Hallowe'en Costumes
[ 14 October 2007 ]
Like all reformed goths, I have a thing for Hallowe’en. It’s not the black & orange motif, or the cats with arched backs that do it for me so much, but more the idea that it’s a night to embrace all things scary, weird & creepy. I have always loved horror movies, & remember watching terrible films like Child’s Play — & reading Stephen King books — when I was 7 years old.
Which, of course, brings us to the fact that Hallowe’en is just around the corner. Two weeks away, in fact. The emails are rolling in. “My boyfriend & I have been invited to a Hallowe’en party & we would like to go as matching exotic cheeses but cannot find the right type of fromage for our personalities. HELP!” You get the idea.
I always find it kind of tricky to come up with some kind of costume. I am not that keen on resorting to the usual costuming options that girls my age tend to be so thrilled about, which is basically anything + a short skirt. According to Wikipedia, the most popular adult’s Hallowe’en costumes are, in order: witch, pirate, vampire, cat & clown. My suggestion would be to shy away from these ideas as much as possible. If you are going to dress as one of the aforementioned, just rock it as hard as possible. You want to do it well. Don’t just wear a pirate hat with your jeans. Do it every other day of the year if you like, just not on Hallowe’en!
Two years ago, I was an abducted schoolgirl. I wore a bloodied shirt & rope around my wrists & my friend Timmy gave me a fabulous (faux) black eye. Last year, I was Salvador Dali. I drew on a moustache, took some pictures & went to the video store. One of my proudest moments, at age 10, was my costume as a headless horseman — that’s me, above, on the right. But I am really a Hallowe’en amateur. I have seen some amazing things, & am always impressed by the level of people’s devotion to their costumes.
The following are but a few of the consistently amazing hallowe’en costumes of Ms. Roxanne Carter. I’ve been following her journal for years & I am always impressed by the effort she makes for Hallowe’en. She has an amazing closet, as well as a lively imagination & excellent photographic skills. Being generally gorgeous probably helps, too!
Dressed as a femme fatale.
Dressed as Marchesa Louisa Casati!
If that doesn’t make you fall in love with her, your heart is as cold as her gorgeous marble backdrop!
Amalthea from the Last Unicorn.
Nancy Drew!
If you want more, & I bet you do, here are the photos of her as a doll from Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, a femme fatale & Marchesa Louisa Casati (swoon-o-rama).
I have a big thing for costumes with historical relevance or of costumes that have literary ties. For example…
When it comes to Hallowe’en, I think it’s really an opportunity to try something crazy & wild. If you’re idly considering a new aesthetic direction, or if you just wish you were more like Amanda Lepore, Hallowe’en is the perfect chance to really do it up. There is usually very little judgement on the 31st of October, so if your friends know you as a mild-mannered public servant who usually wears a sensible brown suit, maybe tonight is the night you can finally reveal your secret identity of Jessica Sparkleboobs! Know what I mean?
If you’re usually fairly “out there” when it comes to your daily ensembles, rather than trying to think of a costume (like “sultry harem girl” or “grease-stained firefighter”), think of it more in terms of character. Who do you admire? Who do you fear? What movies appeal to you aesthetically? Who are your favourite book characters? How about authors, composers, artists, pioneers, sex educators? What about fashionistas, mathematicians, musicians, muses? Maybe you would like to be more abstract. What about a creepy ice-cream truck man? How about the Grand High Witch?
Do some research. Really sit down & have a think about your dress-up options. Once you start pondering it, the ideas will really start to flow, it’s just that you need to be in the mindset first. Don’t feel like you are limited by your physicalities — even if you have pink hair, that doesn’t mean your only option is Jem. You can always wear a scarf or a hat, or even buy a cheap wig. Think as broadly as you can. What kind of Hallowe’en costumes do you like to see on other people? Do you prefer people who look scary, or people who have made an effort & come up with clever solutions?
Don’t be afraid to be grotesque or “unpretty”. Hallowe’en isn’t the night to prove you’re a sex bomb (though I’m sure you are)! You can do that every other night of the week if you like, but if you’re obsessed with looking hot or getting the attention of the opposite sex, it will really limit your costume ideas & the ways you can express yourself. Be a villain, be someone or something despicable — challenge yourself a little bit.
If you don’t want to go it alone, or if you & your lover or best friend are similarly stumped for ideas, dressing in tandem or in a group can be great fun too. Think of great (but unconventional) couples throughout history. Andy & Edie? Raoul Duke & his attorney? Tyra Banks & Jay Manuel? Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren? Anais Nin & Henry Miller? Big & Little Edie? Tom Cruise & an alien? P.T. Barnum & a “freak”? Pauline Parker & Juliet Hulme from Heavenly Creatures? Jayne Mansfield & Anton LaVey? Hum & Lo? (You can also dress up your dog or kid sister if you feel like dragging them along!)
