For August we want to share a little tongue-in-cheek fun, because we know we are always saying how much fun it is to wear fancy dress, and how any occasion can be made more enjoyable with a fancy dress theme. So we’re going to reverse our usual policy and tell you about the times that you shouldn’t wear fancy dress:

3 - Supermarkets.  Playboy model Tanja Brockmann was asked to leave a supermarket in Majorca because her ‘tiny top and hotpants’ were considered unsuitable and when she said she had no other clothes to put on, she was escorted outside! A Preston supermarket refused to serve a man who was trying to buy bananas … because he was dressed as a Minion. Even Tesco have said that they prefer customers not to show up in nightwear as it makes other people uncomfortable.

2 - Attending a swingers ball. A couple have been shot by Melbourne police at a nightclub where a fancy dress swingers ball was taking place.  There are two versions of the story - the police say the man - who was dressed as the Joker - was holding a gun, which turned out to be a toy or fake, but when he refused to drop it, he and his partner were shot and injured. The owner of the nightclub says the man wasn’t holding a gun and was in a ‘compromising position’ with his female partner, who was dressed as Harley Quinn, when the police burst in.

1 - Online dating profile. It really shouldn’t need to be said, should it? But on OKCupid at least one chap is so convinced that his fancy dress is his best side that he put up a profile picture of himself in a Buzz Lightyear costume. Now, we’re all in favour of skimpy tops, swingers balls and online dating but these are perhaps the rare and unusual occasions when fancy dress is not the best option.

So when should you keep your fancy dress for? Fancy dress parties, quiet nights in and pub crawls with your mates. And if you’re going to the pub, it’s clearly not a good idea to try and buy some bananas on your way home …