Fancy Dress Competition for Teachers: Ideas by Theme

A fancy dress competition for teachers is one of the most fun events in the school year, and teachers dress up more often than people think: a competition on Teachers' Day, a staff item at the annual function, a surprise for the children on Children's Day, or a B.Ed or D.El.Ed college competition. The best fancy dress ideas for teachers are easy to wear over your own clothes, read clearly from the back of the hall, and come with a short message. Below are ideas grouped by theme, each with a one-line stage intro, plus group ideas for staff and the adult-size costumes we stock at our Krishna Nagar shop in East Delhi.

When teachers dress up

• Teachers' Day, 5 September. It is the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's second President and a teacher all his life. Students often run the school for the day, and many schools hold a fun fancy dress round for the staff.
• Children's Day, 14 November. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, so most schools celebrate on Friday 13 November. Teachers perform for the children, and a costume gets the loudest cheer of the day.
• Annual function, December to February. Teachers often open the show, play a role in the school play, or join a staff dance.
• Christmas, Diwali and Dussehra programmes. Santa, Ram, Ravan and Krishna are often played by a teacher, because the role needs an adult on stage.
• Teacher training colleges. B.Ed and D.El.Ed students are often asked to dress as a leader or a character and give a short talk, so the costume must carry a message.

How to choose your costume

• Pick a character you can talk about for a minute. The judges and the children want to hear why you chose it.
• Choose something you can wear for hours. You may have to run the stage, manage children or teach a class in it. A costume that goes over a kurta or a saree is easier than a full bodysuit.
• Think about the back row. One strong colour, a crown, a cap or a prop makes you recognisable from the back of the hall.
• Keep it respectful. For leaders and gods, a dignified look and a clear message score better than comedy.

Freedom fighters and leaders

Leader costumes suit Teachers' Day, Republic Day and Independence Day, and they give you a ready-made message. Most of our full leader costumes are cut for children, so for an adult look, wear your own white kurta-pyjama, dhoti or saree and add the cap, pagdi or prop that makes the character.

• Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: "I was a teacher before I was President. When my students wanted to celebrate my birthday, I asked them to celebrate all teachers instead." A white turban, a long coat and round glasses make the look.
• Savitribai Phule: "I am Savitribai Phule. People threw mud at me on my way to school, but I kept teaching girls to read." A plain saree with the pallu over the head and a slate or a book in hand.
• Dr APJ Abdul Kalam: "Dream, dream, dream. Dreams become thoughts, and thoughts become action." A dark bandhgala or simple shirt, side-parted silver hair, and a small rocket model.
• Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." A white dhoti, a shawl, round glasses and a stick.
• Shaheed Bhagat Singh: "They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas." A white kurta-pyjama and our Bhagat Singh cap.
• Mangal Pandey: "I fired the first shot of 1857." Add the red Mangal Pandey cap to a white kurta.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj: "I built Hindavi Swarajya with courage, one fort at a time." Our Shivaji Maharaj pagdi and a sword or the shield and sword set.
• Sarojini Naidu: "I am the Nightingale of India. I fought for freedom with my poems." A bright saree, a shawl and a small book of poems.

For the full speeches, see our freedom fighter fancy dress ideas and the Dr Ambedkar fancy dress speech. WhatsApp us your height before you visit and we will tell you which pieces fit an adult.

Mythology characters

Mythology looks are the most striking on stage, and our adult range is strongest here.

• Krishna: "Do your duty and do not worry about the result. That is what I taught Arjun." Our adult Krishna costume is the full jhanki look, and the Krishna King costume is a regal option sized for teens and adults.
• Radha: "I am Radha. Where there is love, there is Krishna." The adult Radha Rani costume is cut in the same colours as our adult Krishna, so two teachers can go as a pair.
• Ravan: "I was the most learned king in the world, and pride still brought me down. Never be proud of what you know." The adult Ravan costume comes with the mukut and gada, and you can add the ten-head mask.
• Mahishasur: "I thought no one could defeat me. Then came Maa Durga." The Mahishasur costume is shown on an adult in our photos; ask us for your size.
• Hanuman: "I can cross the ocean for my Lord Ram. Nothing is impossible for a true heart." Wear a red or orange kurta with our Hanuman mask and the gada.
• A rishi or Narad Muni: "नारायण, नारायण! I bring news from every world." A saffron or white dhoti with a rudraksha mala set and a veena or ektara made of card.
• Saraswati: "I am the goddess of learning. Every teacher carries a little of my light." A white or yellow saree, a veena of card and a book.

