Welcome to our list of top dress up day ideas.
Dress up day ideas are themed days where employees show up in costumes. For example, Funky Footwear Day, Pirate Day, and Mythical Creatures Day. The purpose of these events is to encourage creativity and increase team bonds. These events are also known as “creative dress up day themes” and “dress up day themes for adults.”
These dress up days ideas are similar to Spirit Week ideas and fun theme day ideas.
This list includes:
- dress up day ideas for school
- DIY dress up day ideas
- dress up day ideas for work
- costume day ideas
- creative dress up day themes
- dress up day themes for adults
Let’s get started!
List of dress up day ideas
From getting creative with footwear to stepping into a fantasy, here are some fun dress up ideas for your workplace.
1. Funky Footwear Day
Funky Footwear Day allows employees to showcase their unique sense of style. Employees can wear colorful sneakers, funky high tops, or crazy heels. Along with the unique shoes, participants can wear exciting socks. For a more comfortable approach, workers can even bring in slippers! Colleagues who do not have unique shoes can use Funky Footwear Day as a reason to go shopping. With this theme, folks can celebrate their personalities in a fun and unique way.
2. Circus Day
Circus Day is a fun and exciting dress up idea for a work setting. Employees can unleash their inner performers by dressing up as clowns, acrobats, or ringmasters. Members can even wear outfits based on circus animals!
To go along with this theme, companies can organize games. For example, juggling contests, slackline walking, or even balloon animal-making contests. This theme encourages teams to have fun and creates a positive work environment.
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3. Rock Star Day
Rock Star Day is a fantastic dress up day idea that allows employees to show off their inner rockers. Participants can dress up as their favorite stars or create their own unique personas. Employees can channel legendary musicians like Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, or Madonna. Outfit examples include bright outfits, sunglasses, bandanas, and leather jackets. Workers who play instruments can even bring theirs in!
Throughout the workday, you can play rock music from different eras. Teams can even put on musical performances or answer rock music trivia.
4. Pirate Day
Pirate Day is one of the most creative dress up day themes that can bring a sense of adventure to the office. Workers can accessorize with eye patches, bandanas, and pirate hats. Members can even bring in wooden swords or hooks. Teams can talk with pirate accents as well! This theme day is the perfect way to celebrate National Talk Like A Pirate Day, which is September 19.
Check out more Talk Like a Pirate Day ideas.
5. Historical Figures Day
Historical Figures Day is a creative and educational dress up day idea. On this day, employees can dress up as their favorite historical figures. Examples include inventors, leaders, artists, or scientists. This theme is a perfect way to inspire creativity and innovation in the workplace.
To add a fun educational twist to the event, ask participants to learn fun facts about the inventors they dress as. Throughout the day, colleagues can share this information with one another. This dress up day encourages learning about different inventors and discoveries.
6. Garden Party Day
Garden Party Day is a great theme for a summer afternoon. Participants can embrace nature’s beauty while adding a touch of charm to the office. Outfits can include floral prints, pastel colors, or garden creatures.
While hosting this party, you can add fun decorations like potted plants, flower arrangements, and soft lighting. A tea party makes for a great addition to this party as well. Outdoor games, picnics, or barbecues are other fun exercises for this event. This activity encourages creativity and boosts morale.
7. Under the Sea Day
Under the Sea Day lets you channel your inner mermaid or sea creature. Employees can wear blue or green outfits with accessories like seashells, starfish, or floaties. Folks could even dress as specific underwater creatures, such as octopuses or clownfish.
To make this dress up day complete, consider playing some ocean-themed games. Examples include Fishbowl, Shipwrecked, and team raft building. Office decorations featuring fish, water bubbles, and seaweed will complete the look. You can also play water-themed music, like “Under the Sea” or “Ocean Eyes.”
8. Mythical Creatures Day
Mythical Creatures Day is one of the top dress up day ideas for work. Employees can unleash their imaginations and get creative with their costumes. From dragons to unicorns, the outfit possibilities are endless. Teams can accessorize with majestic wings, colorful wigs, or glittery face paint.
