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Costume Memories: Halloween, Masquerades, Conventions Or Dress-Up


tribeca
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What were some of best and worst costumes you have seen or worn through the years.

    When my sister and I were very young our grandmother made us witch costumes which I think we wore for many years since they were so "cool".

     My worst costumes was a few years ago when I gained weight & bought a hippie momma costume.  Hated it and donated it the night after our annual Halloween party.

     Worst I have seen (on TV anyway) patient zero.  

Best at Halloween party guy made himself look like a building with a gorilla actually climbing up the side.  It also lit up. Yes he won first place.

Personal best and worst: When I was 9 or 10, my aunt dressed me up as my uncle lmao. Put me in one of his work shirts, drew a mustache on my face, and sent me on my way. Awful costume, but it's my favorite one to talk about :)

A friend of mine was showing me pics from a Halloween party he went to a couple years ago. There was this guy in a white t-shirt that had all these squares on it...he was 50 Shades of Grey LOL

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I'll let you decide whether this was a best or worst: One year I attended a party as Jeffrey Dahmer. The costume itself was easy - Nerdy 70s clothes, nerdy 70s haircut, wimpy mustache, and my glasses, all topped off with one of those "Hello, my name is..." name-tags.

 

The thing that made it work was that I walked around the party carrying a great big bowl of moss-green meat in nasty looking brownish glop with icky stringy bits and a couple of plastic eyeballs, and I encouraged all and sundry to try it. Fully half of the people I offered it to moved away from me very quickly. The other half tried it and loved it. For the record, it was teriyaki stir-fry beef with green food coloring, oyster sauce, and green onions. A number of people that I met that night remembered me as "Jeffrey" forever afterward.

 

I still have the eyeballs. One of them is taped to the top of my monitor like some sort of webcam.

 

Yes, I have a dark sense of humor. Why do you ask?

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I live in a cold climate so, as a kid (and an adult) warmth was a necessary consideration. My favorite was the year the temperature dropped near freezing and it was raining. I went as Debbie Armstrong (a famous Olympic skiier from the PacNW.) I got to wear my full ski gear including long johns, waterproof parka, a hat, and super warm gloves. I have never been warmer or drier on Halloween.

Edited by BabyVegas
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I'm late to the conversation but I wanted to tell about my favorite costumes. I'm not one to dress up. I think it stems from being a kid, my parents were alcoholics and never bought or made me a costume so all I ever had was what I could come up with myself.

Anyway, my favorite costumes were the ones I made my kids. My daughter was 4 and my son was 2 and a half. I hit the thrift stores and bought a tiny robe, suspenders and some other things. The total was less than 9 dollars.

I put a hat, some whiskers, suspenders and a button down shirt on my daughter and stuffed the shirt to give her a pot belly. I put the robe, some curlers attached to a hair net, some red lipstick and dark blusher on my son and they went as an old couple.

They seriously looked like a tiny old man and woman. Everybody thought my daughter was a boy and vice versa.

They won the costume contests at a local party we went to, at my work party and at their daycare.

They wore the costumes for 2 years.

They are 28 and 30 now. I miss those days.

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My best costume I would say was actually a few years ago when I dressed as a Hogwart's student. I was volunteering to hand out candy for children in the mall. And I being a poor college student had to come up with stuff that I already had. Since I'm a big fan, I have a Hogwarts sweater like what they wear in the movies, a wand and a plastic time-turner. All the kids got what I was supposed to be but not all the parents lol.

 

The best I've seen wasn't for Halloween was a guy dressed as Snape. He totally had the attitude right too. Or my friend's dad that was the dad from the Incredibles for Halloween.

