I’ve read some pretty creepy things about Santa Claus. Once I even saw a picture of a toothy, evil-fairy kind of Santa at the Winterthur Chrismas events. It seems, however, that Santa is based on a real priest who earned his way to Catholic sainthood. Regardless of others’ feelings on saints and religion and God, I think it’s pretty cool that one person could inspire such a timeless impact on the world. I think this happened for Santa Claus because the world needed a Santa.Today I was at a SEPTA station waiting for a train. I saw a weary traveler–literally a confused and rotund elf, probably a guy who didn’t make the cut to be a Santa-poser in the mall. He was so lost and probably had just finished working and wanted to get home to his family. I felt bad for him. I think he would have made a good Santa, for the record.The above picture is what Santa looks like to me. What is your vision of Santa?
Last weekend, I had the honor of participating in the Gypsy encampment set up at the 2009 Witches Ball in Mount Holly, New Jersey! Along with the crew of Seventh Kingdom IGE, I wore a detailed Gypsy costume and helped establish an ambiance.
One major highlight of the Witches Ball was the costume contest. Contestants came from near and far to participate for cash prizes and more. The “Best Overall” and “Scariest” costume winnings went to Jeff Shepard of Florham Park, NJ. Shepard appeared as “The Headless Man.”
Want a popular 2009 Halloween costume but on a tight budget due to the economy? Consider one of the below — 10 hottest (most inexpensive) Halloween costumes of the year.
Links at the beginning go to other entries on this blog and typically instruct you on how to create the costumes or where to buy them.
1) Sookie Stackhouse of HBO’s True Blood. This perky, psychic, vampire-adoring waitress has captivated audiences since the series’ debut last year. As the show gains popularity with its immensely successful viral marketing, so does our take-no-garbage protagonist Sookie. A strong Southern adult, Sookie holds her own in an environment populated by powerful, supernatural beings.
2) Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Politicians having two faces…well, that’s been all the rage for a while, and it continues to get worse with the ongoing debates about healthcare. Opt for a more creative/less controversial costume by going with Harvey Dent from Batman. The costume is also inexpensive and easy to sew together using existing clothing.
4) Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles! Their music is re-mastered and they even have their own RockBand game. Now people of all ages want to emulate The Beatles. While Sgt. Pepper may go “in and out of style,” The Beatles don’t, but they’ve made a particularly strong comeback in 2009.
It seems to me that men and boys usually harbor a not-so-secret desire to play at being a ninja. Perhaps it’s their stealthy, predatory behavior that’s so appealing, or maybe it’s the mystery behind the mask (or face-covering fabric, as the case may be).
Regardless of the reason, the ninja costume has always been popular at LARPs and during Halloween. Many moms and dads also appreciate the ease of the ninja costume for this reason—during Halloween and other potentially cold times, it’s easy for a child to stay warm in a long-sleeved, pant-length black garment.
For the kid that just can’t let go of his or her costume, some ninja costumes (without the stars, of course) can be comfortable to sleep in after a post-Halloween wash.For safety, all Halloween ninjas should make sure to walk with an adult and wear some sort of reflective material. I know it defeats the ultimate ninja purpose, but it will also help drivers to avoid hitting mini-ninjas!
There is a ninja expert with an online presence. He’s called The Ninja, because ninjas don’t reveal their true identities! He is located at AskANinja.com and has some videos on YouTube. Ninja discussed his ninja disguise in one segment of his “Ask a Ninja” series.
I’m a strong proponent of speaking to the source when it comes to costuming. Ninjas make for fun costuming because of the historical purpose involved with the garb and tools, so be sure to throw in some real research at the library if you have a child interested in being a Ninja for Halloween.
Maenads have become a hot topic in the world of costume and mythology thanks to the appearance of one on the HBO series True Blood. (Check out Merry Meet if you want to know more about maenads.)
Mythological costumes are always fun because they are based on old/legendary descriptions and images, allowing freedom for the costumer’s imagination.
The Traditional Maenad
Mythological maenads are female followers of Dionysus. They enjoy nature and are characterized by a vine-covered wooden stick known as a thrysus. To dress as a maenad of mythology, consider the following costume elements:
Greek toga-style garment (tied securely for modesty)
Thrysus constructed of a smoothed stick. Wrap with fake vines from a craft store and use a hot glue gun to attach a pine cone.
