Today is the last day of the Halloween costume season (from a costumer’s perspective) even though it’s October 30. There may be a scattering of parties this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and even next Saturday but not as many as this evening.
Most wearers of costumes over the past few days were ‘trick-n-treaters’ and those so fortunate as to be able to dress in a Halloween costume at work.
This evening, no matter what time your local costume shop closes, there will be somebody pounding at their door five or 10 minutes AFTER closing time, begging and pleading to get in to make a ‘quick’ last minute purchase (which usually took a half an hour or more when we did yield and let them in).
Will that be you?
At this stage, you might want to just take an old sheet, cut a couple of eye holes in it and go as your favorite ghost.
You might want to wrap that sheet around you, and go as a Roman senator or a Roman goddess.
It’s creative time.As in earlier posts, put something, anything together and give it a name.Remembering an earlier post…”if you can name it, you have a costume”.
If you have a party still coming up or you want to prepare for next year, just go back to previous articles on this site for some great ideas.
HORRIBLE HALLOWEEN !!!!!!
NOTE: Next week we will provide you with a few tips so as to prepare for NEXT Halloween. Also, we will start our Christmas and Santa Claus costume posts about mid-November….so please come back soon!
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Thrift stores
The Cheap…um…er…Creative Way Out
I can’t afford to buy or rent a Halloween costume this year. I’ve looked in my closet, garage and basement and don’t have anything that I can convert to a Halloween costume. What do I do? What do I do?
When I was active in the costume industry, it was routine to haunt the second hand stores or thrift stores for something useable, convertible and nicely priced.
The local ‘Salvation Army’ or ‘Goodwill Industries’ might have a store near you that might help you solve your problem. There, too, are a scattering up upscale thrift stores near the more affluent areas. Since you never know what will be in any one store at a given time, visiting several might be a good idea.
A double breasted suit can be easily converted to a ‘gangster suit’ with a black shirt and white tie. Add a plastic machine gun and a fedora and you are ‘Al Capone’. A business suit and a beret or tam and you can be “Al’s’ gun moll.
A prom dress? Bwala! A princess! And you never know what you might be able to build out of a few accessories.
Thrift stores are a goldmine of Halloween costumes ideas.
It’s still a few days away, and most of the final touches have been made to your Halloween costume. Maybe a tuck here or a minor adjustment there, but you are ready to go.
OHMYGOSH! (or use another expletive if you prefer) You forgot about what shoes or footwear to use with your Halloween costume.
Not a big problem if you are wearing a long gown or a witches robe, although you should try to match the colors up as best you can just in case someone gets a glance at your feet. Black always works. Maybe using a can of spray paint over some old, throwaway shoes might work as well.
But a prima ballerina in sneakers leaves a lot to be desired. In this case, not wearing any footwear at all might be the best option.
Fake boots can be made easily out of a vinyl material and creating a boot cover (no soles or heels, just sides). Perhaps attaching buckles to a pair of shoes might create a Louis XIV type of shoe wear.
No old throwaway shoes? Perhaps a visit to the thrift store?
Not always the most comfortable of disguises, but masks can create an interest and mystique. And the range of masks is wide-spread from a simple black eye mask (ala the ‘Lone Ranger’ to very large heavily plumed, and/or feathered masks.
Sequined masks always have an appeal not only because they are pretty, but just a glint in the right lighting might catch the eye of the beholder (you know, the guy you are interested in).
At any costume shop, you will see a wall filled with every monster mask known to mankind. Some are face masks (which cover the entire front, but not the back or sides), some cover ¾ of the head, and some are overhead masks. The mask of the incumbent President and some of his predecessors will be featured on these shelves or walls. Perhaps another politicl figure. An assortment of cartoonish characters may also grace the ‘wall of infamy’. Most of these masks are made of vinyl or rubber.
The caveats to wearing a vinyl/rubber mask are many, but the main two are the inability to drink (other than through a straw) comfortably; limited vision because the openings for visibility might be an inch or so from the eye. And lastly, because of the materials used, and depending upon how much of the head is covered, these masks can be very, very warm. But then again, some people like it hot.
There are clear plastic frontal masks of a young man or woman, or an elderly man or woman. Clear plastic is opaque so they allow the skin tones to show through but distort the features of the wearer.
There are also ‘hoodwink’ masks that have no eye openings at all. Sorry, I forgot. These are used by those people who need total darkness when they sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!
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Yet More Movie Character Costume Ideas
There was a harvest of romantic comedies and musicals in the 1950s, many of which were based on Broadway productions. There, too, were the epic Biblical movies such as ‘Ben Hur’, where a simple toga or a Roman soldier costume might fare well.
Along with the likes of ‘On the Waterfront’, and ‘Marty’ (neither will provide you with a good Halloween costume idea), were several Broadway musical productions converted to film. ‘Carousel’, ‘Oklahoma’, ‘Kismet’ and ‘South Pacific’ to name a few, and costume ideas are plentiful in this genre.
