Author: Brenda McNary
If you are anything like me, dear readers, the season surrounding Halloween is both fantastic and stressful. In the midst of candy corn, plastic rats and pumpkin carving, I always find myself dreading the necessity of finding a Halloween costume. It’s not that I don’t enjoy shopping—quite the contrary, digging through a bin of old clothes is a favorite Saturday pastime. No, it is my never-ending quest to find a sufficiently creative costume that gives me the heebie jeebies.
Anyone can run to the nearest Halloween store and drop $50 on a naughty nurse costume that is sure to be skimpy as well as over-the-top. This isn’t to say that a slinky little number wouldn’t be fun to wear out on Halloween, but I personally think that a costume can be much more fun if you put some thought into it and come up with something is more thoughtful than a glorified bikini. If I have sparked your curiosity about interesting alternatives, read on—if you insist on going the “sexy costume” route, check out www.buycostumes.com for kicks and giggles (just stay away from the “Naughty Navajo,” as it is ridiculous and offensive).
For those of you who desire a bit more out of your Halloween experience, read on. I found a little gem on the Internet appropriately titled Costume Idea Zone (www.costumeideazone.com) that is literally a site devoted to listing people’s costume ideas. Luckily for you, I have highlighted a few ideas for your leisurely perusal and even assigned them based on your interests:
History Buff: Be Paul Bunyan! This American folk tale character would be a great way to show your appreciation of a good tall tale. Don’t forget the plaid shirt and blue ox sidekick.
Lazy Person: It has been far too long since I have seen the good old-fashioned sheet-with-holes-cut-out ghost costume. Keep the dream alive.
Geography Aficionado: Dress up as the Great Salt Lake! This would be a cinch with the assistance of a blue sweat suit and some creative safety pinning of boats and fishes. Extra points for getting the state bird right (hint: it’s the California gull).
Movie Lover: In what could possibly be the greatest use of the silver unitard, I would suggest dressing as David Bowie’s Goblin King from The Labyrinth. Magic dance the night away with all your goblin pals.
Endorphin Addict: Richard Simmons anyone? Gotta love the old school Reeboks and short shorts. I’m ready to “Sweat ‘n’ Shout,” are you?!
Ultimate Horror Show: You will need all of your sewing capacities to pull off a parasite infestation costume. Use some stuffed pantyhose for intestines and get creative with your choice of tapeworms, maggots or even a parasitic twin! Fake blood is a must.
With an Entourage: Everyone has a favorite breakfast cereal-grab your friends and go as the Breakfast Club. Pick your character (i.e. Count Chocula or Trix rabbit) and go to town, or in this case, breakfast. Note: it was difficult to choose between this and the Justice League. I leave this at the discretion of your entourage.
Couple Costume: Head off to the wig shop for some matching blond mullets and you could be Dog the bounty hunter and his wife Beth. Don’t forget the leather vests and excessive gold jewelry. Tell your parolees to watch their backs.
Brainy Bro: What better test of skill than the Rubik’s cube, and more importantly, what better costume? Multicolored squares never looked so stylish.
If you find my suggestions completely atrocious, do not be discouraged. A good Halloween costume is one that invariably reflects the tastes and interests of the wearer.
So, with the spirit of individuality in mind, here are some of my best suggestions for nearby shopping locations to find that special item you need to make your Halloween dreams come true:
Aardvarks Odd Ark: 1253 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. I went here last October and it was stuffed to the brim with rad costume pieces.
Out of the Closet: 1726 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. Pretty similar to what you will find at Aardvarks, the store is mainly hand-picked vintage pieces and trade-ins—good place to find quality stuff.
Berda Paradise Thrift Store: 3506 W. Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. Tiny store, great clothing, super good prices—not many outfits for boys, though.
Glendale Costumes: 746 W. Doran St. in Glendale. For the serious costume enthusiast, the store has a stock of hundreds of accurate costumes and accessories for purchase or rental. Custom fittings are available too!
Any local Goodwill or Salvation Army: Support a charity while shopping for a costume, what a concept!
Hope this gets your creative juices going for that perfect costume for a trick-or-treating excursion or simply hanging out with friends. Have fun!
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