified. 

You may be looking for:

¥ Something elegantly traditional for a wedding or anniversary;
¥ A simple, contemporary dress or suit for a hip cocktail do;
¥ A chic, funky outfit for a friend's 30th birthday bash;
¥ Sexy, attention-grabbing gear for a glam New Year's Eve dance party;
¥ A fancy dress costume for a themed Halloween or Oscars party.

Remember: this is your chance to shine, so make the outfit special.

For maximum impact, have your outfit custom tailored, or hire a one-off outfit from a costume or formal hire outlet. That way, you can be one hundred per cent sure no one else will be wearing the same thing!

Sourcing a suitable designer
Start looking for a designer early in the piece. It can take time to source a suitable person, decide on the design, schedule fittings, and have your frock, suit or costume made. 

The more elaborate the outfit and the busier the time of year, the earlier you'll need to order. Follow these steps to make sure you get exactly what you want:

¥ Get recommendations from stylish friends and workmates, or others in the fashion industry;
¥ Check designers' websites and portfolios, retail outlets or showrooms;
¥ Look through their fabrics, accessories and patterns;
¥ Check out their range of colours, patterns and styles;
¥ Convey your preferences and get the designer's advice as to what best suits you,
¥ Ask the designer to come up with sketches of three or four possible outfits and matching accessories;
¥ Find out how long your preferred outfit will take to make, final fit and deliver, and how much it will cost, all up.

Nuts 'n' bolts
Before you hand over a cheque to your designer, make sure you:

¥ Are clear about which design you are having made;
¥ Are clear about your choice of fabric, hue, length and so on;
¥ Agree on fitting and delivery dates;
¥ Agree on the cost for the design you have chosen;
¥ Get it all in writing.

Buying off the rack
An alternative to getting an outfit designed and made to order, off the rack buying can be a smart idea - if you have lots of time on your hands to shop, try on outfit after outfit, and wait for sale time.

Unless you have cash to splash on haute couture or serious designer labels (or you're a creative, stylish dresser with a taste for quality retro clothes), you're better off getting a made-to-order outfit or hiring a unique one than buying something run of the mill off the rack.

Costume hire
You could be finding one special outfit or, if it's a themed party where you want staff to dress the part, a dozen of them. Whatever your costuming needs and numbers, there's usually something on the racks (and racks and racks) at costume hire stores to suit.

Just some of the costumes you could consider include:

¥ witches, wizards and fairies;
¥ soldiers, police and all sorts of other uniforms;
¥ TV series and movie characters;
¥ gangsters;
¥ Hollywood divas;
¥ superheroes;
¥ doctors & nurses;
¥ medieval knights and maidens;
¥ animals of all descriptions;
¥ harem or geisha girls, sheiks and sultans.

If there's nothing on the racks to suit your needs, there's a good chance the staff can source something appropriate for you, provided you give them sufficient notice.

Alternately, seek out a costume designer and get your outfit made to order. You can source props and accessories to go with it at party supply stores and costume hire outlets.