Edited by blueray
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(edited)

I seem to remember that as a kid, all of my friends and me (myself?) would dress up either as hippies, witches or gypsies.  Those were easy costumes to make.  I think my younger brother and sister always used bought costumes (skeleton, Superman, bunny rabbit, etc.).  I don't know if any of my costumes as an adult were particularly elaborate or great, but I had fun (and no one at my friend's annual Halloween party did any better, so I was good).  One year the theme was 'come as your worst nightmare' and I went as a drowning victim from the Titanic  (I had ankle boots, a longish skirt, blouse with puffed sleeves and I used makeup to make my face pale and put grayish circles under my eyes.  I also pinned bits of fake aquarium plants all over my to represent seaweed. I had a Styrofoam wreath base that I put--using black electrical tape--'R.M.S. Titanic' on it for my life preserver.   I went as Ripley from 'Aliens' one year.  I wore khaki-colored mechanic's jumpsuit, black boots and put product in my hair (which was short although dirty blonde) to get that 'sweaty' look.  I had a friend who loaned me a bandolier (I think that's what it was called) that used to hold bullets that I slung over my shoulder and I took two toy rifles and taped them together to make them look like one big gun.  One of the easiest was when I wore white pants and a white t-shirt and pinned all kinds of things to my front and back, such as to-do lists, messages, photos, childish artwork, a stray sock, etc.  I was a bulletin board (or possibly a refrigerator, but I wasn't as large as one!)  However, the most comfortable one I ever wore was when (I forgot the theme) I wore a long flannel nightgown (over shorts and a t-shirt), bows in my hair, big pink fluffy slippers and carried a teddy bear (I was supposed to be a toddler ready for bed).  

Edited by BooksRule
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My husband and I went to a Halloween party a few years ago as ourselves from 1985. It was pretty awesome. I did the big hair, blue eyeshadow, leg warmers, and all the rest. He did a whole hair metal thing complete with a long blond wig and black eyeliner. His high school buddies told me that's pretty much what he looked like in high school.

 

I took my stepdaughter to a Halloween carnival thing at her elementary school once. I saw a kid there dressed up as Santa Claus. So he was either a really cool kid with an awesomely weird sense of humor, or it was the saddest thing ever because he had to come up with a costume at the last minute, and all he could find was a Santa suit.

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One memory of Halloween I have from a few years back- that day I dressed up as a doll. I had a flight out that evening, and I kept my false lashes on and my hair in high pigtail braids...but I changed into normal clothes and wiped most makeup off. In the airport bathroom, a woman came up to me and said,

"I think it is so brave and confident of you to wear your hair exactly how you want. Forget everyone else! You've really inspired me to be proud of my personal style!" She was completely serious. I said thank you and went on my way....even though I don't always do that, hey, I did decide to keep it silly looking for the flight. Didn't want to rain on her parade.

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Back when I was young and just beginning to hone my smart-ass skills, I went as Ray Handley, the highly unpopular replacement for Bill Parcells after he left the Giants. The upside was that with my limited resources I was able wear my glasses, use a Giants hat I already owned, and really only had to purchase only a version of this sharp number (it was the style at the time). I finished it off with a pair of over the ear headphones and a clipboard with the game plan of 1st down: Run left. 2nd down: Run right. 3rd Down: Try some kind of pass. 4th: Punt.

My best costume I would say was actually a few years ago when I dressed as a Hogwart's student. I was volunteering to hand out candy for children in the mall. And I being a poor college student had to come up with stuff that I already had. Since I'm a big fan, I have a Hogwarts sweater like what they wear in the movies, a wand and a plastic time-turner. All the kids got what I was supposed to be but not all the parents lol.

 

The best I've seen wasn't for Halloween was a guy dressed as Snape. He totally had the attitude right too. Or my friend's dad that was the dad from the Incredibles for Halloween.

I dressed up as Hermione two years ago. I had a Dracula cape that I used as a robe. I wore a black vest with button up shirt underneath and a shortish black skirt with tights and loafers. I actually own a Hogwarts scarf so I used that as a neck tie. I took a sand minute timer from a board game and tied string around it to serve as a time turner. I picked a stick out of the yard to serve as a wand. I took a brown paper bag and wrapped a hard cover book in it and wrote, Hogwarts: A History across the front and spine. My hair is naturally brown, curly and bushy like Hermiones. It was free and looked pretty rad!

