The Costumer

Sometimes the right accessory can make or break a costume. How could you be the Wicked Witch of the West without being green? Similarly, how could you be Harry Potter without his trademark glasses?

Glasses are an excellent costume accessory. People who don’t usually wear glasses often secretly desire an opportunity to wear them (I tend to think it’s overrated, considering I’ve always needed glasses or contacts). They can definitely give an edge to the right costumes.

Costumes which require glasses:

• Bono from U2
• Harry Potter
• Buddy Holly

Where to get them

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I knew it was too good to be true. The real name of “Balloon Boy” is Falcon. You know, like the bird that flies in the sky? I think this whole hoax was something a long time in the making. I bet his parents named him Falcon with this in mind!

Conspiracy theories aside, “Balloon Boy” will make a great Halloween Costume this year.

To purchase or create the Balloon Boy costume,  check these resources:

• Flying Saucer Halloween Costume
• Spaceship Halloween Costume (more…)

Are you ’sick’ of all the hype surrounding the H1N1 swine flu strain? Looking for a funny, inexpensive costume? Maybe you think the tasteless Michael Jackson costume is just a bit too extreme. Feel free to issue protest during Halloween by representing the swine flu.

There are a few ways to be the swine flu for Halloween. The easiest way involves purchasing a swine flu kit, which comes complete with pig nose.

 If you have a bit more money to spend, you can go all out with the below pig costume. For a couples or friend costume idea, go with a sneezy person in pajamas! (more…)

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.

Other True Blood costumes such as Maryann the Maenad and Lafayette Reynolds are pretty popular this year.

Check out my previous blog entry on how to make a vampire costume on a low budget!

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.

3) Twilight Costumes. Fans of Bella and Edward? ‘Twilighting’ is very popular this year due to the book series and films. Kelly at Convention Fans alerted me to the fact that Hot Topic is selling Edward Cullen costumes!

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.

5) Dysfunctional Celebrities: Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears. The costumes are cheap and easy. Plus, they might look funny on a class clown kinda guy. (more…)

Still looking for an inexpensive Halloween costume? If you’re low on money but have a fair amount of time and creativity, Harvey Dent/Two-Face is an excellent costume idea. Even if others don’t know about Two-Face (i.e., they were under a rock when Dark Knight came out), the costume is still an awesome effect. This is also a great idea if you are looking for a group costume idea and want to go as characters from Batman.

Here are the necessary elements:

Double-sided clothing. Acquire two used or unwanted suits–they should look strikingly different. Cut everything down the middle to split in half, then sew together. Guys should pay careful attention to the crotch of the pants for comfortability. I recommend using pants a size too big to make sure there’s enough space after you sew the pants together. Be sure to include a tie. A dress shirt is pretty easy to make–sew the shirts together at the back. Make sure you include one shirt with buttons and one with button holes so you do not have to worry about sewing the front together. Shoes and socks are simple. Try wearing one black dress shoe and another brown. Coordinate socks to match. (more…)

Han Solo–he’s sexy and he makes the ladies swoon. Plus, he’s sarcastic and great with a blaster rifle. If you’re a guy looking for an inexpensive, easy costume (or if you’re just looking to get laid), consider being Star Wars sensation Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford). This is also a great costume idea if your female partner wants to go as Princess Leia. This is a no-hassle costume.

Han is not only a heartthrob,  he’s also very practical. His outfit consists of:

• Black boots
• Black pants
• 70s style cream colored shirt (second hand stores usually carry these en masse)
• Simple black vest
• Attache belt and weapons holster, complete with blaster rifle (more…)

The Beatles are still immensely popular, and this year they are making a comeback (as though their popularity ever went away). With the release of their digitally remastered complete collection and Beatles Rock Band (I am taking the day off of work to play it), fans are certainly planning their Beatles Halloween costumes.

Check out the links below for some looks to suit any Beatles era!

Lafayette Reynolds is stylish, flamboyant, and emotional. In True Blood, he has a sensitively dark aura which only adds to the intrigue of his background and future.

Lafayette’s wardrobe is extremely important. While we all dress according to our moods, Lafayette is very expressive. After difficult and dark events, he tends to wear black. When in a carefree mood, he is seen wearing tie dye.

To dress as Lafayette for Halloween (or perhaps a character party), consider being part of a True Blood costume group for full effect.

Here’s how to rock the costume: (more…)

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)
• Leafy crown
• Crude looking (fake) exotic animal skins or pelts

Maryann Forrester - True Blood’s Maenad (more…)

Ghostbusters Halloween costumes–sounds like a great idea, right? They even have separate costumes for men and women. As a female, I love that idea–store-bought men’s costumes never seem to fit properly, so it’s usually beneficial to have another option.

As a child of the 80s, I love the Ghostbusters. It sparked my early (if comedic) interest in the paranormal which is now socially acceptable enough to mention on a public forum.

Furthermore, what a great group and/or couples costume this would be! The Ghostbusters always go out in a team, so it would work well. I’m sure you could conjure up a Slimer costume for any accompanying children, as well.

After thinking this idea was great, I checked out the costumes:

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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.

Categories as follows:

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ANDY REID and JOE BANNER’S EPIC FAIL

The Philadelphia Eagles signed convicted animal abuser Michael Vick to their team. Vick, who served time for fighting, drowning, and torturing pit bulls, formerly played as the Falcons’ quarterback. After seeing some recent good luck with the Phillies (a championship team), Philadelphia now seems due for some bad luck thanks to this monumentally poor decision.

Philadelphia fans, often accused of being fickle, now have an obvious reason to turn away from supporting their team.

The Costumer’s professional advice? Don’t condone a team that supports animal abusers–or even the NFL, which permitted the team to sign Vick. Trash your Eagles jerseys. Instead, support a team worth supporting: The Phillies.

 Original Sources:

•  CNN.com: Agent: Michael Vick Signs With Philadelphia Eagles

• PhiladelphiaEagles.com