This theme is perfect for a fantasy movie marathon. You can bring in mystical snacks, such as deviled dragon eggs, fairy bread, or unicorn popcorn. Remember to decorate the office with magic scenery!
9. Famous Villains Day
Famous Villains Day can add a touch of excitement and creativity to your dress up day event. Dressing up as iconic villains allows teams to showcase their favorite evil characters. Folks could choose villains from movies, literature, or folklore. For instance, employees could wear costumes representing Maleficent, Hannibal Lecter, or The Joker.
During Famous Villains Day, you can watch movies based on these cunning characters. Another activity idea is a villainous debate, where colleagues can compete over which character is the most evil. This theme is an opportunity to explore the dark side in a fun and imaginative way.
10. Holiday Theme Day
A Holiday Theme Day is a great seasonal idea for a dress up day at work. Choosing a specific holiday theme can add excitement and creativity to the event. For instance, Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day. This theme is also a great way to showcase and celebrate diverse holiday. Employees could wear outfits inspired by Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, or Diwali. Costumes could represent a character, theme, or tradition of the holiday.
Holiday Theme Day is the perfect chance to enjoy delicious seasonal dishes. You could host a potluck and have folks bring in food that represents their chosen holiday. For instance, yule logs, latkes, or biryani. A holiday theme helps colleagues learn more about each other, create connections, and appreciate diversity.
11. Hollywood Red Carpet Day
With Hollywood Red Carpet Day, teams can break out their tuxedos and gowns! This idea adds some glamour and elegance to your office. Employees can channel their inner movie stars by dressing up in fancy evening attire. Folks can accompany looks with polished hairstyles and accessories. Another option is to dress like specific celebrities, like Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, and Grace Kelly.
Before work, be sure to roll out a red carpet for workers to walk up on. You can also have a photographer on standby to take photos as teams walk in.
Of course, movie days make a great addition to Hollywood Red Carpet Day. Other fun activities include filmmaking challenges and movie poster design challenges. Dress up day themes for adults promote creativity and boost morale.
12. Cartoon Characters Day
Cartoon Characters Day can spark a sense of joy and nostalgia in the office. This theme is one of the best dress up day ideas for school as well. Employees can wear outfits inspired by their favorite childhood cartoons. Examples include Mickey Mouse, Shaggy Rogers, or SpongeBob SquarePants. Participants can bring in accessories related to the character as well. For instance, if your office is pet friendly, then a worker dressing up as Shaggy could bring in their dog.
Watching cartoons during this day is a simple way to celebrate. Further, teams could compete in cartoon character charades or a character design challenge. Scenery from famous cartoons decorating the office will complete the theme.
13. Silent Film Day
Silent Film Day brings nostalgia and creativity to the workplace. Participants can channel their inner Charlie Chaplin or Greta Garbo. Folks can wear class black-and-white attire, complete with bowler hats, suspenders, and flapper dresses.
One fun activity for Silent Film Day is to organize a silent movie screening during lunch or breaks. Employees can gather to watch iconic silent films such as The Kid or Metropolis. This exercise allows the team to appreciate silent films together.
14. Book Characters Day
Book Characters Day is a great theme to help colleagues get to know one another better. This theme has endless outfit options for folks to choose from. Costumes could feature characters like Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and Elizabeth Bennet. This theme is great for offices with a book club. Teams could dress as characters from novels they have read together.
When looking for activities to do, consider hosting games like literary Mad Libs or storytelling relays. Book Characters Day allows folks to bond over their favorite novels.
15. Dessert Day
Dessert Day is a fun and delicious idea for a dress up day at work. Employees can embrace their inner sweet tooth by dressing up as their favorite desserts. Options range from cupcakes to ice cream sundaes to tiramisu.
