Whether you need a costume for the Otley Run or you're looking for something for your annual Halloween party, there's nothing wrong with keeping the planet in mind.
If there's one thing to resent more than buying a costume for a one night event, it's knowing that the cost per wear is poor. Not only is fast fashion a huge contributor to climate change, it's also a waste of our hard-earned pennies.
That's why this year we're all about reusable costumes.
From classic Disney characters to hit TV characters that will be around for years to come, we've found six looks that are easy to recreate, and you can grab everything you need from Leeds' own stores too.
Keep reading to find out who to dress up as and how to sort your costume again and again with minimal effort or spend.
Curiouser and curiouser, this is an easy-to-recognise costume that can be recreated at home. Grab yourself a pastel blue dress (or dye an existing dress blue with ink) and add frilly material and you're good to go. You can even cut up an old shirt into the apron shape for an inexpensive solution.
If you're doing group costumes, you'll also find bandanas to use as neck scarves for a Mad Hatter look and perhaps even a red printed dress for the Queen of Hearts.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds: Hidden Wardrobe should be your one stop stop for all things Wonderland.
All you need to transform into Emma Stone's version of Cruella is a satin-look white shirt and plenty of bling. This easy outfit just requires some red lipstick and monochrome eyeshadow to complete the look. Dalmations are a bonus, but not essential.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds: Mki Miyukoi Zoku in the Corn Exchange or Zara on Briggate are your shops for a crisp white shirt.
If you're not ready to commit to the two-colour hair do, then that doesn't mean you have to miss out on this easy Halloween costume. Grab some white colour hair spray from your local beauty store and spray half of your head for the same effect.
Peaky Blinders
You can alter a suit you have at home for this look. / Image: Netflix
The biggest gang in Birmingham may have return to our screens for the last time this year, but the Shelby statement is far from over if the number of Otley Run costumes is anything to go by. To channel your inner Shelby, all you need is a waistcoat and hat but you can use makeup to chisel your cheekbones and add some fake blood for an extra spooky look.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds: The British Heart Foundation opposite Kirkgate Markets has a great selection of Peaky Blinder-esque hats.
The charity shop have loads of options in a range of neutral colours: perfect to differentiate costumes if you're going as a group. They also have a full rail of 20s Gatsby dresses and glamorous accessories for anyone wanting to dress as Ada or Polly.
Crushed velvet and plenty of pink is all you need to channel your inner Sanderson Sister. This costume will also keep you cosy and warm if you choose to grab yourself a cape made from the comfy material: vintage stores are you go-to for this.
Laura Whitmore shared this incredible Halloween outfit with her followers last year, but the costume has had a lasting impression.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds:Blue Rinse opposite the Corn Exchange is a great bet for this one, or head inside Leeds Kirkgate Market and speak to stallholders about creating a customised jacket.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
This costume just requires some hairspray and white eyebrows. / Image:I Love Fancy Dress
Group costumes can be stressful, especially when it comes to knowing how many costumes you need. This Oompa Lumpa costume from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the ideal quick-fix as you can have as many or as little as you like: all you need in green hair.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds: Superdrug sell spray-on hair colours that wash out. Grab a neon green bottle and a white eyeliner for your brows and you're sorted.
Given the smash TV series' ratings over the past year, this costume is likely to make a return this year- and Kiyoko's amazing Squid Game costume is the perfect example of how to recreate the look with minimal effort. It's also really easy to recreate: all you need is a green striped jacket, like the 80s Adidas, and a number tag.
Where you'll find your costume in Leeds:Ryan's Vintage Store on Duncan Street and COW Leeds near Victoria Gate.Both stores stock what feels like an unlimited stock of brightly coloured sportswear. Their selection of Adidas jumpers will be perfect for this and by shopping vintage, you're helping the planet: win, win.
In Leeds, you'll find plenty of additional spots that always seem to have good stock of preloved fancy dress. We like to think it's got something to do with our city's love for the Otley Run and making sure that everyone is able to find a new costume week-on-week without spending a fortune or adding to landfills.
Buy Nowt LS6: a pay-as-you-feel 'library of things' in Headingley (here)
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
The route for next year’s historic women’s Tour de France has been announced – and it all starts in Leeds
Danny Jones
The route for next year's women's historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to begin the race from right here in Leeds.
Announced back in January, the 2027 Tour de France Femme avec Zwift will be making its British debut next year.
And this week, the full route has been revealed, which will all begin here in the race's host city of Leeds.
From here, riders will zip across through Yorkshire to Manchester, before turning back and heading down through the Peak District to Sheffield.
Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route. It's hoped that similar scenes will happen again this year.
It's yet another big coup for the region and Yorkshire's sporting scene.
Speaking with Manchester City Council earlier this week, Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and on to our friends in Greater Manchester.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event's breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of 'The Big Loop' in more detail below.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.
"Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.
"We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.
"They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape."
Sophie Smith -
17th October 2023 
