Helloooooooo there, readers! (that was supposed to be hello said like a ghost…was that clear?)
Happy Thursday! I am writing to you today from a high school library…which is an odd feeling, for sure. I’m listening to a lesson about the stock markets. It’s riveting. I miss the days when I could have a fake budget of $10,000 and invest it and be SUPER committed in the outcome with no possible bad outcome because I have no real money at stake…ah, simpler times.
But anyway.
So, as this weekend is fast approaching theatre people’s Christmas….Halloween!
I wanted to talk a little bit about Halloween costumes and a few last minute ideas.
So, I wanted to share some pictures, some funny Halloween stories, and some last minute ideas for Halloween costumes.
1.) Couples Costumes are NOT Lame.
Or at least, I don’t think they are. I think getting to go as a famous duo is one of those unexpected perks…like, when you’re in college – you go with your friends as the Ninja Turtles…because who has ever seen ONE Ninja Turtle out on Halloween. Being a couple is just like…a much smaller squad. It’s nice to be able to do things together. Don’t let people judge you. (also, if you and your S.O. want to go as separate things – that’s perfectly okay too!)
A few couples costume ideas:
Mary Poppins & Bert (Mary Poppins)
Alice & The Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland)
Marty & Doc (Back to the Future)
Any Princess & Their Sidekick or Prince
Sherlock & Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
The Doctor & Tardis (Dr. Who)
The Doctor & Companion (Dr. Who)
Any Superhero & Their Real Identity (looooove this one)
Carl & Ellie (Up)
Sonic & Tails (Sonic)
Marilyn & Joe DiMaggio
Jess & Nick (New Girl)
Mike & Eleven (Stranger Things)
Katniss & Peeta (Hunger Games)
Walter & Jesse (Breaking Bad)
I could do this list forever…but you get the idea…couple’s costumes can be super cool!
2.) Costumes CAN & SHOULD be fairly inexpensive.
Now, I truly DO NOT understand spending a fortune on Halloween costumes. I just don’t. Wear something comparable to whomever you are trying to be!
People will get the idea.
If you’re going as…a Disney princess…you don’t need a full length, period appropriate, and detailed gown. For the most part, you need a yellow skirt, a navy top, and a red head bow to get the idea of Snow White.
A lot of older stuff can be salvaged from thrift stores, mom’s closet, or old clothes that you may have.
Both of these costumes were COMPLETELY thrifted or pulled from our own closet. I think the only two ‘new’ things to these costumes were Preston’s Bert hat and the flowers on my hat. Everything else was thrifted. Each pair of these costumes cost us less than $20 to create.
My mom bought an old ballet tutu from a garage sale and made me a little poodle hat to make one of my most famous Halloween costumes. Again, an iconic and awesome costume that cost less than $10 to put together.
I pulled all of this stuff out of my own closet. A simple black pencil skirt (which I originally paid $6 for) and a black peplum top to recreate this look.
3.) You SHOULD tone it down for work.
Like…I used to work in a damn theatre and NO ONE got dressed up for Halloween. The kid I shared an office with seriously just safety pinned a cotton ball to the waistband of his jeans and said, “Now I’m a bunny.” …THIS WAS IN A THEATRE. There was ZERO theatricality that Halloween.
However generic adding a pair of animal ears is to an existing outfit, I think that is super appropriate for an office setting. Now, obviously if you are a teacher, I encourage you to get on with your bad self and dress up with your students.
But the moral of the story is, going for a more subtle look/an easy to tone down look, that is still clearly on theme and in the spirit of the holiday, for work is usually a good way to go.
For example, my mom (for the past three years) has rocked my Tardis dress with a white jacket or sweater when she works on Halloween. It’s not overwhelmingly A COSTUME…but it’s still Halloween-y and office appropriate.
This is clearly a ‘costume’ but nothing about it is in appropriate, low cut, revealing, or not passable as another costume. It’s something you could do to subtly rock and show your ideas and theme without making a weird impression.
I think specifically back to that episode of The Office where Pam is in New York and wears a FULL Charlie Chaplin costume (like, dyed hair, grease paint mustache, hat, and full suit costume) only to discover that no one at the corporate office dresses up and she’s stuck like that all day.
Another example, I would wear a red dress with a black belt and Minnie mouse ears as a subtle shout out to the character, but if we had to get to a meeting or a meet a client, I could lose the ears and still look like a mostly respectable person.
I say nothing that is ‘sold’ as a costume. Like an in a bag costume. They tend to be flimsy. Also, no wigs, facepaint, or heavy make up or effects. I would even go light on a costume that needs props. No sexy nurses, no clown suits and shoes. Or at least, that’s my opinion.
Keep it whimsical AND professional.
4.) DIY is GOD.
On the same idea of ‘it shouldn’t be to expensive to make’ – it’s pretty easy to alter your own stuff to work with some easy to remove glue, a cheap t-shirt, or re-using costume pieces. My friend Bethany is the QUEEN of the DIY costume. Honestly. She can make costumes out of thin air. It’s amazing.
