What are you going to be for Halloween this year? This question echoes throughout campus as everyone prepares for the one night of the year when they can be anything they want. Costume choices are as diverse as the students, and Halloween offers students the perfect opportunity to get creative and express themselves through costume selection and design. Students usually have their own reasons for their costume choices, but Sara Harvey, owner of Vintage Wearhouse, a popular costume rental store near campus, notices the same trends every year in the costumes customers choose. "Girls always want to look cute and sexy," Harvey said. "Guys just want to go to participate and want to be something recognizable."Harvey's observation seems to be more accurate for the girls. Many girls enjoy dressing as French maids, nurses, schoolgirls or any other costume in which they can catch a guy's attention. "This year I'm going as a turn-of-the-century whore," sophomore Meredith Morris said. "The reason I am doing this is because … the point of Halloween is to look really, really sexy, so I think that I've accomplished that goal." Freshman Lori Ballard's costume proves girls can be creative and get guys at the same time. "This year I'm going to be a 'sweet surprise,'" Ballard said. "It's like one of those girls that jump out of cakes at birthday parties. The bottom (of the costume) is a cake, and the top is like a little tube top. It's really cute." Harvey's observations about guys' costume choices also seem to be true to an extent. Guys pick sports figures or other more recognizable costumes, but they also tend to add their own unique twist to this stereotype. "This year for Halloween I'm going as Walter Peyton," sophomore Stephen Noffke said. "I'm going to put on my Walter Peyton jersey, paint myself black and wear my '80s sunglasses. I'll also wear the football pants I still have from high school." Freshman A.J. Etsch is also planning to go as a celebrity. "For Halloween, I'm going to be Hugh Hefner," he said. "He's one of my personal role models in life … I admire his entrepreneurial skills." Harvey's theory, however, does have exceptions. Not everyone wants to be omething recognizable or generic. Many students seize the opportunity to get creative and come up with costumes out of the ordinary. "I was thinking about maybe being grapes this year, like taking purple balloons and taping them to myself," freshman Carley Knapp said. "I also thought it would be funny if someone dressed up as toothpaste and put a lampshade on their head with a sheet around them that said 'Colgate' or 'Crest' or something." Some students, like Knapp, enjoy capitalizing on their creativity by making their own costumes instead of renting them. "I'm a costume design minor so of course costuming is a big deal for me," freshman Quinto Ott said. "This year (my friend) Emma and I are going together as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, so that's really fun. Also, I'm making twelve different costumes for people on my floor, (including) two can-can girls, a pirate wench, a fairy and a leprechaun." For most students, costume creativity and individuality is not a new concept. Many students have been dressing up in unique costumes since they were kids. Despite their shared obsession with dressing as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, guys seemed to have the most creative of the childhood costumes. "I was Dick Tracy one year," sophomore Tim Transon said. "I had the little yellow costume and coat in kindergarten or first grade." Freshman Adam Hausman also had creative costumes as a child. "My favorite (costume from childhood) was when I dressed up as a tree stump," Hausman said. "I think I was in fifth grade and I did it to be a joke. I'd lie down in somebody's lawn and somebody would come come along and I'd jump up and scare them." Some students, like senior Mike MacDonald, didn't get to exercise their own creative freedom because they were at the mercy of their parents when choosing Halloween costumes. "My mom always took pride in making (my siblings and I) costumes. There was a year when I was a popcorn box, there was a year when I was fall clean-up, and it was basically a garbage bag with leaves coming out of it," MacDonald said. "Then there was one year when I was a banana. My mom took a lot of pride in the costumes, and it was more of a competition between the parents to see who could come up with the best costumes … I was always jealous of the sports people. I always wanted to do that but I was basically my mom's puppet, and I always wore what she wanted me to wear." Sophomore Abi Peterson is familiar with MacDonald's situation because her mom made her Halloween costumes as well. "My mom was always creative and she would make really ornate, cool costumes and I remember being a princess the first five years of my life," Peterson said. "I had big crowns and big hats, and all this fabric. I have three brothers and they were always fighting hero guys and I was always the princess." Whatever the reasons behind costume choices may be, students should enjoy the experience and take advice from Noffke -- "If you're going to dress up, you might as well go all out."