However you dress up for Hallowe’en, the most important thing is to make as much effort as possible. Even if everyone else is dressed like a “horny little devil” or policeman, you will know that you put in the hard yards & that you look fantastic. Take lots of pictures & have an amazing time.
Extra For Experts:
Hallowe’en Horror Nights at Universal Studios… I would love to go to this!
Celebrity Hallowe’en Costumes from Gawker…
Or if you’re still really stumped, take a test.
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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I went to a early Halloween/spook party last night. I dressed up as the old barber who used to put put people in his pies and sell them. Ohh the joy of grossing people out who were eating “party pies”. xx
I got to go to the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Orlando. It was brilliant and terrifying. Both it and the Islands of Adventure next door were all dolled up for Halloween and you couldn’t tell which park was which. All the rides were decorated and it all turned into different sections. My favorite was the urban section, with the insane gangs and things like that. It’s amazing how scary dragging trashcan lids can be.
Yeah, I think the worst thing you can do is to buy a costume off the rack. Put a little creativity into it!
my parents were always against Hallowe’en because it was “too American”.
if i was going to a party for this occasion i’d dress up as a Living Dead Doll!
I particularly like their dolls that depict famous deaths and murders,
e.g. Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia)
LDD run a Hallowe’en Contest for people who send in photos of themselves dressed up as their dolls and the entries on the site are really great!
for the last day of high school i dressed up as a ‘drop dead beauty queen’ from the neck up = fake eyelashes, sticky sparkles, liquid blush for head wound and tiara. it was heaps fun!
Ms. Roxanne Carter is so beautiful .
aww now i want to have a Hallowe’en party!
+ munches on some candy corn +
http://www.livingdeaddolls.com
Yay, I’m so glad you posted this! I’ve been having the damnedest time thinking of a costume, mostly because although I have some great ideas, I have to go to class all morning, and then go to work (at a bookstore) all night, so my costume has to be something which I can move around in comfortably.
I really wanted to be Sylvia Plath (with an oven on my head!), but I think it’d be a little too tasteless to wear at work!
YAY! we are having a party at the end of Nov [prior engagements around halloween :( ]but it’s gonna be Horror themed! yay! i can’t wait!
I looove Halloween!
I mean, it’s the perfect excuse to wear a costume and have a party!
This year I am dressing as Jeffree Star
(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa27/bleedingxmuffin/Jeffree%20Star/jeffree11.jpg).
So technically, I’m a woman dressed as a man dressed as a woman ;].
Pink wigs and extravagant make up, hooray!
ooh i’ve never had a “real” halloween before and i’m stoked cos not only will this be my first ever halloween in manhattan, i jsut got invited to go to this huge party that’s apparently the craziest ever in new york!! problem is, i’ve been so busy i haven’t got time to figure out what to wear!!! but i’m so excited! eeks!
My recently aquired American and Canadian friends have talked me into hosting a halloween party. Ive never celebrated halloween before and am pretty psyched about it. I love any excuse to create a costume!
I adore mimes so I have decided to go as Marcel Marceau in honour of the great man * sob *
I agree that you need to think outside the box a bit (the costume I’m proudest of was a palm tree…), but one of my greatest dressing-up fears is people going, “erm…who are you supposed to be?”. I’d get a bit sick of spending the whole night repeating “I’m Marchesa Louisa Casati, of course!” (not that that would enlighten most people much). By all means stay clear of the short-skirt-and-devil-horns/fairy wings approach, but in my experience going as something recognisable, like an 80s cartoon character or an exceptionally bad pun, makes for the most fun night.
i’m really tempted to go as either baby firefly from house of 1000 corpses/the devil’s rejects (although she basically wears ripped up jeans, a bloodstained vest top and a cowboy hat, which isn’t too exciting), or mallory knox from natural born killers (i think this would be fun, if only i knew someone who would dress up as mickey knox!).
raoul duke & his attorney = AMAZING idea! i love it.
xoxo
i think the most popular halloween costumes in australia have got to be
french maid, nurse, police officer, cat
strangely… the same lingerie costumes sold at bras n things. i think cause halloween isn’t big here, short skirts and low cut tops will win out.. it reminds me of that ‘mean girls’ scene.
I’ve had my costume ready for a while; I’m going to be Michael Jackson (his costume from beat it). INTERESTING PROBLEM: I’m starting student teaching and my first day at class is Oct 31 and my teacher wants me to dress up in costume. I think dressing as someone notorious for child molestation charges to teach fourth graders might be bad taste, but I really love my costume. I’m undecided as to what I should do.
