Costumes! Costumes! Costumes!

Costumes!  Where to start?  Start here! 

Guest Author: Paul Writer

People love costumes, love to dress up and become someone else for a short time.  How do you go about picking costumes?  Also, do you buy costumes or just rent them?  You will find the answers to these questions right here.

 There are essentially 3 different routes you can follow when you need costumes.  There’s D.I.Y, buying and renting options.  Picking the best one for you will depend heavily on your budget, creativity and possible sewing machine prowess.  With hiring, you may only have a limited stock to choose from and they may not be particularly original.  Added to that, if you go for hired, you need to return the costume in the same condition as it started. 

Another dimension to the buy, sell, or do it yourself is the addition of children.  If the reason for buying costumes is it’s a kids fancy dress party for children.  If are not very good with a needle and a thread or with a sewing machine, the one of the other 2 options are still open.

With children’s costumes, you are probably best going ahead and finding one to buy.  Because if you chose rented, you will have to return it, and, children are less likely to keep their costumes dirt and stain free.  If you are good with needles, you may consider to do it yourself, this would be a fun and educational way for the children to learn some homely skills.

Due to the increase of online websites, many people buy online, or visit a store that has a website, to buy their costumes.  It may mean that you spend a lot of money on something you only wear once.  The positives are that you don’t have to worry about returning it, you may have a wider range of choice and therefore a choice from more creative and original costumes. 

Choosing the right costume for you depends on the occasion.  If there is a particular theme to the party to the party you are going to, then you would want to come over as a good sport.  If it’s a western theme for example, you wouldn’t dress as an alien or space ranger.  At the same time, it can be a challenge if it’s just a fancy dress party with no theme.  Remember to kit your costumes out with helpful accessories, such as masks, hats and cutlasses!!

Don’t limit yourself, it has to be a costume in which you feel comfortable.  If you are intending on dancing, then it would be appropriate that there was ways to deal with extras and wings and stuff.  Overall, don’t sweat the decision.  It’s good that you are choosing from costumes for the party.  Some people go shy, and don’t want to do those things.  At least you are having a go!

So yes, there are things to take into consideration when looking for costumes.  Once you have decided whether to buy, rent or make.  The next step is to accessories and then, all that is left for you to do is – have fun in your wondrous choice of costumes!

AUTHOR: Paul Writer, from the UK, is the author of this piece.

How to Get Great Ideas For Your Halloween Costume

You’ve been invited to a Halloween party?  Do you need a Halloween costume? Dilemma, dilemma.   Where do you begin and where do you look for ideas? It might depend on your personality and your interests. 

As a starting point, do you want to be you or do you want to be someone, something else?

Perhaps you are an Type A personality or are you a Type B personality?  With a change of costume, a mask, a dab of makeup; you can be you, or you can be your alter ego.

If you are outgoing and bubbly, you might consider something that will make you the life of the party  (which you probably already are).  A little cleavage, a rose between your teeth and you might be a spicy Salsa dancer or a Saloon girl. 

Quiet, shy, reticent? 

Sister Rose Marie with rosary and prayer book in hand, and in her colorful combination of white and black would be a quite chic costume.  Marian the Librarian (remember ‘Music Man’?) with her long black skirt and high necked, long sleeved blouse?  Don’t forget  Puritanical  Hester Pritt (‘Scarlet Letter’), although her character was suspect by some.

Or be the opposite of your personality type.  Simply reverse the types of costumes and characters as previously discussed.

Couples costumes are always fun, too. Pairing with your significant other, you might go to your Halloween costume party as in a pair of jailbirds; or Rag Dolls like ‘Raggedy Ann and Andy’.  Or opposites as in Satan and a beautiful Angel?  Laurel and Hardy make a great comedic team.

Costume available at Buycostumes.com.  See ad in right column.

Where to start getting Halloween costume ideas?

You might start with the front page of your local newspaper, and the rest of the newspaper as well.  Sometimes the newspaper will spark an idea, and some of the best costume ideas originate with your own creativity.

Today’s front page renders little, other than political issues.  On the political front (as it relates to Halloween), there is an Obama mask on the market as well as most of the past presidents going as far back as the ever Richard Nixon mask. More recently there are the First Lady masks to compliment the presidents.  

In the business section is a story about the growing need for blue collar workers.  This might open the possibility of occupational and career costumes such as policemen, firemen, doctors, nurses, construction workers, soldiers and sailors.

Of course, the economy is always in the business news.  If you can fashion a rain barrel out of cardboard, you have a perfect  costume for someone who is ‘broke’. 

Costume available at Buycostumes.com.  See ad in right column.

The Arts and Entertainment section is replete with stories and photos of actors and actresses.  Do you want to spoof Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan?  Willie Nelson or Nelson Mandela?  Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt or perhaps a role they played? Greta Garbo?  Pretty far back in movie history, but a trip to a thrift shop might help you find a dress that might be ‘fashioned’ to fit ‘Garbo’ ; or maybe Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz

And of course, the comic strips.  Do you want to be Blondie, the cartoon character?  Do you want to be Blondie, the singer?  Perhaps a soldier like Beetle Bailey or a Viking like Hagar the Horrible? 

And what’s in the next section of the paper?

Our third section is the Sports pages and the classifieds.  Frankly, because of the proliferation of athletic shirts and caps, it should be easy to become your favorite player.  But is a costume a costume if it is everyday wear?

Hmmm… Nope.  Can’t find anything in today’s paper that seems to be a good Halloween costume idea.  As for me, I’ll wait and see what tomorrows news will bring.