Halloween is my favorite of the holidays. You really can't beat the combination of candy and costuming. These are the things I've learned over the years of costuming:
- Accuracy doesn't matter as much as you think it does.
Seriously. As the costumer, you are the only one who knows how inaccurate the costume really is, and you shouldn't let that detract from the fun of wearing the costume. There are the people who will notice such inaccuracies, but for the most part, people are generally pretty lenient, given the amount of effort that it takes to create a costume. For my Incredibles costume, I had forgotten to make the yellow belt (and on the second wearing forgotten to put on the eye mask). Not one person noticed (except me).
- Find something that you'd feel comfortable wearing.
By this, I'm talking about physical comfort, as well as emotional comfort. Nothing kills the fun of costuming faster than an uncomfortable costume.
- Expect photographs.
In this age of technology, everyone seems to have a digital camera, so one should be prepared to be photographed. If you feel uncomfortable being photographed in costume, it probably means that it's not a good idea for you to be walking around in that costume. Be prepared with smiles and poses.
- The costume only has to look great for a couple of hours.
Last year, I did the Anakin Jedi costume from Revenge of the Sith. As my first real sewing project, it was pretty cheaply constructed, with stitching that wasn't quite straight, and cuts that weren't really clean, but I knew it only had to keep together a couple of hours, and as I said in tip 1, people aren't going to notice inaccuracies. People will notice, however, if your costume falls apart after a couple hours because the glue didn't hold.
- Practical tasks that one should keep in mind when designing the costume: seeing, sitting, walking, talking, eating, drinking, using the restroom.
Not being able to one of these is probably okay. Not being able to do two or more of these and you may have problems.
- Get into character.
It adds to the fun of costuming. It's okay to be yourself, but you can't be the Tick without yelling "Spoon!" at least a couple of times, or be a Jedi without saying "I sense a disturbance in the Force" or trying a Jedi Mind Trick or two..."You will give me more candy..."
- Props.
In general, they aren't pleasant to carry around but they are nice to have. For example, I firmly believe that one should not be a Jedi without a lightsaber/lightsaber handle. If you can shooting lightning from your hands, that's acceptable too. Props also do a good job of distracting people away from the costume. Some of the greatest props I've seen (like press passes for Lois Lane and Clark Kent) aren't very hard to make, but they add to the costume.
- Anything can be a costume with the right attitude and a little creativity.
A suit, a cumberbund and a top hat, and suddenly you're Mandrake the Magician. Suit and a fake british accent - James Bond or Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Blue denim overalls, plaid shirt, and a straw hat and you're a farmer. Ripped clothes, blood stains -- you could be a zombie or a serial killer or vampire or victim. I find that once the costume creativity engine begins to run, it doesn't stop.
- Have fun.
It's not everyday that you're in costume (maybe it is if you work in an amusement park).
- When in doubt, go for the more capable character.
You never know when a magic spell will change you into your costumed persona.
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