DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is upon us and the question on most Pres students’ minds after finding a date for the Black and White Ball is what costume to wear for Halloween this year. Whether you are looking for something fresh, willing to try something new or find yourself searching for that one of a kind, statement-making costume at the last minute due to all the projects piled on this semester, a do-it-yourself costume might be the route for you.

One of the toughest challenges that come with a DIY costume is actually choosing what to make. The best way to decide what you wish to wear is looking at your favorite movie, TV show or book characters and imagining you are a little kid again who would die to run around as their idol.

Take into account practicality when choosing the ideal costume. Unless you’re willing to pay a sizable amount of money in materials, spend a painstaking amount of time bent over a sewing machine or planning to wear the costume to competitions, then I suggest you not shoot for a detailed ball gown or extra-terrestrial costumes reminiscent of the Katy Perry video.

Closet costuming is also always a good bet. The trick to making a successful “closet costume” is creativity. Everyone would know you simply went to school in your pajamas unless you play it up and grab a pillow and some peace sign accessorizes to claim to be ‘resting in peace.’ If you need last minute blood, red food dye makes an excellent substitute; just remember that it doesn’t come off easy.

Many people have found that raiding your grandparent’s closet or the attic reveal a treasure trove of costume jewelry and antique clothing. Places like Goodwill and other second hand shops offer lots of gently used outfits that can be reworked into new fabulous costumes.

If you know someone who sews, a good idea is to ask them for direction in creating your dream fairy or princess costume. On Hillsdale Avenue; down Plummer past Foxworthy; you can find both Beverly’s Fabrics, which offers fabrics and patterns and one of the many Spirit Halloween stores. Using a pattern takes a lot of the guess work out of cutting fabric and fitting it to your size. If you aren’t a sewing aficionado, do not fear; the Internet has answers to all of your questions.

Halloween Costumes

As the Halloween season of mayhem and mischief swiftly approaches, many ponder their costumes for this year. Will you be the tried and true witch, monster, ghost or pumpkin? You could, but with the great crop of funny, scary and creative choices this year, maybe it’s time to try something a little new.

Party City, a retail outlet that specializes in costumes, reported on its website that this year’s costumes will be over the top because of consumers’ varying interests. Its top five list includes a range of music, movie and TV influences, which makes it pretty clear that pop culture continues to drive this once traditional holiday.

Coming in first place this year for the most desired costume is pop star Lady Gaga. This best selling recording artist and trendsetter is sure to be emulated by many teens this season. The most popular Lady Gaga costumes are that of her shiny black VMA performance dress and her futuristic mirror black and silver sequin dress.

In second place this year are the familiar vampires inspired by the Twilight saga and True Blood series. These vampires are very unlike those which our parents knew. Although still fanged, the modern vampires have a mysterious and sensitive side. This year many companies are debuting a new vampire costume which sparkles with electric lights in its ruffled black skirt.

Third place is claimed by a 1980s comeback prominently featuring Michael Jackson and the Material Girl era. The well-known eighties style is back with a vengeance, so prepare yourself for big hair, bright neon colors, lace gloves, leggings and acid-wash denim.

Jersey Shore and the iconic Snooki hold strong in fourth place. Don’t be surprised if you see costumes that display the outlandish dress and distinctive looks of MTV’s popular reality show. Many stores are now stocked with Snooki’s legendary leopard mini-dress, bump-it wig and orange-tinted bronzer.

Claiming fifth place this year are costumes based off of movie characters such as those from Robin Hood, Toy Story 3, and Alice and Wonderland. These new movies present a variety of costumes such as Neytiri from Avatar, a favorite costume for this Halloween season which consists of a blue striped bodysuit and a headdress. However, Star Wars costumes have always held first place within this category, even topping some film favorites such as Wizard of Oz and Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles.

No matter whether you wish to dress as the Lots ’O Hugging Bear from Toy Story 3 or Alice or the White Queen from Tim Burton’s recently released Alice in Wonderland, the costumes for this year surely guarantee a great day of tricks and treats.

Take our quiz to find out what your best bet for a costume would be for this year (that is if you haven’t already got one)!

Creepin’ Costumes: Costume Alternatives

Every Halloween, parties, the halls of Pres, and the streets of your neighborhood are filled with the usual witches, angels and devils, and provocative nurses, maids, waitresses, etc. For this year’s Halloween, take a look at some of these ideas to help create your best costume yet! Extra originality might pay off in extra candy.

Instead of the premade nurse’s costume ubiquitous in Halloween stores, try something a little less bare-legged and grab some scrubs, gloves, a surgical mask and a clipboard from a medical supply store. Add a clever name tag such as “Dr. Cutter” for some extra creativity points. You could also try to get the uniform from a store or restaurant (i.e. Starbucks or In-n-out) and dress up as an employee. If you can’t get one, you could always try to make your own! Red polo plus khaki pants equals Target!

Although we love them, let’s be honest, the Disney princesses and mainstream superheroes are a bit overdone. Think of a different character from a book, movie or your favorite TV show. For example, Ugly Betty-glasses, braces and all! Or maybe use a character from one of our childhood shows, such as Wilma Flintstone, Wednesday Addams or Arthur the aardvark! However, choose a character that would be recognizable from the costume. In other words don’t just wear your normal clothes and say you’re Bella from Twilight.

Even without all of the excitement from last year’s elections, there are still a lot of current events that could inspire your costume. You could be one of the many political figures, such as Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Sarah Palin. You could also pull from local news and dress up as the California fires, or you could use celebrity news and be someone like Kate Gosselin with a crazy haircut and eight baby dolls.

Plays on words also make very funny and clever costumes. Just think of a phrase or character and find a different way to interpret it. Wear a black cape and carry a broom and you’re “the Grim Sweeper.” Or be an “iron chef” by dressing up in an apron and chef hat and wearing the letters Fe, the chemical symbol for iron.

Going trick-or-treating with a group? You and your friends could be a famous group, such as the Brady Bunch, complete with totally awesome 70s-gear, the American Idol Judges, the Clue board game characters, or Santa and his elves. Or you could make your own group, such as a sports team, members of a band, street signs or the four seasons. So for this year, use some of these ideas, or let them inspire your own, but make sure to start thinking soon because Halloween’s just around the corner!