Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:27 am
#31159
Oh, I'd say the clues are out there... somewhere. But you're off track if you're looking on Sesame Street.
Among all the other projects bouncing around in my brain during the Halloween season, putting together a new costume is always one of the priorities.
In my 31 years, I haven't missed an opportunity for costuming yet. As a kid, my mom helped put together my outfits, often sewing some or all of it. Once I hit the adolescent years and trick-or-treating was a bit frowned on for my age, my costume efforts waned. Admittedly, a few of them were rather weak. But as an adult, my interest in creative costumes was reborn, the more unique the better.
Coming up with a concept is never difficult. At any given time, I probably have 3 or 4 ideas for things I'd like to be in the future. I don't do word-play concept costumes. I don't dress as inanimate objects. I prefer to inhabit a character for the night. To be someone (or something) else. And not an everyday cop, prisoner, or doctor. My costumes usually involve morphing into some type of creepy human(oid).
I never buy pre-made costumes. I prefer to put together something unique, from many parts. Some pieces bought, but often built too. Sometimes I have to rush my costume a bit, if things get busy around here and time is limited. But I don't think the look suffers much, because I usually start planning it in my head many months prior. Even now I have a potential list of parts to buy for next year's costume.
From year to year, the costumes vary. If there was something particularly challenging about the previous year's costume, I like to give myself a break from that aspect. Example: my Patch Master scarecrow costume was quite cumbersome, with it's tall hat, long coat, oversized gloves, and face covering mask. So the next year I was Shaun of the Dead... who basically looks like me, with a red tie. But making that gore splattered cricket bat sure was a bloody good time.
This year, my costume is nearly complete. As is typical, I was able to creatively recycle certain parts of old costumes, turning them into something entirely different. One of the perks of collecting 30 years of costume pieces. But I also picked up some unique props to compliment the look too, so it should turn out to be a pretty charming beast.