If you’re feeling bored with the usual assortment of ghosts, ghouls, pirates, witches, vampires and such that are offered as traditional Halloween costuming, you might want to consider coming up with some one of a kind or unique Halloween costumes this year. There are several ways to make a Halloween costume original, and to be certain you won’t be one of a string of french maids or black cats at any dress-up events you attend. Unique Halloween costumes can be a great way to express your artistic side and creatively dig deep, and they’re also a lot of fun to invent.
Just because retail stores tend to focus on more traditional costumes, don’t discount them completely as possible resources. A piece of a costume may inspire other ideas not intended by the manufacturer. You may not want to be a pirate, but if you’d like to be the Highwayman, from the famous poem, you’ll probably be able to find a wonderful lace shirt in the pirate section. Do think about your favorite fictional characters, especially from at least several decades ago for inspiration.
For example, you might want to be a Beat writer, and represent one of the many characters in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, or you might want to be Daisy, from The Great Gatsby. With traditional costuming for the beat generation or for flappers, you can add a few touches that make you distinct and more like your character. If you really want to go all out with authentic costuming, try searching thrift stores or stores specializing in haute couture clothing. With a Pucci dress, a blonde wig, and a skinny figure, you can transform yourself into the famous model, Twiggy, for the evening.
Alternately, turn to history. Think of the many figures of the past that don’t get represented, like Greek scientists, medieval monks, leaders of countries. You can often use ready-made costumes representing that period and just know enough about your character to add a few touches that will make you easy to recognize. Galileo could have a model of the solar system, or wear a sign that says, "The Universe does not revolve around me."
If you’re not a fan of literature, history, or popular culture, don’t despair. Consider making unique Halloween costumes that represent a theme or an idea. Try wearing red, golds, and browns and use a few leaves from a local crafts store to be the incarnation of autumn. Similarly you could costume yourself as spring or winter with the appropriate colors and decorative touches from crafts store or with handmade crafts. Ideas can be hard to represent, but with a little creativity, you could be Wisdom, Peace, or a variety of other figures. Think of looking up signs and symbols appropriately associated with the idea you’d like to be for a night, and work a costume up that includes these symbols.
Another fun way to make unique Halloween costumes is to juxtapose two types of costumes together. If you’re not great with crafts, you can still purchase items that will make your costumes one of a kind. For instance, you could be a nerd vampire, a kitty french maid, a clown witch, an elephant fairy princess, or a doctor on vacation. You may have to do some explaining about unique Halloween costumes of this type, but they will cause comment and many of these can be lots of fun at a party.
Whether you’re handy with crafts and sewing or just a conscientious shopper, let your imagination go wild. With a little thought and planning you can definitely outfit yourself and family in unique Halloween costumes. No more run of the mill ghosts and ghouls for you!
