"What are you going to be for Halloween?"
It's the most popular question (aside from "Trick or treat?"), and the one I am always most excited to talk about when October 31st rolls around. Costumes have always been my favorite part of Halloween, and I know I'm not alone.
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When it comes to dressing up, people usually fall into two camps: there are the ones who head straight to the Halloween stores to buy pre-made costumes, and there are those who prefer to assemble them on their own. You probably don't need to guess which method I prefer.
That's right! I'm one of those people who has delusions of grandeur, quite certain that she can stitch together a costume on the fly. Sometimes I'm right; sometimes I'm very, very wrong.
But, you know what? Even if the final outcome isn't what I expected, I still had fun trying. Pushing my creative limits is part of the adventure, and sometimes that means admitting defeat (do I really want to spend about 6 hours trying to make a fitted blouse, or should I just go check out the sales at JCPenney?). There's a certain thrill to be found in costuming by the seat of my pants.
Maybe someday, I'll even learn to follow a pattern! It's not that I don't know how to read one - the ones I choose are usually fairly easy to understand. Sometimes the costumes I choose are so otherworldly that a pattern probably doesn't exist. On other occasions, after following steps one through five, I look at where I'm at and say "Oh, I remember how to do the next part!" And that's how you sew your sleeves on upside-down and inside-out, kids.
Perhaps it's the holiday enthusiasm that brings out the artist in me. And perhaps it's the artist in me that always ends up winging it. I can't quite be sure. Maybe I'll never know.
Coordinating costumes as a couple, or even a group can be fun. My husband and I dressed up as Wilson and Willow from "Don't Starve" (an awesome survival game by Klei Entertainment) this weekend. While my costume consisted of items I bought, borrowed or already owned, I was thrilled to be able to make a red vest for my Gentleman Scientist. Even our cat got in on the fun!
There is a third path, crisscrossing between the two camps, that some people pursue. Say your friends don't feel like dressing up, and you don't want to be the only one in full zombie makeup. Maybe you want to get into the spirit, but work in a setting where ball gowns and gorilla suits aren't considered "proper work attire."
Rather than trying to create an exact copy of an ensemble, ideas like DisneyBound (where you dress in a similar color scheme and accessorize to give the impression of a certain character) are gaining in popularity. It's a classy sort of discreet way of dressing up. For instance, Missy Hargrove, one of the other writers on my Odyssey community once DisneyBounded as Melody from "The Little Mermaid 2."
So, no matter if you seamlessly sew your costumes from scratch every year, buy your perfect outfit already complete or fall somewhere in between, as long as you're enjoying the season, don't let me tell you what to wear this Halloween.