There were movies like ‘Rebel Without a Cause’, ‘Blackboard Jungle; and another musical ‘West Side Story’ that were based on teenagers and teenage gangs of the fifties. Poodle skirts and black leather jackets would fit well (more or less) for a Halloween costume from these movies.
Are you the girl next door? The boy next door? Have you all your life been known as “a good kid”? Well, with Halloween right around the corner, this is no time to be polishing your halo. If you’re chronically cute, the trick to looking evil this Halloween is all in the eyes and makeup Forget the costume for now. Without scary eyes and makeup , that vampire outfit is almost useless.
The eyes have it. Smudge your base color on the lid, blending up and out towards the brow till it pretty much just fades away. A nice grey would work well for this. Next you need to intensify that color with a darker color by adding it to the crease of the following the natural curve of the socket. Lighten under the brow line and use a round makeup brush to smudge it the two colors together starting from the outside in. Go easy on your eyeliner and do wear mascara. If you look younger than you are, your eyes will be just right for this look. Makeup does not hold the magical power that a Halloween mask can. They have the ability that will transform you into another place and time whether you want to be a superhero or heroine. By starting with a Halloween costume idea you can be anybody or anything that you desire for one night of the year. From the beginning of time humans wore masks either to worship gods or spirits of the earth. Another regular item for this type a mask would be using bird feathers and creating a beak that would create a haunting bird mask.
Comments Off on What Halloween Costume is in Your Closet?
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What’s in your closet?
A Halloween costume, perhaps?
What Halloween Costume is in Your Closet. You can create a terrific costume by using things you have in your closet with the addition of some make-up and accessories. How easy is that?
Bridesmaid’s dresses are usually shoved to the back of the closet. Bring them back out into the open! Add a sash and some smeared mascara and you just became the loser in a beauty pageant!
Your torn, paint-splattered work clothes can turn you into a slasher victim. Wrap some bandages around your body; add some fake blood and you are ready to go. Word of warning: fake blood will stain clothing and skin – so don’t wear anything you don’t want ruined!
Make-up, wigs, and hats can turn the most basic wardrobe item into a costume. Let your imagination run wild!
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A little diversion today.
What would happen if you saw someone wearing the same Halloween outfit as you at the same party? Don’t Wear the Same Halloween Costume That Someone Else is Wearing.
Paint on a mustache with a black greasepaint stick, add a pair of horn rimmed glasses and a cigar….and there you have it. Groucho! A short blond curly wig and a bicycle horn (a white or tan duster if you can find it). And there you have Harpo.
A little makeup here, or a special hat there, or a cane or a pair of red suspenders. It takes a little imagination, and not much money to come up with that perfect Halloween costume.
A trip to your local costume store? Probably a great idea to get great ideas for makeup and accessories. While you’re there, look at the makeup display case and see what you can see.
Nose putty? You can build a new nose, or re-shape your nose, or just add a wart or two. With an adhesive like spirit gum, you can even rebuild your chin. Your new nose and chin will need some makeup to help blend it in with the rest of your face. Green greasepaint or a water soluble cream makeup or pancake helps make a great witch or Frankenstein.
If you want to be a clown or a mime, then a tube of clown white will do the trick. Put it only very lightly though, and suddenly you become very pale in appearance….almost Ghostly or Vampirish. Clown White can be cream base or water base, each having its own advantages. Some shops might also carry it in pancake.
Crepe hair is a well known product available at the full service costume shops; and can be used to make mustaches and beards, or even hairy faces like a werewolf. If you are into monsters and vampires, then makeup is the best way to go about it.
For great makeup ideas, visit your local library and borrow a copy of Richard Corson’s “Stage Makeup”, one of the best makeup books ever published on makeup. It is also for sale through our Amazon store or Barnes and Noble. As you scan through this book, you will find numerous ideas that you may want to implement. Then off to your local costumer.
‘Stage Makeup’ as shown above is available through our Amazon store, and many other booksellers. Earlier editions are also available.
Comments Off on Movie Character Halloween Costumes
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Movie Character Halloween Costumes
Sometimes a role is defined by the actor/actress; and sometimes the actor/actress is defined by the role. Are you Scarlet O’Hara or are you Vivian Leigh? I think that Scarlett O’Hara is the more recognized name. Clark Gable might be better known as Clark Gable, rather than Rhett Butler. Either way, you want to be recognized, even if you have to tell the other guests who you are.
Dressing as copyrighted characters are usually a big no-no; but you might assume that wherever you get a famous character costume, whether it be from a costume shop, a retailer, or from the net, that the licensing fees have been bought for whatever character it is that you choose.
Movies open up another world to your imagination. You might take the movies by genre (westerns, musical comedies, gangster, war) or you might just to back to the silent movies or perhaps the decade that you grew up in.
Or as mentioned in the previous paragraph, pick a star and the movie that that star was most famous for.
Lastly, is there a costume you might buy, rent or assemble from your favorite movie? And was your favorite move, “Wizard of Oz?”