And honestly, who could ever be SO DIY-savvy as my dear friend Bethany? AND THESE ARE JUST WHAT I COULD FIND. That is not including what else exists in the universe.
But, it’s easier to make ONE distinguishing piece to take an outfit to a costume. For example, a plain yellow t-shirt transforms into a pineapple with just a few snips for a big pineapple hat. A cute black and white polka dot skirt transformed into a lady bug with some cut out red dots and antennae.
My mom is also ALLLLLLLLLLL about the DIY. Here’s a few examples of childhood costumes that slaaaayed it. A princess, Hermione, and the Statue of Liberty are all some slay-tastic homemade costumes. There’s more, but ain’t nobody got time to go find a bunch of pics, scan them, upload them, and do all that before posting them.
I’ve only ever TRULY DIY-ed a costume. And I am VERY proud of it. I’ll have to see if I can find a costume picture of it.
So, one night in DAMN JANUARY of my senior year, my friend Drew decided to have a toga party. And I was lazy and not even sure if I was going to go to the party (honestly, because there’s was two feet of snow and it was FREEZING) so I did nothing towards getting a costume.
Well, night of the party I go, “Oh crap! I was supposed to do something toga-y.”
So, I pulled out a pair of white shorts, a white ruffle shirt, tied a long scarf into a loop to be a sash…and then this was a GREAT college kid moment. I cut the stem leaves off of the fake flowers in my room with a KNIFE and then super glued them to a headband…about an hour before I went to the party.
Another great example of (an attempted) DIY. We were trying to do Columbia and Janet from RHPS. I sewed every singl one of those damn ribbons on my shorts and tried so hard to put that fabric over an existing cami to make that top.
It is SUPREMELY okay.
Okay, and one more DIY story and then I’ll be done. I swear. So, one time I was invited out for Halloween and again, I was NOT prepared for it at all. And it was also in my college apartment.
It’s a little easier to DIY at home because you have craft supplies, and old clothes, and even some costume pieces floating around.
But nope, college apartment. So I put on fishnets, black shorts, a black blazer over a black bra, black flats, a top hat, a bow tie, and paint red dots with nail polish in a perfect arc over my eyebrow and very heavy eye make-up.
My idea was that I was a ‘sexy ringmaster’…but after getting several different outfit guesses – I took my own idea and started just agreeing with anyone who said, “Are you Clockwork Orange?” or “Are you sexy monopoly guy?” or “Are you a black and white mad hatter?” – and the night was way more fun like that to just change my costume based on the power of suggestion. I had a great time that night.
AND I LITERALLY FOUND $5 AT THE END OF THIS TALE!
And if that’s not a moral…than clearly I don’t know what one is.
5.) Don’t feel bad getting your slut on.
As the late great Mean Girls once said,
“In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”
So, no one should make you feel bad about wearing WHATEVER YOU WANT TO WEAR. Regardless of gender or size. Unless you’re like showing some genitals and making people SUPER uncomfortable (or you’re pulling like a public exposure type thing)…but otherwise.
I will be over here, in Girl World, with a skirt I wouldn’t normally wear so short, something lower cut than usual, and not saying anything about it.
6.) Your main goal of Halloween SHOULD be to have fun!
Don’t buy an expensive costume to go out and get drunk at some bar hoping to score some tail.
Put together something fun, cute, relevant, and easy to do.
I am ADAMANTLY against high heels being part of a costume. You’re either going to be walking long distances in the dark and outside while trick or treating or drinking and both of those sound TERRIBLE to do while you’re stumbling in heels.
Get a great group of friends together, your S.O., or your family. Hit the streets for treats and then hit the bar for some tricks. Or head to the one friend who is always willing to have the party! (I’m looking at you, Rogan!)
Take lots of pictures, do shots, try not to go blind when the drunkest friend moons you (because that definitely happens), make sure you have a designated driver or an uber ready to go, and have a great night!
Be safe! Make good (but not too good) choices!
So here’s the “end of blog” spiel!
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I also will be doing a ‘review’ of what you could do for a day in downtown Harrisburg.
Subscribe for updates! I did my fall fashion for some pumpkin spice fall looks! Be sure to lap it up, baby, with my Heathers Lookbook: How Very! Did you get a chance to see my travel blog? Be sure to check out my recent fashion posts that shows off my Dress-Pocalypse and my twelve tips for thrifting! I also posted my thoughts about aging and things I’ve learned in life.Check out my adorable post about Preston and I rocking some adorable famous couple inspired outfits! Check out my earlier post about your summer reading list,my top 10 plus size stores, or my thoughts about loving your body!
Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?
Question of the Day: What are you going as for Halloween?
Check out mine & Preston’s amazon wishlist for our future home here! (and if you REALLY love us, send us some stuff!)
My next few blog ideas: Do you want to see my new house stock pile? Seasonal transition? Another haul? Maybe one about those ten pieces that make up a wardrobe. But I’m not sure. I want to know what you are interested in hearing about? My Top 10 Embarrassing Stories? 20 Facts from Your Blogger? A team up with another blogger? Haul? A show off of my Barbie lot? Want me to style you? Let me know!
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby
Penny Darling 
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