Dressing up is probably my favorite part of Halloween! Even when I was little I was always something scary and indeed one of my favorite Halloween memories is when I was in kindergarten and we had a party at school. Every single girl in my class was something sweet and pretty but I was a vampire!
Donning a costume is simply more decoration--only this time you’re decorating yourself. In that sense it can be as fancy and detailed as you like, or as simple. Personally, I like to go crazy! Why not? What other time of year can adults play dress-up and trade reality for fantasy? I can honestly say that I just don’t understand these stiff adults (or even older kids!) who turn their nose up at dressing up and snobbishly proclaim “I don’t do costumes.” Try and get a nice aim at their car windshield with a couple of rotten eggs if you can. Kidding!
Below you'll find some links to some great cotsume places on the net.
Halloween Mart
All Costumes
Halloween Street
Buy Costumes
Buying or even renting costumes can be expensive but making your own costume can be both rewarding and cheap! Go through your closets; you'll be surprised at what you can find. Also, Good Will's and Salvation Army's are great places to find cheap materials to add to your costume. With a little time and creativity you can be the best vampire, zombie, or evil fairy at the party! And I should know, I've been all three!
Don’t think you have to wrack your brain coming up with movie quality duds for your party or trick-or-treating excursion. Though I like to make myself practically unrecognizable, simple can actually work for Halloween.
- Feeling catty? Throw on a black shirt and matching pants, draw on some whiskers, and add a pair of ears and a tail. Most places that carry costumes also have kits that only have accessories, which is just want you want in this case.
- A vampire doesn’t have to wear a velvet lined cape and carry a cane. When’s the last time YOU saw a vampire coming back from the opera? They look just like you and me these days! Wear whatever you’d like and just add a pair of fangs.
- If you want a more traditional witch look without buying a costume try a long black skirt and a button up white shirt. Add a witch hat and maybe a fake wart and you’re done!
- Accessories really are key. They can dress up any “plain” costume.
- However, in the end, if you do decide to really go all out, absolutely nothing caps off a killer costume like special contact lenses. They come in an amazing variety (and price range!) and they really make heads turn. I’ve used the “White Outs” and I loved them! Keep in mind though that you do need a prescription even for “no power” contacts and that some places charge per lens.