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The activity committee at the university library where I work decided (On Wednesday, at the last minute of course) to have a Halloween 'Open House' tomorrow.  We will be handing out candy and popcorn (we have our own big popcorn machine on wheels) to the few students who are around on Fridays.  Staff are encouraged to wear costumes as long as we can still continue to work without being too distracting.  I was going to dress up like a 'crazy cat lady' (but not with the usual ratty robe, slippers and curlers that you associate with a CCL, but just with jeans, t-shirt).  I planned to pin little plush cats/kittens all over me and carry a bigger stuffed cat.  I found out yesterday that you can probably find plush cats at every store that you would think would carry them except when you are in a hurry to find some.  So, I'm going with my second choice, which is a variation of my 'bulletin board' costume.  I have a pair of black pants and I picked up a black t-shirt at the store after work today.  I'm pinning mismatched socks all over them along with a few single keys.  If I can find a couple of old pairs of glasses or sunglasses before I go to work tomorrow I'll hang those from my collar.  I will represent the 'black hole where your socks, lost keys and sunglasses disappear to.'  Simple, but still comfortable.

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Very creative, but who will get it without you having to explain?

 

As for me, and I know it's lame, I'm still waiting to be invited to a party so I could go as a witch. I know, I know, but I have the perfect features to carry it :=) Sadly, I'm curently living in a country where Halloween is very low key and I'm just going to hand out candy to the few kids in my brace enough to go for it. And I'm prepared! 

A costume idea I saw online was to get a package of "Hello My Name is..."  stickers that people hand out for meetings.   Write different names on them, stick them all over you, and go as "Identity Theft".     My kind of costume - easy and cheap.

 

I remember some of the costumes we had when we were kids - bum (old clothes, smudges on your face, raggedy hat)  and Chinaman (kimono, pointed straw hat).  Those would not be appropriate today.      But then I see the costume stores, and the weirdly sexual, gross "adult"  costumes they have on display.  I wonder how the Halloween stores justify having kids roam through aisles where "costumes"  depict bestiality, nudity, prostitution, etc.   It's a weird world we live in.

I'm not sure what my favorite/best costume is, but I know my worst.  Back in high school, a friend decided to have a last-minute party, so I put on a plaid flannel shirt, cutoff shorts, and a pair of hiking boots.  Then I drew a big red clown smile on my face.

 

I was a Happy Camper.  *groan*

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I was roommates with a really good friend years ago. For Halloween once he borrowed a blue bridesmaid dress I'd worn in a wedding a few years earlier. Then he covered his face, neck, and arms in red grease paint, added horns and makeup, and was The Devil in a Blue Dress. Most awesome costume ever.

Though Halloween is on Monday, all the parties will be this weekend, which means folks who enjoy dressing up are frantically piecing their costumes together. Are you one of them, or are you contented by the memories of masquerades gone by? Did you ever see a really cool look at a theme party or while Trick r Treating? Are you of the opinion that dressing up is only for tiny tots? What's the best and worst look you've ever worn? What's the most and least you've ever spent?

 

Discuss!

Edited by DisneyBoy
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After two Superbowl championships, Bill Parcells left the NY Giants before the 1991 season. Defensive coordinator Bill Belichick (that guy) either wasn't offered the job or knew enough not to want follow in Parcells's footprints, so the Giants gave the job to the Running Backs coach Ray Handley.

As you might expect after losing such a powerful presence at the head of the team, the Giants were nowhere near as good in 1991, and the vast majority of blame fell on new head coach Ray Handley. He was also fighting an uphill battle with the fans and media because he was nowhere as interesting a personality as Parcells. On top of all that in 1991 from the fashion sense there was some seriously questionable NFL official gear, and there was one that Handley wore a couple games that was, well, see for yourself

So that year for Halloween I already wore glasses, so I just threw on that shirt, Giants hat, pair of stereo headphones, and carried around a clipboard with the Giants "game plan" which was essential me writing down, 1st down, run left for 1 yard. 2nd down, incomplete pass. 3rd down, draw play for 4 yards. 4th down, punt.