|
A Costume Analysis IDS fashion columnist Patrice Worthy gives her comments on people's costumes EMMA STRAUSS, FRESHMAN I'm going as Marie Antoinette this year because I really wanted a big pretty dress, and the dress makes me look pretty. Analysis: Going as Marie Antoinette is a good idea, but don't forget a long string of pearls. Wear a big fat mole on your cheek and face glitter. Also carry a fan. ANNIE KERKIAN, SOPHOMORE For Halloween, I'm going as the goddess Aphrodite because my friends and I were thinking about what would be fun and sexy and easy to make. Analysis: Aphrodite is really good. Remember you can also dress as a modern day Aphrodite. Try a long flowing dress or wear flowers wherever possible on your arms, head, behind your ear, even around your ankles. Do not wear heels but instead go with a pair of sandals. You can also go as Mira Sorvino in "Mighty Aphrodite." You can get a big blonde wig, a tight pink dress and if your chest isn't big enough, a pair of falsies. Whatever you do, don't forget the long flowing hair, jewelry and flowers. MEREDITH MORRIS, SOPHOMORE This year I'm going as a turn-of-the-century whore (can-can dancer). The reason I am doing this is because my good friend Quinto makes corsets, and they're incredibly stiff and uncomfortable, but the point of Halloween is to look really, really sexy. I think that I've accomplished that goal. Analysis: If you're going to ho out, go all out. Make sure your breasts are popping out of that corset like nobody's business. Also wear fishnet stockings. Try to be colorful -- no one likes a drab ho. Color makes all the difference. Try to add purple, magenta and gold to the costume. Get some fake eyelashes, and wear plenty of red lipstick. GUYS TIME TRANSON, SOPHOMORE My Halloween costume for this year, I haven't really thought of it. When I was kid, I'd dress up as a hockey player or some athlete, a football player. I was Dick Tracy one year. This year I haven't decided on what I should do. Ideas … no. Some of us were going to dress up like we were Fight Club, but I didn't like the idea too well, so that failed. Another idea we'd probably dress up as pimps or something. Most likely I won't dress up at all. I'll just be too lazy and not get a costume. Analysis: This person obviously likes playing out character roles for Halloween. Instead of a pimp or Fight Club, maybe he should try being one of the models from "Zoolander." Ben Stiller's character is really funny. He could get a shiny shirt, leather pants, a zebra headband and he would be good to go. He could also try Owen Wilson's character because Hansel is so hot right now. MIKE MACDONALD, SENIOR I'm either going to be an American soldier because I'm in the ROTC here, and I have the uniform, or I'm going to be a wookie because I'm 6'8," and I can make the noise really well for a wookie. Analysis: I like the soldier idea -- nothing is better than a man in uniform. He should try being a little different by going as an 18th century soldier or someone famous from the past like Ulysses Grant or George Washington. He has the height so Abraham Lincoln would also be a good idea if he was going for the patriotic thing. You can dress in a black coat, black top hat and black pants. The clothes should not be hard to find. The top hat you can by at any costume shop. VAUGHN GANIYU, SOPHOMORE I believe this Halloween I'm going to be Harry Potter because I really love the books. I love the movie, and I think it'd be cool to be a black Harry Potter, so I'm going to be Harry Potter. Analysis: Harry Potter is a good idea, but don't forget to be colorful. One thing I remember about the movie is the brilliant color and excitement. Get a purple cape with a hat to match. Don't forget the glasses, and carry a pet toad. If the Harry Potter costume is not available, try going as the Warlock from "Fantasia." A long white beard with a hat and long cape would be really cool. You could even get someone to dress up as a dancing hippopotamus or a walking mop. Or a water bucket. STEPHEN NOFFKE, SOPHOMORE This year for Halloween I'm going to go as Walter Peyton. I'm going to put on my Walter Peyton jersey and paint myself black and then wear my 1980s sunglasses, and I'll also wear the football pants I still have from high school. Analysis: The football player costume isn't bad, but I am sure it will be overdone. If you really want to get some attention, go as your favorite team's mascot. If you want to stick with the Walter Peyton plan, try getting some football pads from a sporting goods store and wear an old pair of cleats. AJ ETSCH, FRESHMAN For Halloween I'm going to be Hugh Hefner. He's one of my personal role models in life. I'm planning on getting some acquired bunnies wherever I go -- we'll play it by ear. Analysis: Hugh Hefner is a really good idea because there are two ways in which you can create a costume. You can be Hugh Hefner when he had his Playboy show in the 60's: he wore a blazer, skinny tie and straight slacks. He also smoked a cigar. You can also go as the older Hugh Hefner and wear the smoking jacket and silk pajama pants with slippers. When trying to imitate Hugh Hefner, never forget the cigar. You can buy paisley pajama pants at College Mall. JOSH GROSSMAN, SENIOR This year I'm going to be Ron Burgundy from "Anchorman" for Halloween because he's hilarious. Analysis: I like the idea; it sounds really good. Make sure the suit is just as cheesy. You can probably buy one at Salvation Army or Goodwill. ADAM HAUSMAN, FRESHMAN This year I'm going to be Jack from "The Nightmare Before Christmas," the pumpkin guy with the pumpkin head and everything, just because I like the movie. Analysis: I like this idea, because Tim Burton movies are so creative, You can also think about going as a number of characters from Tim Burton movies like "Beetlejuice" or "Edward Scissorhands." QUINTO OTT, FRESHMAN I'm a voice major, a theater major and a costume design minor so, of course, costuming is a big deal. I always make a huge deal of Halloween because it's my favorite day of the year. So this year for Halloween, (my friend) and I are going sort of together as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, so that's really fun. Also I'm making twelve different costumes for people on the floor: two can-can girls, a pirate wench, a fairy, a leprechaun and other stuff I don't remember. Analysis: This is a really good idea, because it's costume and that is the point of Halloween. If you are going to dress up in a period piece, don't forget the white makeup or the sparkles and fake mole on the girl. During that period, detail was very important. NICHOLAS MCHUGH, FRESHMAN This year I'm going as a leprechaun for Halloween. I'm doing this because I am Irish, and I kind of look like a leprechaun. I'm going to be wearing black pants that are rolled up to the knee, like knickers, and I'm going to be wearing white tights and black shoes with outlet covers on them for buckles. They're going to be spray painted silver. I'm wearing a green sports jacket and a white T-shirt with a rainbow on it. I'm also going to be wearing a top hat of some kind. Analysis: Going as a leprechaun is fun. One idea to keep in mind is there are lots of different kind of leprechauns. There is the Lucky Charms leprechaun, then the leprechaun from the horror flick. The costume idea is good, but try buying a top hat and spray painting it green, then use a buckle and a black piece of fabric to go around the hat. You can use gold spray paint on the hat's buckle. You can even add suspenders and a white-collared shirt with a bow tie. |