Tousled hair
Bottle of wine (non-alcoholic option: apple or grape juice in a wine bottle)
Enter in one or more categories in The Witches Ball Costume Contest to be held on October 10th, 2009, Mill Race Village, Mount Holly, NJ. The contest is a fixture of The Witches Ball, being held this year for the ninth time.
Contestants should pre-register to enter. There is a $10.00 entry fee. Contestants may enter in additional categories for a $5.00 each per category.
The contest winner will receive a $500.00 grand prize.
I get a kick out of dressing up as a witch. I don’t like being an evil witch or a sexy witch–I like being a good witch. A goody-two-shoes witch who probably befriends unicorns and fairies and loves the color purple. I’m not so girly during the rest of the year, but my ‘I wanna be cute’ side tends to come out around Halloween. It’s likely because everyone else is trying to dress for slut-o-ween and I just want to be the rebel.
Convention Fans is giving away VIP tickets to the National Halloween Convention. The convention will take place in 2010 in Valley Forge, PA, and offers classes, a masquerade ball, a renaissance faire, and more. This is a great opportunity to show off your costumes, network with other costumers, and pick up some deals.
Renting a kilt is an excellent idea for groomsmen in a wedding party or for any man interested in displaying his Scottish heritage at a formal event.
The decision to rent versus purchase a kilt is dependent on the situation. For my recent wedding (left, Photo Credit:Kelly @ Convention Fans), my husband chose to purchase his kilt. He knew he would be wearing the kilt to other formal events and weddings as he hates to wear a suit and prefers to display his cultural heritage. However, had he needed the kilt for only one occasion, it would have been more cost-effective to rent the kilt. Rick also purchased his own shoes, socks, flashes (fabric which goes around the socks using a small garter) and sporran–or the “man purse” worn about the waist. The chain connecting his sporran is also custom made with United States Marine Corps insignia. (As a side note, the USMC has its own tartan.)
Our groomsmen rented their kilts from The Pipers Cove in New Jersey. They wore the Black Watch Tartan, which is a common and general military tartan. Since we won our wedding from NJWedding.com, we were able to order these on short notice in the appropriate sizes. If you’re looking for convenience when renting a kilt, consider a common tartan for availability.
Germans take their lederhosen very seriously, and lederhosen love is quickly becoming a rising trend here in the United States as well.
So what’s the appeal of lederhosen, particularly in America? They’re culturally identifiable, and items that are such usually garner popularity, like the kilt. People wearing culturally identifiable folk costume pieces are often considered approachable and knowledgeable about their garments.
My friend Stef is a Polish-American college student with a great interest in other cultures. She’s fallen in love with the German language–lederhosen and all. Traditionally worn in plain fashion by young boys and in more decorated fashion by Bavarian men (complete with embroidery), lederhosen are now part of a more international fashion statement, being not-so-subtly incorporated into male and female garments at fashion shows for attention.
Culturally, it seems, Americans tend to take ‘costuming’ in a very Halloween sense, at least according to some moustache and beard champions who compete internationally. Men competing from Germany, they say, show up in traditional folk costumes, such as painstakingly-embroidered lederhosen. (more…)
By now, we all know that I love men in kilts! After all, I did blog for an entire week on kilts, including a special blog about hot famous men who wear kilts. As much as I love some of those top men, such as Nathan Fillion, this list is all about kilts appearing in movies, and the hottest circumstances thereof.
Complaints about the lack of historical accuracy in costumes abound, particularly in criticism of historical films and television series. In general, there is also a lot of discussion about historical accuracy at renaissance faires and festivals and in specific groups.
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I’ve read some pretty creepy things about Santa Claus. Once I even saw a picture of a toothy, evil-fairy kind of Santa at the Winterthur Chrismas events. It seems, however, that Santa is based on a real priest who earned his way to Catholic sainthood. Regardless of others’ feelings on saints and religion and God, I think it’s pretty cool that one person could inspire such a timeless impact on the world. I think this happened for Santa Claus because the world needed a Santa.Today I was at a SEPTA station waiting for a train. I saw a weary traveler–literally a confused and rotund elf, probably a guy who didn’t make the cut to be a Santa-poser in the mall. He was so lost and probably had just finished working and wanted to get home to his family. I felt bad for him. I think he would have made a good Santa, for the record.The above picture is what Santa looks like to me. What is your vision of Santa?