It was a big hit. 

Funny thing is, check out this tweet from 2013.  My genius needs to be acknowledged outside of my own mind dammit.

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7 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Funny thing is, check out this tweet from 2013.  My genius needs to be acknowledged outside of my own mind dammit.

I know very little about football, but ... acknowledged!

My rare adult costumes have always been "whatever's in the house" and this wasn't super creative or anything, but I once wore an outfit that consisted of baggy sweats, bathrobe and slippers, hair in curlers, a green mud mask all over my face, and a small throw pillow tied around my stomach. If that wasn't clear, I added a sign around my neck: "Every man's nightmare." The only funny part was that other party goers actually thought I was pregnant and 2 or 3 of them seriously frowned at me because I was drinking. I took to shifting the pillow widely side to side and up and down, then untied my robe to remove it. See?!

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One year when I was a kid I went trick or treating as a table lamp.

I'm pretty sure this was my idea.  I have no idea why on Earth I decided on that costume.

We cut out a cardboard table top for around my waist.  Added a table cover.  Affixed a solo cup (before the song).  Put on a sweatshirt and stuffed it to get that lamp base shape.  Got a hard hat (my Dad's) and attached a lampshade and a battery operated light. 

Didn't need a flashlight that year.

Had totally forgotten about that.  I wonder if there are pictures.   There must be.

I was a weird kid.  And I definitely picked up my Dad's sense of humor.  And now that I think about it, that lamp whose shade I temporarily borrowed in the 80s is in my office.  Its  a hand me down from one of my parents moves.  Inside joke? I wonder.  I was planning to send it to goodwill.  Now I'll have to keep it for remembrances sake.  

If I ever admit to putting that lampshade on my head when I'm feeling middle aged and want to remember my youth, someone lock me up.  That means I'm thinking about it.  Yep, still weird:)

1 hour ago, lordonia said:

I know very little about football, but ... acknowledged!

My rare adult costumes have always been "whatever's in the house" and this wasn't super creative or anything, but I once wore an outfit that consisted of baggy sweats, bathrobe and slippers, hair in curlers, a green mud mask all over my face, and a small throw pillow tied around my stomach.

I immediately pictured "Heleeeewwwww!!" aka Mrs. Doubtfire.

Love the table and lampshade! How weird and funny...

I have to say, I feel intense pity for whichever couples drop 150$ for those cheapo couples costumes you see at the Halloween stores, like Salt & Pepper shakers, or Electrical Socket & Plug. Really?

Also tired of: girls with cat ears (copout much?)

On 06/01/2016 at 7:23 AM, Demented Daisy said:

I'm not sure what my favorite/best costume is, but I know my worst.  Back in high school, a friend decided to have a last-minute party, so I put on a plaid flannel shirt, cutoff shorts, and a pair of hiking boots.  Then I drew a big red clown smile on my face.

 

I was a Happy Camper.  *groan*

Ha! That's adorable.

 

Quote

I found out yesterday that you can probably find plush cats at every store that you would think would carry them except when you are in a hurry to find some.  

Friends trying to dress up as Medusa have learned the exact same lesson various times over with rubber snakes.

When I as a kid one year my mother dressed me as a Geisha. I was pretty excited about Halloween (still am) .Anyway, at many houses we went to , the people would give me candy and say, "is that you, Mark?" They thought I was a dude! Apparently I looked like a boy named Mark. (I'm a female.) Kind of bummed me out.

Uggggh, I am usually, if I do say so myself, super-good at Halloween. But this year, I am just stumped as to what to do.