For more characters and their stories, read our list of Indian mythological characters for fancy dress and the Dussehra and Ramleela costume guide.

States of India

A states theme is ideal for a staff item, because every teacher can represent a different state and the whole group reads as "Unity in Diversity". These come in adult sizes:

• Rajasthan: "Padharo mhare desh! Welcome to the land of forts and colours." For men, the Rajasthani dance costume for men; for women, the green Rajasthani lehenga or the Kalbelia dance dress.
• Punjab: "Sat Sri Akal! Punjab feeds India and dances while it works." The orange Bhangra costume and the blue and yellow Bhangra costume are stocked in adult size, and the yellow Punjabi suit comes in an adult size for women.
• Haryana: "Ram Ram! I am from the land of wrestlers and farmers." The yellow Haryanvi lehenga is adult size.
• Gujarat: "Kem cho! Come, let us dance the garba." Any of our women's chaniya cholis, such as the white Kutchi mirror work chaniya choli or the rainbow bandhani lehenga.
• Assam: "I come from the land of tea and the Bihu dance." The Assam costume is available for adults too.
• West Bengal: "Nomoshkar! I come from the land of Tagore and Durga Puja." The Bengali saree, for kids and adults.
• Manipur: "I come from the jewelled land of the North East." The Manipur costume is stocked in adult size.

Our guide to the 28 states of India and their traditional dresses has a line for every state.

Professions and community helpers

These are quick to put together from your own wardrobe, and they make a good message for younger classes.

• Astronaut: "I trained for years to see the Earth from space. Study science, and you can too." Our astronaut costume is available for kids and adults.
• Police officer: "I keep your city safe. Follow the rules and help me do my job." Wear khaki with our police officer cap or sub-inspector cap.
• Pilot or Air Force officer: "I guard the skies of India." A blue shirt with the Air Force cap.
• Army officer: "I stand at the border so that you can sleep in peace." An olive shirt and the officer ceremonial cap.
• Farmer: "I grow the food on your plate. Never waste a grain." A kurta, a dhoti, a gamchha and a sickle made of card.
• Doctor or nurse: "I take care of you when you are sick. Wash your hands and eat well." A white coat and a toy stethoscope.

Cartoon, film and fun characters

Children's Day and Christmas are the days for fun. A teacher in a cartoon costume is the photo every child remembers.

• Doraemon: "I have a gadget for every problem, but the best gadget is your own brain." Our full-body Doraemon mascot is a walk-around costume for an adult performer; send us your height to check the fit.
• Santa Claus: "Ho ho ho! Santa only brings gifts to children who share." The Santa Claus dress comes in a kids size and an adult size, so a teacher can be Santa while the class dresses as elves or a reindeer.
• Gabbar Singh: "कितने आदमी थे?" and then a twist: "Only one, and he did his homework!" The Gabbar costume is sized for adults and suits a Bollywood theme or a staff skit.
• A joker or a clown: "My job is to make you laugh. Smile, it is free!" Add our multicolour joker wig to a bright outfit.

Group and couple ideas for staff

• Radha and Krishna: our adult pair, above, for two teachers or a teacher couple.
• Ram darbar: Ram, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman for four teachers, with Ravan as the surprise fifth.
• Unity in Diversity: each teacher in a different state costume, walking in to a medley of folk songs.
• Freedom fighters' parade: Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sarojini Naidu and Dr Kalam, each saying one line.
• Bhangra or garba: a two-minute staff dance in matching Bhangra dresses or garba dresses always brings the house down.
• Teacher and student pair: our white and pink Kathak dress is stocked in a kids size and an adult size, so a dance teacher and her student can match.

Dressing a child as a teacher

On Teachers' Day, children often dress up as teachers. This is the easiest costume of the year.

• For girls: a saree, glasses, a bun, a register and a pointer. Our kids saree costume or the white saree with red border fits ages 3 to 9.
• For boys: a shirt, a tie, trousers, glasses and a duster in hand.
• Stage intro: "I am a teacher. I teach you to read and write, and I also teach you to be kind. Happy Teachers' Day!"

Rent or buy

Every costume above can be rented for an event with a refundable deposit, or bought outright, from our Krishna Nagar shop in East Delhi, with delivery across Delhi NCR. Annual-function season (December to February) is our busiest time, so book adult sizes early and send us your height and chest size on WhatsApp. If you are dressing a whole class or the staff for one programme, see our school orders page. For your students' costumes, start with our fancy dress competition ideas for kids and the Children's Day fancy dress ideas, and read how renting works on our rent page.