Love this post Gala! I’ve always wanted to do a really great costume for Hallowe’en, but I haven’t even dressed up since I was 12 (and that was 10 yrs ago!). You have inspired me though – I love your ideas. And Roxanne’s costumes are just gorgeous! I’d want to dress like that any day, not just Hallowe’en!
that sparkleboobs comment made me laugh. i have one problem though—glasses. one year i dressed up like courney love and i took off my glasses and it was horrible. i didn’t have fun! i couldn’t see anything! so what kinds of costumes are there out there that include thick framed glasses? (besides a librarian…)
I took my time to read both the roxanne carter links and her day to day outfits are so fablously awesome. I am in awe. It goes to show the power of good thrift.
I have nothing to do for halloween which makes me sad, I to had a love for anything horrorish since I was really really little! I once was obsessed with anything with vampires in it. Its funny what being exposed to a young age does to you…I have nothing to do on halloween but I have been inspired, even if I just hold a movie festival in my lounge room.
Ohhh, I have allways loved Halloween! I usually start planning a full year in advance. This year, I’m going to be a mermaid! I know it sounds tacky, but I found the PERFECT fabric to make the skirt from, + I think it’s going to be oodles of fun. Next year’s ideas are the Raven, or Babba Yagga’s house. :)
I think it would be fun if we could send in our halloween pictures to you + you could post them, if that would be alright with you- sort of like an idud.
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and for good reason, too! Think about it: for one night of the year you can be ANYBODY (or anything) and take on any personality all in the name of good fun! The parties, taking little kids trick-or-treating, and, of course, rolling yards (for those who have nothing to do after the party is over). All of those are the best on Halloween (well, for a teenager at least).
Luckily, my school recognizes Halloween and let’s us dress up in our costumes, granted they’re not too risque or you wear a face mask (big no-no). Also, the band is hosting a Halloween party for the members, so that’s another good reason for me to dress up (hooray)!
This year, I plan to be as grotesque as possible, none of that cute-sy junk. So, being a zombie seemed like a good idea. Gashes and fake blood galore!
For those interested, I have provided a URL below to an excellent wound effect instructable (WARNING: Image heavy).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Realistic-Wound-FX/?ALLSTEPS
You can search Instructables for some great Halloween ideas, costumes and/or decorating.
I have that same problem with glasses—I can’t take mine off, not unless I feel like being blind the whole night. It’s hard to come up with costumes that work well with glasses.
I am STOKED for Halloween this year! Okay, I’m excited every year I just hate how Halloween has turned into a tramp’s night out. I’m disgusted to walk into a costume store and find the walls plastered with skimpy little outfits. GRR :[
That’s why I usually put together my own costume. Because: A) You don’t have to worry about somebody else having the same costume as you (Which is probobly a common problem when you’re wearing a Playboy sex kitten costume) And B) It’s just much more fun!
So this year I’m dressing up as the “Fashion Police”. I saw a costume in a party store ad for it, but all it was was a blue dress and a badge. Quite creative, huh? So I decided I’d borrow that idea, but create something of my own. I’m planning a black tee-shirt dress with a black belt. Instead of a gun, handcuffs, knife, I’ll put a hairdryer, a tube of lipstick etc. I’ll paint “Fashion Police” in glitter paint on my hat, so I won’t have to deal with being asked “What are you dressed up as?” all night. I’ll top it off with a police badge (dollar store!) and of course some great black heels! :D
Halloween is my favorite holiday and i take it SOOO very seriously (and have since I was really little). I hate when girls take the easy route and go as “sexy________”. Ick.
This year I’m going as Marie Antoinette and I made the whole costume, taking inspriatioin from the Coppola film! It took me three months, but I’m so super proud, I’m going to try and wear it more than just for halloween. :D
Sigh, I adore Roxanne. She is always such an inspiration.
I love Halloween a whole lot. And I really like that Queen of Hearts look (a look I am now considering!)
Every year, my dept, where I studied gothic lit, has a halloween party, and they are always hilarious. People put a lot of thought and effort into those costumes! Over recent years I have gone as Little Red Riding Hood (with my basket of muffins and gin), Black Widow Spider (with girls’ black opaque tights stuffed and sewn together to make the legs) and this year I’m going as Erzebet Bathory who was the Hungarian countess in the 17th century, who would bathe in the blood of virgins to retain her youth, and is apparently one of the sources where we derive the vampire myth from. I’ve got a black velvet medieval dress, and a vial with fake blood to wear round my neck, and I’m planning on lots of dramatic make up. I can’t wait!!!
‘even if you have pink hair, that doesn’t mean your only option is Jem.’
lol i had pink hair and am being jem for halloween. I recently dye my hair purple but i found this awesome pink wig that im going to use.
