The Costumer

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?

Great news about Avatar: The Last Airbender costumes–they’re relatively easy to make in comparison to other costumes. This is the perfect costume idea for someone who wants to trade in that Harry Potter scar for a large blue arrow! Check out Hoshikaji’s amazing original Aang costume for an excellent idea of what this type of costume entails.

I think I’ve discovered the cutest infant Christmas costume ever–it’s a Christmas tree. No–it’s an air freshener! The most adorable part of this is the brand: “little tree.” This is a great costume for the winter months–it looks pretty warm and cozy. Just don’t confuse your baby with the tree (hint: trees do not cry).

Disclaimer: blogger receives compensation for revenue generated from sale of this costume from this page.

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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Ladies! Are you looking for an easy, last-minute Halloween costume on this fine Halloween day? You’re in luck if you like the series Firefly.

Kaylee, the mechanic on the show, is simply adorable. Her every day look is very utilitarian and the costume is inexpensive to put together. Here’s how you do it:

Overalls. Aboard Serenity, Kaylee usually wears overalls around.

Pink shirt. As pictured here, she usually pairs the rough overalls look with a girly shirt.

Work boots. Any old grungy work boots will do for this attire.

Parasol. To be recognized as Kaylee, pair your look with a parasol. If you head to an Asian-owned dollar store or into Chinatown (if there is one in your nearby city), you can find one very inexpensively. (more…)

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…)
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Want to go for a classic this Halloween? If you have the body for it, why  not consider the Superman/Supergirl costume?

Noted for the spandex, these costumes are sure to attract both recognition and attention.

Female versions come available in slut and non-slut version depending on whether you’d like to celebrate Halloween or Slutoween (actually, the costume manufacturers like to think that all women under a 16 want to bare their midriff during the late fall season, because only the plus-sized version offers coverage). (more…)

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.”

See pictures of the winning costumes on the Witches Ball site. (more…)

We all know that sex sells just about everything. As the eternal debate goes on regarding Halloween versus Slutoween, it seems that a San Diego costume store had to remove some tasteless Halloween costumes which were flaunting more than a few innuendos (Source: NBC San Diego). Well, if Dracula ‘receiving his pleasure’ is just a bit too risque for you, you could always try being H1N1 swine flu or Michael Jackson complete with crotch grab.

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…)

Maybe you’ve seen adult women wearing cat costumes before–cute ears, black leotard, tail…after a while, they all look the same.

One of my favorite costumers took it to the next level. When I first met Grace at a LARP, I noticed that she was not afraid to select makeup or costume-intensive races.

She designed this original costume (left, below) for a LARP. Such a costume is also worthy of other events and celebrations such as Halloween.

I asked Grace some questions about her amazing cat costume and her involvement in LARP (live action role playing).

Q: How did you get the idea for this costume?

A: Over the years I’ve seen the quality of costuming for the LARP community dwindle. I’m originally from Georgia and started LARPing when I was only 16. I wanted to recreate some of the awesome artistic creations that I remembered from my first days of LARPing and to also show people that it was possible with just a little effort to make something that really sets a scene. I’m all about immersion.

Q: How long did it take to make?

A: The Scale breastplate took me about a two weeks, admittedly I didn’t have a job at the time and the scale can be tedious; it takes patience to accomplish.The costume itself was completed in a matter of hours spread over a few weeks to allow for drying and time constraints.

Q: Where did you get the materials?

A: Scale: www.theringlord.com
Bodysuit: amazon.com
Paints: a local arts store
Mask: www.northfur.ca

Q: Did you use any ‘how to’ resources when trying to figure out how to make your vision?

A: I did not. Everything I did I had in my mind and I simply made it look the way I wanted, though I still have few changes that I want to make to my end design.

Q: What’s your favorite part about the costume?

A: I really like what the costume does for me. It allows me to put it on and really feel like my character. As I said previously, I’m really into character immersion. (more…)