Some previous years' getups:

  • "Lucifer Ricardo": found a Goodwill dress and stuff like the Vitameatavegemin episode and some devil accessories.
  • Batgirl: made it from scratch of stretchy purple velvety fabric.
  • Living Dead Girl from the Rob Zombie video: came out fabulous, even though I had to start with a bagged Halloween-store costume (I hate head-to-toe store-bought costumes!) because I couldn't find the right dress at a Goodwill.
  • Tippi Hedren from The Birds, complete with bloody crows affixed to my bedraggled hair.
  • Blood-covered Little Red Riding Hood, with a severed wolf head in my basket (a werewolf mask, also doused in blood--it made me sad!).
  • Alice Cooper in Wonderland.

Once, I made myself laugh so hard because I (thought I) came up with "sexy lady Freddy Krueger." I thought I would be mocking the "sexy" crap at Halloween stores, while also being a big old ghoul, and that it would be really fun to make it myself. Then I realized that everything in the world is a "sexy" Halloween costume already and it just wasn't fun anymore, man.

 


 

Edited by TattleTeeny
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If you like blood, the best costume I ever saw was one in a prisoner orange suit, with fake arm and face tattoos, heavy makeup and dried blood as if it had streamed from the eyes. The makeup artist was magnificent.

Otherwise, the Dracula mystique is always a classic, as is the Adams family.

Let us know what you go for now that we are invested! 

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Man, I wish I was good at makeup and that I didn't hate the feel of long-wearing lipstick! I did OK for Living Dead Girl--just copied the picture of Sheri Zombie and didn't even need any pale foundation, haha!

I might head out to Goodwill tomorrow to see if anything looks good to create a Lola dress out of. Not sure if I want young Lola, who'd have the blood splatters (in my version anyway) or old banged-up, has-been, drunk Lola. I think a combination might be in order, as a ruined dress and old, rotten yellow feathers seem more fun, but I could still have my beloved blood! And I think a feather boa might be in order!

Edited by TattleTeeny
16 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Man, I wish I was good at makeup and that I didn't hate the feel of long-wearing lipstick! I did OK for Living Dead Girl--just copied the picture of Sheri Zombie and didn't even need any pale foundation, haha!

I might head out to Goodwill tomorrow to see if anything looks good to create a Lola dress out of. Not sure if I want young Lola, who'd have the blood splatters (in my version anyway) or old banged-up, has-been, drunk Lola. I think a combination might be in order, as a ruined dress and old, rotten yellow feathers seem more fun, but I could still have my beloved blood! And I think a feather boa might be in order!

 

OOOOOh, a feather boa, that is a new ball game! With blodod, still? I think there are a few characters you could recreate, or invent, then. (The boa is super exciting, I must say!!!). Have fun, and please report back!

Edited by NutMeg
"bell game" made no sense
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Oh, thank you! I was SO bummed this morning when I couldn't think of what to do. Then my cheesy and eclectic taste in music fixed me right up! I just have to figure out how to make sure I get it right so I don't have to explain myself at parties! I guess I could always employ the "Hello, My Name Is" tag that someone up there mentioned. With blood on it!

21 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

Well you bloodied up Lucy Ricardo and my thought was to have Julie from The Love Boat From Bloody/Vampy Waters or something ridiculous. And the clipboard would have creepy/sexy things on it. No worries, haha I thought you took innocent things and bloodied them up. 

Have your partner go as Barry Manilow's Copa Cobana album so the Lola reference is there and not Showgirl? Charo? etc. 

I am hoping to but he's a musician (I kind of wanted to be Jack and Wendy Torrance with him) and is usually working on nights that parties happen. Sometimes it's a bar and I go with my friends, but other times, someone has a party, so we part ways for the night. And because he sometimes gets hired only a day or two before a gig, I never know if I should bother creating a costume for him. And while he likes to go to Halloween stores, his backward ass doesn't even get excited about costumes! What is this person? Anyway, I wanted to maybe make him a double costume split down the middle to be both Rico and Tony (maybe he could solve the age-old "mystery" of "just who shot who?" I'm no detective but my guess is that the one who isn't shot is the person who shot the one who is!).

