This holiday provides us with the perfect excuse to do three of the things we absolutely love: shop, dress up and go out. It is really disheartening though to see how many of the outfits resemble the window of a Fredrick’s of Hollywood or the cover of a Victoria’s Secret magazine. While we love beautiful lingerie as much as the next girl, it is intended for the bedroom- not for the frigid cold nights of a holiday meant to spark the imaginations of children everywhere. As we have searched ourselves for incredible outfits we realize that this is a bigger problem than most realize. It is almost impossible to find a costume that doesn’t over-expose. This brings us to our conundrum: How to look more like a Hallow’s Eve than Hallow’s Slut?
In our shopping experience, we have discovered that it becomes essential to look at everything as adaptable, a skill we use every time we go shopping for fabulous finds. If you are willing to put a little bit of leg-work and home-made expertise into your costume you can make a one of a kind masterpiece. This can be overwhelming for many women who are pressed for time, but it is completely doable and we want to give you a few tools to make your Hallow’s Eve outfit a success.
First, pick a theme. If you are going as a couple, or with friends, or as a family it is easier if you “go together”. This theme will make it easier to narrow your search. Some great themes are: Charlie’s Angels, The Who family from Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, Mork and Mindy, Peter Pan and Wendy, school girls, etc.. You get the point.
Second, look around your house and ask around for “base” pieces. Social networking sites such as facebook are a great way to find and trade with friends. You might start by putting up a post or tweet that you are looking for an item and BAM you have three people in your area that are ready to make a trade. This process requires you to really think outside the box and break down the specific components of your theme. For example, Mork and Mindy = suspenders and a tight shirt for him and a period dress or plaid shirt and bell bottoms for her. Now some people may get stuck on things like, the suspenders- which have to be rainbows. If you are not able to find rainbow suspenders then you have an opportunity to adapt something and make it work for you. You might find plain red ones, or better yet white ones that you can adapt to work to complete the outfit. This brings us to our third and final step.
Be willing to make some adaptations yourself. Those white suspenders only need permanent markers to create a great rainbow of colors. This adaption technique also works well for those pressed for time but not willing to look like a Hallow’s Slut. For a French maid that is classy, not trashy, think in terms of a great second-hand flared black skirt (feel free to cut it shorter to make it fun), a button down black top with the collar flipped up for pizzaz and a piece of white fabric, or an old white sheet, cut in the shape of a half apron. Use a hot glue gun to attach it to your inexpensive black skirt, avoiding the need for a sewing machine. Add a headband with some of that white fabric cut in shapes, or a snippet of lace if you have some, using the hot glue gun to attach it, and voila! You are a French Maid your neighbors will be pleased to open the door for.
Friends, the fun is in the details, the success in the money saved and the class is in each decision made when assembling your costume. So think outside the box. Save your hard earned dollars, and ask yourself, does this in any way resemble an outfit I would be proud of during the daylight hours?
I leave you with the best image I could find representing a fun, classy version of the maid outfit. Amazingly only found on a Barbie. Sometimes they do get her right, eh?
First, pick a theme. If you are going as a couple, or with friends, or as a family it is easier if you “go together”. This theme will make it easier to narrow your search. Some great themes are: Charlie’s Angels, The Who family from Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, Mork and Mindy, Peter Pan and Wendy, school girls, etc.. You get the point.
Second, look around your house and ask around for “base” pieces. Social networking sites such as facebook are a great way to find and trade with friends. You might start by putting up a post or tweet that you are looking for an item and BAM you have three people in your area that are ready to make a trade. This process requires you to really think outside the box and break down the specific components of your theme. For example, Mork and Mindy = suspenders and a tight shirt for him and a period dress or plaid shirt and bell bottoms for her. Now some people may get stuck on things like, the suspenders- which have to be rainbows. If you are not able to find rainbow suspenders then you have an opportunity to adapt something and make it work for you. You might find plain red ones, or better yet white ones that you can adapt to work to complete the outfit. This brings us to our third and final step.
Be willing to make some adaptations yourself. Those white suspenders only need permanent markers to create a great rainbow of colors. This adaption technique also works well for those pressed for time but not willing to look like a Hallow’s Slut. For a French maid that is classy, not trashy, think in terms of a great second-hand flared black skirt (feel free to cut it shorter to make it fun), a button down black top with the collar flipped up for pizzaz and a piece of white fabric, or an old white sheet, cut in the shape of a half apron. Use a hot glue gun to attach it to your inexpensive black skirt, avoiding the need for a sewing machine. Add a headband with some of that white fabric cut in shapes, or a snippet of lace if you have some, using the hot glue gun to attach it, and voila! You are a French Maid your neighbors will be pleased to open the door for.
Friends, the fun is in the details, the success in the money saved and the class is in each decision made when assembling your costume. So think outside the box. Save your hard earned dollars, and ask yourself, does this in any way resemble an outfit I would be proud of during the daylight hours?
I leave you with the best image I could find representing a fun, classy version of the maid outfit. Amazingly only found on a Barbie. Sometimes they do get her right, eh?
* Holmes, Elizabeth. “Ghosts Aren't Nearly as Frightening as These Characters”. The Wall Street Journal. 26, Oct. 2010. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303550904575562693019232922.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