One fun game to play during this event is guessing what each colleague’s outfit represents. Another simple and tasty activity is having folks bring in the dessert that inspired their costumes. Dessert Day adds a touch of whimsy to the workplace while encouraging creativity.
16. Tropical Tourist Day
Tropical Tourist Day is a fun and lighthearted theme. Folks can wear items they already have at home, making tourist day one of the best DIY dress up day ideas. Participants will be able to unleash their creativity and have fun. Dressing up as tourists can include Hawaiian shirts, floral dresses, sun hats, and sunglasses. Folks can even accessorize with sunscreen on their noses or fanny packs.
A mixology party is the perfect addition to tourist day. Teams can learn to make delicious cocktails with tropical ingredients. Other fun activities include having a luau lunch or competing in a flip-flop relay race. This theme is a relaxing way to spend the workday.
17. Rainbow Day
Rainbow Day is among the best colorful costume day ideas. Participants can wear the vibrant colors of the rainbow. Teams could go for bright monochromatic looks or mix and match. Outfits could even include colorful accessories, like jewelry, makeup, and even hair dye!
When looking for Rainbow Day activities, consider hosting cupcake decorating contests or making a tie-dye station. This simple theme works well for almost any office, as folks can likely wear clothes they already own.
This theme is also one of the most fun Pride Month Ideas for the office.
18. Outer Space Day
During Outer Space Day, teams can unleash their inner astronauts and aliens. Folks can wear space-themed costumes like metallic silver suits or alien outfits. Glow-in-the-dark accessories make any outer space outfit complete.
On Outer Space Day, teams can learn more about NASA’s history and latest projects. You could plan an astronaut training obstacle course or a rocket launch team challenge. To make the theme complete, consider decorating with stars, planets, and UFOs. Outer Space Day encourages imagination and sparks interesting conversations.
How to host a dress up day
Hosting a dress-up day at work is a fun way to boost morale and build team spirit.
Here is a simple guide to follow:
- Choose a Theme: Pick a fun and inclusive theme that suits your workplace. For example, you could go for a specific color, a decade, or even an industry-related theme.
- Communicate in Advance: Let the team know about the dress up day well in advance. Use email, posters, or your company’s communication channels to share the theme, date, and any guidelines.
- Get Management Support: Check with your managers or HR department to ensure they support the idea. Having these colleagues’ backing will make the event go more smoothly.
- Encourage Participation: Make it clear that participation is voluntary, but encourage as many folks as possible to join in. You could even have a small incentive, like a prize for the best costume.
- Provide Suggestions: Offer some costume ideas related to the theme to help spark creativity. This step can be especially helpful for those who might be unsure about what to wear.
- Set up Decorations: Decor can make the office theme feel complete. Posters, themed knick-knacks, and streamers can help the office match employees.
- Consider a Potluck or Snack Bar: If it fits with your workplace culture, then consider organizing a potluck or setting up a snack bar with themed treats. These offerings add an extra element of fun to the day.
- Create a Photo Wall: Set up a designated area for taking pictures. Encourage folks to share their photos on social media or the company’s internal platforms with a unique hashtag.
- Enjoy the Day: On the day of the event, have a positive attitude and make sure the whole team is having a good time. Take the opportunity to break the ice and build camaraderie.
- Gather Feedback: After the dress-up day, ask for feedback. Find out what folks enjoyed and if there are any suggestions for improvement. This step can help make future events even better!
Remember, the main goal is to have fun and create a positive atmosphere at work.
Final Thoughts
Having dress up days at work is an excellent way to create memorable experiences. This exercise provides an opportunity for teams to showcase their creativity. In addition, folks will be able to take a break from the regular office routine and build stronger relationships. Plus, dress up days are a great opportunity to host team building events. Whether employees dress as book characters or as Hollywood stars, these themed events improve work culture.
Next, check out our posts on virtual Spirit Week ideas, virtual costume contest ideas, and Christmas Spirit Week ideas.
Michael Alexis