Halloween. Did I mention that it is one of my favorite holidays? I have always loved dressing up and pretending to be someone else. As I remember it, when I was a kid, store-bought costumes were pretty low quality, something like printed satiny capes with a plastic mask. Happily, my parents and Grandma were handy with the sewing machine, so I had fancier fare.
Childhood:
- Superman: I was a little baby then, with a big "S" on my chest. I was cute, seriously.
- Ballerina: Oh, very girly and pink. I still love all things like this. Rose velvet bodice lined with rose-printed material and stiff tulle skirts.
- Black Cat: Big old fake fur costume with a hood with ears. Cat features courtesy of makeup.
- Native American Girl (sorry this is so unPC, but it was the sixties)Fringed brown dress. The thing I remember most was the long black wig that kept shedding hair into my mouth. Ick!
- Little Bo Peep: Pink rose-printed skirt (different material though), white pantaloons and bodice, forest green velvet vest, with a little rose-print hat to match and a stuffed lamb.
- Cruella DeVille: A favorite of mine. Half and half hair, "Dalmatian" cape, black dress, green skin (?), and a cigarette holder. Probably a no-no now.
- Martian: My very favorite. Purple wig, more green skin, a groovy purple cape with purple and white shorts, green tights, a huge pink "crystal" pendant and the crowning glory: battery-operated Christmas tree light antennae! My teacher was afraid to let me walk home from school this rainy day because she feared that I might be electrocuted!
- Bald Eagle: A parental work of art! A paper mache helmet-mask and a cape full of fabric feathers. This baby was difficult to Trick or Treat in.
In my neighborhood, when you hit 7th grade, you didn't dress up for Halloween anymore. Period.
College:
Free again to do what you like without being deemed childish. Unfortunately, I can't sew, so raw creativity replaces ability in costume preparation:
- Autumn: Green leotard, wine tights, brown leggings and boots, complimented by a brown fishnet filled with fall leaves and a camo painted face.
- Cat from Cats musical: Black leotard, tights and boots. Leotard spotted with pieces of brown fake fur, which also provides a tail and is wrapped around the boot tops. Fingerless white evening gloves. All of it painted madly to look like fur. Heavy cat makeup, grey sprayed hair shaped to make kitty ears, and black nails. "The naming of cats is a difficult matter..."
Bookstore/Library Career:
This is fun because the kids really enjoy it.
- Red Riding Hood: Red hooded wool cape, floral lace up vest with cream peasant blouse, black skirt, braided hair, a basket of goodies and wolf puppet. My girlfriend at the time dressed up as grandma.
- Queen of Hearts: Reverse of the vest (black), red skirt, red cape with black and white felt hearts glued on, tin foil crown and matching heart topped scepter, made of a wooden dowel wrapped with red and white ribbons. Severe queenly makeup.
- Pirate Queen: Same basics as above, sans cape and royal accessories. Black boots, black and white striped satin, headscarf and waist sash, cut jaggedy. Huge gold hoop earrings, big plastic sword, Pirates of the Caribbean gold coin as a necklace, and fierce sea faring scowl.
- Luna Moth: Probably my worst effort. The kid's didn't know what I was. Big pale green butterfly wings, sunglasses, a head band with wispy white feather attached for antennae. Black and white clothes. Sigh.
- Storytime Witch (above): The best witches' hat ever (bought at Walmart). This mightily impressed the storytime crowd.
What on earth will I be this year? I do work on Halloween.
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