Your Julie idea reminds me of how my friends and I used to combine things into Halloween costumes: we had a Darth Waiter (a Darth Vader outfit, plus a TGI Fridays shirt covered with Star Wars buttons), Admiral SnackBar (another Star Wars costume and mask, topped off with one of those old-fashioned paper hats, and my friend made one of those shoulder-strap trays), Jewbacca (my friend hated his Chewie gloves because they hindered his ability to scoop a chip into dip!), and a non-Star Wars one, FrankEinstein (Frankenstein monster costume with a lightbulb affixed to his head and "E=MC²" written on his shirt). Oh, and Snookie Stackhouse, a Merlotte's T-shirt and waitress gear and a big poofy black wig and very orange makeup.

Edited by TattleTeeny
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Quote

Last year, I had a gray dress that I sewed some grey tulle around, and Put a toy shark on a headband, so I was Sharknado.

My friend also went the Sharknado route, but he somehow constructed a physical cyclone around his body using cotton balls and wire, I suppose. He was the shark, with one of those foam shark masks on his head. It was highly amusing.

 

On 04/03/2017 at 2:02 PM, ari333 said:

When I as a kid one year my mother dressed me as a Geisha. I was pretty excited about Halloween (still am) .Anyway, at many houses we went to , the people would give me candy and say, "is that you, Mark?" They thought I was a dude! Apparently I looked like a boy named Mark. (I'm a female.) Kind of bummed me out.

LOL - something tells me the entire neighborhood thought Mark was gay. Imagine - Mark shows up to school and everyone's either hassling him or saying they support him. Meanwhile he's like ?!!??

 

Anyways, I'm in the middle of three costume ideas that have been coming together slowly over the last year. My trouble is that all of my Halloween-loving friends are starting to get knee-deep into their careers or their marriages or having children. I love Halloween because I dress up as things that I think are cool, and the people who know me are accepting of that and get it. When you start to lose the companionship of those friends on Halloween, then you have to go to parties filled with people you don't know, who will judge you solely on your costume. I have no problem meeting new people and I'm never ashamed of my Halloween costumes, but it's just not as fun without those people around you who know how much you love said character or movie. Inevitably, when I run into these people who I only met on Halloween, they remember me for what my costume was and their feelings about me are usually their feelings about said character or costume. I wonder how often women go through that kind of thing? If you dress up as a sexy nurse for Halloween, does everyone just think you're a slut when they meet you the rest of the year?

Anyways, I just hope that some of the people I know and love will be interested in doing something this Halloween cuz right now it's not looking good. And no, I've never dressed as a sexy nurse, LOL!

Edited by DisneyBoy

Is it possible for a costume to be so terrible that it becomes amazing? What is that even called? Terrazing? Amazible?

Sexy Handmaid's Tale.

https://jezebel.com/i-dont-know-how-to-feel-about-this-sexy-handmaiden-cost-1829204492

See the Sexy Eleven from Stranger Things in the comments.

Sexy Hannibal Lecter?

https://www.yandy.com/Silent-One-Costume.php

As always, Yandy is your go to place for horrible sexy costumes.

If I dress up, I tend to go for puns or political jokes: t-shirt with Chad on it and a pillow stuffed in the belly--pregnant chad, a slip with cigars, tunnels, holes, bananas, mountains, geysers, and quotes pinned to it--Freudian slip, and a binder full of women.

Edited by HunterHunted
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11 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Is it possible for a costume to be so terrible that it becomes amazing? What is that even called? Terrazing? Amazible?

Sexy Handmaid's Tale.

https://jezebel.com/i-dont-know-how-to-feel-about-this-sexy-handmaiden-cost-1829204492

 

1

I call this one "taking a shit on feminism."

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