31 Days of Halloween : Out of the Closet, Auntie Wicked’s DIY Costumes.
- AuntieWicked
- Oct 9, 2010
- 5 min read
Out of the Closet :
Auntie Wicked’s DIY Costumes.
(Fabulous, Easy, Halloween.)
I can only remember a handful of times when I had a store-bought costume. The first time I was SO exited to have one! It was like a treasure box that had taunted me, character masks staring empty eyed, nothing but rolls waiting to be filled. The first I CLEARLY remember the utter THRILL of, was when Mom bought my Wonder Woman Costume.
My excitement didn’t last long. The mask fit strangely, my nose didn’t fit right in the mask. The plastic hole to breath through was too small (and cut my tongue, since I couldn’t resist poking it through the tiny little hole). I felt like Darth Vader in a plastic coffin. The vinyl body-bit was a glorified trash bag, but with this horrid stench to it that made me feel NOTHING like the Queen of the Amazons. I still hate the smell of new shower curtains, for the same reason.I said nothing, but it was uncomfortable, strange, and unpleasant. From then on, I asked for home-made costumes every time, and tried to never act embarrassed at their off colors, and incongruous materials. In fact, after a while, I got down right proud. The next year I was the Tooth Fairy Princess, and it was still the best costume EVAR with a tall hat and lace veil.
Even into adulthood, the idea of store-bought costumes seemed silly to me. When I reached my 20’s it was becoming hugely popular to buy ‘adult’ costumes, which to me seemed like stuff out of the back of a Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogue. Each piece of cheaply made, ass-showing, porno-star was not only a turn off, but it was HUGELY expensive. My store-bought Halloween costume diminished even further, and I continued to cobble my costumes out of concept, thrift-store finds, and make-up.I won’t villianise you if you want to buy your costumes online, I’m sure that for some people its the soul of Halloween, or even fun, however, AS your Auntie Wicked, I will ASSURE YOU that Halloween costumes can be done inexpensively, and often with nothing more than the makeup you have, and some cloths in your closet!And you are thinking, AUNTIE WICKED! I DON’T BELIEVE THAT HALLOWEEN CAN BE EASY! So I will show you a small collection of -my- favorite costumes!And you are thinking, AUNTIE WICKED! I DON’T BELIEVE THAT HALLOWEEN CAN BE EASY! So I will show you a small collection of -my- favorite costumes!
I start by thinking about the characters, the shapes, the makeup. I like to choose apt characters for the shape of the people, their faces, and even personalities! (for instance, one year I tried to convince my friend to be Uncle Fester, not because he was a fat bald guy, but because he was funny, expressive, and had crazy eyes and a TOTAL Fester personality!)
Case #1 – The Addam’s Family :
We started by playing with gender, reaching a visual gag as well as a comfortable state of Character with Boi being willowy Morticia, and me being stocky dark-eyed Gomez. Our friend Lurch was simply tall with striking features that lended well to the Lurch Look.The costumes are ALL castoffs from thrift stores. Two blazers (one tails, one pinstripe), two pairs of pants, and the velvet dress, which I modified slightly by making the sleeves tight, and adding fringe made from shredded fishnet and t-shirt material. (a bit of sewing to fancy it up!)Our very pale skin is a make-up illusion. I hate to use the heavy white clown style theater makeup from the Halloween Isle because its SO fussy, and really hard to coax. My solution is a bottle of the palest makeup they have in the foundation Section of the drug store (usually ‘Ivory’ does the trick). Combo that with a translucent powder, and dramatic dark colors, and Voilà!!! it makes you look undead pale.
Case #2 – The Crow
Speaking of make-up, His foundation is just ivory makeup (with translucent powder over it), black eyeliner, and a deep purply-brown around the oculars to make him look undead. (with of course the characteristic sad clown marks, but thin and subtle).The Concept of the Crow for me is quite close to that Mid-90’s Goth, just before it got super main-stream. I evoked the shape of the character by layering two layers of fishnet, leather trousers, and keeping his shape slim. The Long Coat was a borrow, and we did it all without having to spell it out for anyone by wrapping him up in electrical tape. (Not that it didn’t help me that the subject had a Brandon Lee ‘Type’ to him. )
Case #3 – Miskalaney:
The Marilyns : This is from ‘Idea List of Costumes’. This is a list I keep in the note-pad of my computer. You know how you get a great idea for a costume a week after Halloween? Yeah. I keep a list for that (My ideas, other people’s ideas, websites, etc.).The idea was Marilyn Monroe and Marilyn Manson (a couples costume). What was important about Monroe? Blond hair. White shadow. Shimmery dress (This one was an on sale rack buy from ages ago, well under 30 dollars). Manson was scary eyes, long arms, tall boots. I made one expensive concession with the Demonia boots for Manson, but it was well worth it, and as you will see in the pictures, we’ve gotten endless use out of them!
I think you get the idea! Here’s a small sampling of our other fabulous Halloweens (and costume Events!!!) Queen of Hearts (think : RED, velvet, crown, Red lips), The Mad Hatter (His hat is from Walmart of all things, the concept was lots of color, primary, contrasting, hints of royalty with the purple, then a modern twist with the tall boots and shiny pants), Mad Scientist and Capt’n Josh (I can only take credit for the Pirate Outfit, but Grim put together his own thrifty Mad Science outfit with clever DIY and thrifty online purchases. The Pirate outfit was just scraps of closet diving shoved together in marvelous result!), and Vampire/Slayer was another couple’s outfit made of makeup and whatever was in my closet!
Now, unless you have your OWN Auntie to help YOU with YOUR costume, here are some internet resources for figuring out what to be, whether you are on a tight budget, lazy, or are like me, and just HATE the thought of being one of twenty slutty Princesses at the Halloween party!
Now you may or may not be an amateur sewing-artist, but Threadbangers and Indestructibles have everything from Advanced Home Made costume making videos, to throw a sheet on with eyes cut in it How To’s!
Here are some of my favorite Halloween Makeups from stuff you probably already have in your makeup box (or can get for cheap).
(I also highly recommend MissChievous’s other videos.)
Now good luck Halloweenies! Get to thinking on what GHOUL you’d like to be this Holiday Season! And remember if you have questions about ANY of this leave a reply on this, or follow the Aunties Blogazine on radial internet presences :
the2aunties@gmail.com
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See Also : Lumi’s Costume Article –
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