A costume fiend's guide to closet costumes: Part Two

Okay, here's some other ideas.  Not knowing what someone has in their closet I can't guarantee any of these will work but hopefully they will get you thinking about ways in which you can create a costume for (almost) free.  I'm also noting "bonus buys" - items you have the option of buying that won't cost a lot of money but will be a nice touch.

I cannot say how much I love this photo

Punk - I've actually done this for a friend and I also punkified my second doctor costume once but I figure you got enough of my mug in the last post.  Tartan, fishnets, bandanas, leather and jean jackets, buttons, patches, blue jeans, studs, docs, etc . . . Have a shirt destined for the rag bag?  Tear it more and "fix it" with some safety pins.  Heavy and messy makeup. 

Bonus buy: funky colored hair is great so if you're everyday hair isn't quite as wild as some folk - get some hair chalk or spray color to make it more punk.

Dent is the gent on the right.

Arthur Dent - Put on your favorite PJs and robe.  Don't forget your towel.  So easy I feel silly even bringing it up.  Seriously, when I did a search for the reference photo I found another site that listed Dent as a suggestion for a cheap costume. 

Bonus Buy: Pimp your "electronic book" with a "Don't Panic" decal.  This is the one I have on mine.

 

I don't think Jason is wearing enough red here.

Mighty not yet morphed Power Rangers - I was thinking of this already but when my brother brought it up and I just had to mention it.  Remember how the rangers always wore the color of what ever ranger they were even when they were in their regular clothes?  Go through your closet and see what color predominates.  That's your ranger.  Also, this would be an awesome group costume. 

Bonus buy: Check out thrift stores in the toy and jewelry section for something that resembles a communicator.  Wear it and talk into it all night.

Be sure to click through to check out more wonderful photos

Suffragette - Have a long skirt and high necked long sleeve blouse?  Or a long dress?   Make a sash that  says "Votes for women" - a sharpie and an old sheet are all you really need.  Failing that you can always make a sign.  Put your hair up and add a hat if you have one.  Instant suffragette.

Bonus buy: In the US the suffragette colors were purple, white, and gold (purple, white, and green in the UK) so pick up some ribbons in the appropriate color and make rosettes.  Tutorial here.  Pin them in your hair and on your dress,  give them away if you make a bunch.  Or if you don't want to go to the trouble of making rosettes just put the ribbons in your hair or on your hat.

The mid '90s series was awesome (Nancy is in the middle)

Nancy Drew - I dress like Nancy all the time but I tend to stay firmly within her earlier years.  You don't have to go vintage - Nancy has a lot of looks to pick from.  She's been a blonde, a red head, and a brunette.  She's "lived" from the 1930's until now.  Take a gander at this page for a guide to the various versions of her in print.  This page can help with visual references to her appearances on film and TV.  Be sure to have a notebook and pencil for writing down clues and a flashlight just in case of "in the dark" sleuthing.  Also handy if you happen to be escorting trick-or-treaters.

Bonus buy - A magnifying glass would be a great accessory.  It wouldn't have to be a large one either.  I am particularly fond of the necklace kind. 1928 Jewelry has a wide selection here.

Still stumped?  Here's a few more hints:

-Look at that percentage of your wardrobe that never gets worn.  Little black cocktail dress?    There's always the bombshell version of Catwoman.  Pencil skirt that's a little too vavoom for work? Go rockabilly with teased hair and a t-shirt knotted at the waist.  Item of clothing covered in sparkles and sequins?  You can be a circus performer.

-Enlist the help of a friend and go through each others' wardrobes.  Maybe there's something you can lend each other or maybe one of you will "see" a potential costume that the other just can't.

- While I may have discouraged buying from a Halloween store - I do think it's a good place to get ideas.  You may actually own most of the pieces of a fab costume - you just need to get the inspiration.  Also, you can sometimes find nice things at a reasonable price that serve as good touches to a costume.

-As I mentioned before - it's always good to reuse things from previous costumes - so what have you been?  What were your friends?  I have no problem "renting"  some of my costumes to a friend - though I do have some rules.  Like "don't alter it" and "DON'T wash it".  You may have a friend who is totally cool passing along last year's costume.  Just be respectful of what their wishes are regarding it.

-Never be afraid of starting with a previous year's costume and doing something new with it.  With some fake blood and scary makeup it's not hard to do a zombie version of a previous costume. Or maybe you can combine parts of an old costume to create new one.

I hope I gave you some ideas or at least a starting point for your costume.  For me it's not about having the best costume or the most impressive or even being recognized (Which pretty much NEVER happens on Halloween. ) but being comfortable and happy in it.  And for that to happen you never need to spend a lot of money or time.