I have never really done Halloween; in NZ, with it falling between Labour Weekend and Guy Fawkes, AND with my birthday squashed in there too, I have had plenty of opportunity over the years to dress up and run around in the dark, only with fireworks instead of sugary treats. Also, it’s the wrong time of year here for an autumn festival of the dead – early summer. That said, Gala: your headless horseman costume is unbelievable – I’m dying to know how you put it together!
I love Halloween so! I am going as a stylised octopus this year: silk printed mini floaty dress, tights, hat, ringlets, good makeup! And I will carry around my little knitted octopus.
even if you have pink hair…
lol. i have ORANGE hair so i am going to be PHILIP J. FRY for halloween!!! yay!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_J._Fry
i’ve got all the clothes, all i need now is a ray gun, a robot friend and a cyclops love interest! :D
It’s really fun to go as someone that you totally admire – ‘cause then you get to tell everyone how great they are! Last year I went as Penny Pingleton (from Hairspray) – it really didn’t matter that I wound up looking more like her mom, Prudie – it was just so much fun to be able to talk about the positive messages of the show and to share my excitement with other people.
Maybe this year I’ll go as Gala Darling! Woot!
This year I’m going like a Princess maybe Aurora or just a pink princess, I’ll be getting a realy pink costume and a very pink tiara.
Although I like better to celebrate All Hallows Day (November 2nd here in Mexico) Halloween is fun too.
American People!
Where should I go for Halloween? I’m going to be arriving in San Diego at 3pm on Halloween, and seeing I won’t know anyone, or where the fun stuff happens, I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to where I could go to join in the Halloween excitement?!
Cheers!
I wanted to go as JFK and discuss missiles loudly with my boyfriend who is going as Fidel Castro but now I’ve decided to go as something matching with the co-host of the party I’m throwing.
She’s brunette and I’m blond so we were thinking a good vs evil sort of thing and being blond I get lumped with ‘good’ (boring!).
Can anyone think of anything else that plays on the brunette/blond thing?
Ohh, you should do a thing where we all send in costume pictures! That would be really fun!
I’m turning an old storebought witch costume into something way more elaborate— one of my good friends loves victorian fashion, and I know he’ll be able to help me add petticoats and froofy details. I’m aiming for a Stardust type of thing.
oh man! tom cruise & an alien is the BEST halloween costume eeever.
Anna Rose, How about Betty & Veronica (the cool version from the 60’s). Then you just need a red-headed boy to fight over.
Or Mary-Anne and Ginger (she was blonde by the second series)
Yes i’m old-skool
Anna Rose, Sunsilk (a hair care brand in the States) is doing a whole thing on the blonde vs brunette thing. Search for Sunsilk Commercials on Youtube, or hit up their website for some ideas.
http://www.colorshowdown.com/
(WARNING: Flash- and image-happy website. Could take a while to load on a slower connection)
Halloween is my FAVORITE holdiday (esp, because it’s six days after my birthday!)But guh, the past three years I have been literary or film characters (Alex from A Clockwork Orange, Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, and [less obscurely] Jack Sparrow), and each time a gazillion people asked who I was. So I don’t know what I want to be this year—somethng easier to identify but still creative.
Here are my ideas so far:
—Hogwarts student
—Girl robot
—Slightly evil circus girl
—Marie Antoinette hair&makeup, but plain clothes
—Margot Tenenbaum (too bad I’m brunette)
I always wanted to dress up like one of the characters from the short stories I write. Like the femme fatale with a passion for black fishnets,cigarettes, and rich men that I have in one…I do believe I have my costume! :)
Hmm, maybe I’ll dress up this year, it’d be a laugh.
I’d be Tom Baker as Doctor Who (since I made myself a replica 13 foot scarf like his…), but given the heat, I’m going to be Patrick Wolf. Or possibly Sebastian Flyte.
As I said in the Thursday thread, I’m going as Anne Bonny, a female pirate of the 18th century. So yeah, I’m doing the pirate thing, but, you know, interestingly. I hope.
There’s going to be lots of hacked off and ripped and faded linen, scarves, slouchy boots, hopefully some kind of frock coat esque thing, a little antique lingerie (mainly to hide all the bits that would be revealed by the ripped linen), and ideally there will be a really fantastic hat topping the whole thing off (I have yet to source the frock coat or the hat).
Anne Bonny lived most of her pirating life in disguise as a man, so I’m trying to figure out how to make it fun and fabulous and all that without ruining the whole “male drag” thing. That said, the 18th century was a time when men were allowed to look a little bit fabulous.
I’m going as an egyptian, I can’t wait![]())
(mawi has amazing egyptian style jewellery, very Dior
I usually go as cultural themes: 3 years ago I was rennaisance, the year after I was a geisha and last year I was dead bavarian.
i love the hum & lo idea…i just wish i could talk my boyfriend into it. & plus i’m worried people will think i’m just a sexy school girl or something like that.